It was my privilege on March 14, 2017, to hear author Dr. A.J. Hartley speak at the annual meeting of the Friends of the Harrisburg (NC) Library. Dr. Hartley is a man of many talents. He is the distinguished professor of Shakespeare in the Department of Theatre at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which is just several miles up the road from Harrisburg.
Dr. Hartley’s background
Dr. Hartley has published more than 20 books, ranging from academic to mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, and fantasies for adults, young adults, and middle grades. He credits the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis, as being his passport out of his economically-depressed hometown of Preston, England. He read the book when he was 10 years old, and reading subsequently opened up the world to him.
His thoughts on Shakespeare
In his very entertaining and educational presentation at the library on Tuesday night, Dr. Hartley pointed out something about William Shakespeare that I had never considered before. Shakespeare lived and wrote at a time when live theatre was a big thing in London, a town then of approximately 100,000. Going to the theatre was a common activity for all spectrums of the population. Therefore, Shakespeare had to write in a way that would appeal to everyone from the illiterate to the highly educated, from the poorest to the richest in society.
His writing routine
Dr. Hartley welcomed questions from the audience. I noticed that the teens in attendance asked some of the most interesting and probing questions. He spends a lot of time walking his dog six miles-a-day, and that is when he does most of his writing. When he gets home, he types what he “wrote” in his head while he was walking. He used to just wing it, or in the lingo of writers, he was a pantser. That means he wrote without an outline. He now writes short outlines. Every writer has to find what works for them.
My takeaways
As a writer, the main points I came away with were the following:
- “If you’re wondering if you’re a writer, try quitting. If you can, you’re not.” – A.J. Hartley
- “Words are free.” – A.J. Hartley
- Dr. Hartley wrote fiction for 20 years before his first novel was published. I don’t know whether to take encouragement from that or not. He started at a much earlier age than I did!
Dr. Hartley’s website
If you’re interested in reading any of Dr. Hartley’s books, check with your local public library and also online. His website is ajhartley.net.
Until my next blog post
I hope you have a good book to read. If you’re a writer, I hope you have quality writing time. Never pass up an opportunity to hear an author speak!
Janet
Janet's Writing Blog 
Love the “walk-writing” practice. I don’t do it enough although it has been powerful each time I do. Sitting at my desk frustrated is very rarely the answer. lol Now that spring is approaching in the Midwest, I have no excuse. Thanks for this post! Always encouraging to hear how other writers go about their art. Glad to have found your site!
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Hello, Patty. It’s great to hear from you. I also found it interesting that Dr. Hartley does most of his writing while walking his dog. It helped me realize that I need to do more of that. We had a large vegetable garden until three or four years ago (when the deer decided it was their garden!), and I did a lot of my dialogue writing in my head while working in the garden. I realize now how much I miss that. We thought spring had arrived early here in North Carolina until it snowed several inches last Sunday morning, followed by some of the coldest days and nights of the entire winter! Surely, spring is coming soon and I will get outside more. I’m so glad you let me know how much you enjoyed my blog post!
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Oh, deer! (Corny, I know but I had to do it.) A large vegetable garden sounds lovely. I’m a city girl but from time to time, I dream of having a large garden and a little forest as a back yard. My only issue with walk-writing was that I want to start writing, but I now voice record my thoughts on my phone if I absolutely have to have a record of what I’m thinking as I walk. And it’s so worth the funny looks. lol
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LOL! Funny you would mention voice recording on your phone. I hadn’t thought of that. Now, if I can only walk and talk at the same time…. I live out in the country, so if I fall down at least no one will see me!
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