We first experienced Melanie’s writing through Albuquerque’s creative writing series Bad Mouth. I remember Jenn saying to me, “Have you watched this week’s Bad Mouth writer video? She’s really good!” And she was right. I was mesmerized by Melanie’s work, which she read with such warmth and strength. I knew we had to see if we could get her as a featured writer for Plume. We’re so glad she said yes! We hope you enjoy this interview with Melanie.
Plume: When did you know you were a writer?
Melanie S. Hatter: I’m not sure there was a specific moment. At a very young age, I wrote in a diary—notes from my day, what I had for dinner, things like that. I knew I wanted to write a book one day. I studied journalism as a practical way to make a living as a writer, while getting the chance to experience the world and hear people’s stories. So, I suppose when I got my first paying job as a newspaper reporter, I felt like a real writer. I worked part-time at the Daily Press as an undergrad at Hampton University.
P: Where do you get your ideas?
MSH: From many places. Experiences from my own life. I find news stories especially inspiring. My latest novel, Malawi’s Sisters, was inspired by the shooting death of a young Black woman in Michigan. I wrote a short story after reading about a woman kidnapped and held hostage in Colombia. And I wrote a story inspired by my fascination with police shows like CSI. People and places also bring story ideas. The first novel I ever wrote was inspired by a house I used to drive by on my way to work. I began to imagine who lived there and what their lives were like. The novel, by the way, was awful and will never be published, but it had a beginning, middle and an end, and encouraged me to write another book, which did end up getting published—The Color of My Soul.
P: Where do you write? Has this changed in 2020?
MSH: It hasn’t changed much. I have a home office, where I used to write my fiction, but now that my day job has me working there (I work with a nonprofit in D.C.), I take my laptop to the couch or dining table to switch things up and write during lunch breaks and weekends. I generally like quiet when I’m writing, so I was never able to write much in a coffee shop.
P: Do you have any writing rituals?
MSH: Besides the sudden urge to clean the house, organize my magazines, and see what’s happening on Twitter right before I get started? No.
P: How supportive is your local community for writers?
MSH: I live in the Washington, D.C. area, and despite the political cloud that sits above the city, there’s a thriving writing community here. I’m part of a small writing group of women that meets once a month—we’ve been gathering for many years now, sharing and critiquing each other’s work. I love the sisterhood and honest, and sometimes lively, discussions we have about our writing. Beyond that there’s a myriad of independent bookstores and literary organizations that do amazing work to support writers. I’ve volunteered and served on the board of the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation, which creates space for Black writers, and I continue to support this wonderful organization. I’ve met some amazing writers through Hurston/Wright. And of course, I always give thanks to my first publisher, the Washington Writers’ Publishing House, which is a small cooperative press dedicated to publishing upcoming writers in the D.C.-metro area.
P: What are some of your self-care practices?
MSH: I walk my dog every day along a trail by a creek. It’s within walking distance of my home, and being in nature keeps me grounded. I also practice qigong, which is an ancient Chinese system of movement, breathing, and meditation.
P: What is your favorite book about writing?
MSH: On Writing by Stephen King. I used to read a lot of Stephen King and Anne Rice.
P: Have you been able to write during this year of crisis as we face both COVID-19 and the long-overdue demands for social justice for BIPOC? If so, what are you working on?
MSH: Yes, writing helps keep me sane, though it has been with an unfocused pandemic-mind. I’ve been bouncing between a short story inspired by current events, revising a novel I’ve been working on for years, and starting another novel. I’m still not sure what this new story is really about, but I’m having fun discovering new characters and enjoying the journey of it.
P: What writers help you find solace in difficult times?
MSH: If I’m seeking solace, my favorite book is Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I found this priceless little book more than a dozen years ago in a used bookstore for one dollar! It’s such a beautiful story about seeking your truth and becoming your highest self.
Be sure to check out upcoming episode of Plume: A Writer’s Podcast, featuring Melanie. And if you want to get her digital edition of Plume, sign up for our Patreon at the Plume Petite level (just $5!) by mid-December.
Melanie S. Hatter is an award-winning author of two novels and one short story collection. Selected by Edwidge Danticat, Malawi’s Sisters won the inaugural Kimbilio National Fiction Prize, published by Four Way Books in 2019. The Color of My Soul won the 2011 Washington Writers’ Publishing House Fiction Prize, and Let No One Weep for Me, Stories of Love and Loss was released in 2015. Melanie received a 2019 Maryland State Arts Council grant for her writing. She is a participating author with the PEN/Faulkner Writers in Schools program, and she served four years on the board of the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation.
Follow Melanie on social media!
Twitter: @mshatter1
Instagram: melanie_hatter
Facebook: facebook.com/melanieshatter