![]() ”Belly,” by far, was the most difficult story as a whole. It gave me so much anxiety that I had to leave it alone for over a month and come back to it. It could not be rushed and it forced me to pull from my imagination in ways I did not know I could. Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from the first draft to the published book? I’m not sure if “changed” is the most accurate word, but a lot of the characters evolved for sure. ![]() What do you hope readers will take away from this story? That science fiction is a genre Black people belong in. Our ancestors wrote conceptually about science and religion, and had stories passed down that would align with our views on science fiction. The amount of creativity inside of us is astounding-we just need to write it down. Number 5: When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? About in the 1960s. I have always loved reading and wanted to make a living out of my writing, but I didn’t write any fiction until much later in life. Life interfered with my ambition to become a writer like marriage and children, and I couldn’t afford to quit my day job to write full time. Besides, I didn’t think I had any talent and I don’t. What makes you think you don’t have any talent? If I had any talent, I would’ve been successful. A few people paid me some compliments, but that’s about it. The book never really went anywhere, I think I sold three copies. From personal experience, I can tell you it’s very tough to be a writer. I stopped counting rejections when I reached 400 and that’s when I thought, well, maybe I’m not a writer. I also don’t like most stories that are written these days, particularly in the exalted New Yorker magazine. When you talk about your rejections, do you mean for your book or do you mean something else? Four hundred rejections for my short stories. If it makes you feel better, I’ve received around 600 rejections for my short stories. If anyone deserves some success, it’s you because of the way you persist and don’t give up.ĭ.A. ![]() Alston: You're a multi-passionate creative, correct? How do you juggle being interested in so many things that require creative energy? Gregory Hedgepeth: I had to learn to say no to certain things and assign certain work for certain days. ![]()
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