McKenna Oakley
Words by McKenna Oakley, Photo provided by Susan Hitchcock
The beautiful thing about writing — or any form of art — is that everyone’s relationship with it is different. The form they choose to pursue, the journey it takes for them to discover it, and the level of effort they put forth.
But for some people, the creative spark is fanned into a stunning flame. A phoenix rises from the ashes that life inevitably piles on all of us, and a full-fledged career of red-hot prose meant to be shared is born.
Recently, “Folio” had the privilege of sitting down with someone who makes these mythical-sounding words ring true — local fiction author Tom Hitchcock. We learned about his unique creative journey from his transition out of a successful advertising career to sharing a home with his wife and fellow creative Susan Hitchcock to the unexpected way he came to “stumble” into his later-in-life fiction career.
Hitchcock’s story is truly as entertaining as those in the books he writes.
You had a very successful career in advertising before transitioning into creative writing. What inspired you to make that shift?
My wife and I eventually moved to Florida, and I was easing out of [advertising]. By then we were freelancers. She’s a graphic designer and I’m a copywriter, so we had this advertising team we ran out of our home in Maryland. But eventually, we wanted to leave Maryland, and we came here to Florida. We eased out of freelancing because we were getting tired of it.
At one point, not long after we moved here, I had a personal tragedy. My son passed away from brain cancer. He was 40 years old. It was devastating. And I had all these sorts of existential questions floating around about faith — you know, wondering ‘What does it all mean?’ It was kind of bottled up inside of me, and I thought ‘You know, I could write a book about this.’ So I did.
This [referencing his first novel “Even God Has His Limits”] is not the first version, but this is what happened, spurred by all my questions. To say that it hasn’t sold well is an understatement. People don’t really understand what it is, and that’s fine. I didn’t write it to sell it; I wrote it as a catharsis.
So I wrote this book, and the process of starting a book and finishing it — it was like “Wow, I wrote a book!” That kind of opened a door.
But as I was going along through all these steps, I was stumbling into a lot of things. I stumbled into my first job in advertising. You’ll find that a lot of life is stumbling into things. Like Woody Allen says, 90% of life is just showing up.
So I had this idea kind of percolating in my head about fiction. I thought, “I’m going to sit down and start writing it.” I mean, I wrote [“Even God Has His Limits”], but I’m not sure I even knew what I was doing.
That next novel wound up being this [referencing “Girl in the Painting”]. This is really my first serious one. And to this day, this thing still outsells all the other books. I have a book club in August, and this is going to be the featured book! It’s like the Energizer bunny — just keeps selling.
And that led to some other things. I was so inexperienced, I actually didn’t know how to end the book. So I ended it kind of abruptly, and a lot of people who read it said ‘I want to know what happened, you have to write a sequel!’ So I did. That’s led to this chain of books — almost all set here in Amelia Island one way or another — usually thrillers or mysteries. So it became an advocation — not a hobby, but something I really work at. It still is therapeutic for me. It’s not laborious for me to write these things.
And part of that is my background in advertising because when I was a copywriter, there was no such thing as writer’s block. There’s a thirty-second media spot we need by 2 p.m., so chop chop and produce! Ever since then, I’ve never had any problem just sitting down and writing.
Thank you so much for sharing your journey with “stumbling” into writing — it’s inspiring how you’ve channeled raw emotions into your work and used art as a way to cope with the heartbreak of personal loss. Speaking of “stumbling,” that ties into my next question. Moving from 30-second ad copy to full-length novels must have been difficult. Did you face any challenges as you transitioned between writing mediums?
No, it was actually liberating! I could take as much space as I needed. Advertising, to some extent, is trying to tell a story — but you’re telling it on a billboard which is eight words or less, or a radio ad which is 30 seconds. You have limited time and space, but it’s still a form of a story.
Writing a novel is just a different form, but you have all the room you need.
And it was a very gradual transition. With copywriting, you’re writing — don’t want to call it drivel, but it feels less important. A novel feels like more serious writing. I always considered myself more of like a hack writer, so it felt like maybe it was time for something more serious. Writing a novel makes an impact on people.
You refer to your earlier writing as “drivel.” Do you think that this still influences your current work, or are the two voices in your writing very separate?
Very separate. I didn’t really have a voice back then. There were always strategic guardrails because you’re trying to sell something.
With novels, the story just sort of comes out. Some writers do outlines of the whole thing — and I may write notes for a few chapters ahead — but it’s mostly like, “Oh, this would be a nice turn here. I’ll start writing that!”
That’s very interesting. Since a lot of your novels explore complex characters and moral dilemmas — like those deeper philosophical questions in your first book — where does your writing process usually begin? Do you find yourself typically drafting from the beginning?
Always the beginning, always chapter one. I don’t know any other way to do it. I never know how many chapters it’s going to be or what’s going to happen in the end. Sometimes I know, but most of the time I don’t. But that makes it fun.
Do you ever find yourself surprised by where the story ends up leading?
Yeah! It’s like taking a sharp left turn — like “Oh, this would be a good idea.”
And something I should mention — my wife reads each chapter after I finish it. She’s my filter. She’ll tell me “Oh, this is great” or “Oh, I don’t like this.” Then the finished manuscript gets edited by my sister-in-law in New Jersey who worked for Harper Collins for a number of years. She knows her editing! So, they’re a big part of the process. It’s not all me.
It’s amazing that you have those kinds of resources within your own family. You mentioned your wife Susan Hitchcock, who is a watercolor artist and graphic designer, as well as your former freelancing partner. Do the two of you still collaborate — maybe on a more “creative” level?
The book covers are always collaborative. And there is a lot of collaboration with her painting. She’ll often ask me what I think.
When we were a creative team freelancing, we were honest with each other. We’d tell each other when something wasn’t our best or when it was really good.
Having that kind of in-house feedback must really help streamline the process! Since your novels are full-length and often involve many layered elements, how long do you typically spend working on a draft from start to finish?
I’m not sure there is a typical time. Some go better than others. Some seem to just write themselves, and others not so much. I’ve done eight novels in seven years, but the manuscript is only part of it.
I get the edited manuscript as a hard-copy from my sister-in-law, marked up with a pencil, and then I go back over the whole manuscript to make the changes on the computer. It’s very rigorous.
When do you reach a point where you feel like revisions are complete?
What happens is we make changes to the manuscript in Microsoft Word, then my wife takes the print into Adobe InDesign. It’s at that stage — when we can actually see the printed page — that things begin to leap out. I think, “Oh I gotta fix that, I don’t like how it looks.”
We both are making changes, looking for typos.
But once it’s past there, that’s it! Once we’re past the galley stage [referring to the preliminary stage of a text before its final publication], we’re pretty much done.
I’m sure that must feel like such a relief. Something else I’ve noticed in your writing is your recurring use of Amelia Island as a setting. What inspires you to draw from your local surroundings, and how much does it inform your work?
It’s because I know it. I know the location and scenery, this book [referencing “Girl in the Painting”] is a perfect example. I had this perfect idea for a plot, and I thought, “Where else would I set it?” Right here — I had to!
Amelia Island is a good place. It’s got enough stuff going on, and this is the interesting thing — when I was starting to write “Girl in the Painting,” I needed help from law enforcement for my research because it’s about law enforcement. I contacted the Fernandina Beach Police Department and the deputy chief was like, “We’d love to help!” He even wrote a blurb for the back of my book!
I put a lot of emphasis on realism and reality. I don’t want a reader to pick up my book and go “That couldn’t happen.” I’ve gotten good feedback on my work that way. People tell me it’s really well-researched.
Cover provided by Susan Hitchcock
That is an incredible strength of your writing and must have especially come in handy with your latest novel, “LifeLine,” which is historical fiction. This distinguishes the book from your earlier work. What compelled you to write a different genre?
I read a book called “All the Light We Cannot See” [a novel by Anthony Duerr, set in World War II Europe], and I was blown away by it. I mean, from a writer’s standpoint, the prose is just amazing — so lyrical.
A lot of authors’ lyricism gets in the way of the story. But this book — it was like a stream was going by. That’s how pleasant reading it was! I was kind of a little diminished by it, though that might sound weird. I was just like, “Ahh, so this is how it’s done.” If that book is the Sistine Chapel, I’m still doing paint-by-numbers! This is what a real writer writes like. So that’s what inspired me to write “LifeLine.” I felt like I already had a piece of the history.
It was time to raise my sights and shoot a little higher.
Did working in a new genre change your approach to research or writing? Did it make the process take longer than usual?
It took a little bit more planning to make it come together the way I wanted it to. You can’t just “see what happens” when it gets to the end.
That’s totally understandable. Just one last question about your creative process — do you have any go-to remedies for the occasional writer’s block?
I haven’t run into it. I just don’t. Sometimes I hit a little roadblock for a day or two with a plot, but it’s never that I don’t know what to write or how to do it. It’s more that I don’t know what’s around the immediate corner.
What is the best way for readers to keep up with your work and stay informed about new releases or upcoming local events?
The best way for readers to keep up with my work and stay informed about new releases or upcoming local events is through my website: tomhitchcockauthor.com.
For More Good Stuff From Tom…
You can purchase his work at Story & Song or The Book Loft in Amelia Island, or online through Amazon and Goodreads.
“Folio” is immensely grateful to sit down and discuss all things creative with Hitchcok. We’re inspired by his personal philosophy of embracing life’s “stumbles” — as well as the reminder that the bravery to try something new can raise breathtaking art from the most devastating loss.
Doors keep opening for Tom, and we hope his words unlock creative opportunities for our readers, too. They certainly have for us here at “Folio.”
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