We’re thrilled to bring you Writer Wednesdays, where you can meet one of our prolific WriterAccess writers every week! This week’s feature is Damon H from Gloucester, MA. For more featured writers, visit our Writer Wednesday category.
What inspired you to embark on your career as a writer?
I think it all started with “Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks” and “Frog and Toad Are Friends.” Those early childhood bedtime stories must have worked some serious magic. However, it was my father’s battered collection of Hermann Hesse novels that really did the trick; they seem ridiculously juvenile in hindsight but were a pivotal part of my adolescent fantasy of becoming a writer. Also, my grandmother would write and recite a Christmas poem every year. These poems were all wit and satire, family jokes and political commentary—like something you’d find in a Henry James novel. I think she might have rubbed off a bit, too.
Based on your contributions to the WriterAccess blog, we’ve noticed you have a very distinct style. Do you think there’s a line between creative and professional writing, or is there always room to show off a unique voice in your content?
Writing should always be about cultivating a unique voice. The line between creative and professional writing should be blurry at best. If there is a line, then I like the idea of trespassing on other styles and genres.
Who are your favorite writers of all time?
I go through writer/genre phases. If I enjoy a book by an author, then I’ll spend the next six months reading their canon. One summer I’ll read nothing but Nordic crime fiction, the next it’s cyberpunk, etc. Still, I tend to read more modern fiction than classics these days. Zadie Smith and Michel Houllebecq stand out.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I can’t remember who said it, but this question reminds me of a quote I remember hearing that goes something like: “Even when I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing.” There’s some truth to this.
Do you have any advice for your fellow writers?
Nobody said the road less travelled would be easy. Does that sound too much like a Hallmark card? I’ve never been particularly good with advice. WRITE ON!
Damon H is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Louis Roe is a content marketing intern at WriterAccess. Contact Louis on Twitter @lojoroe or by email Louis.Roe (at) WriterAccess.com.
