Sharon Hinck Interview

I’ve loved writing all my life. Some of my earliest memories are of painstakingly printing out stories on first-grade writing paper with a fat pencil, or pounding out stories on an old manual typewriter when I was in fourth grade. High points include the first magazine article I sold (during grad school) and getting enthusiastic feedback on my manuscript of The Restorer from a CBA pro who had worked with Frank Perretti, Stephen Lawhead, and Ted Dekker. I’d always feared I was like one of those self-deluded kids on American Idol auditions who can’t sing but think they can. Maybe my hope that I could write a novel was as crazy? Hearing from someone whose work I respected that he thought I had the chops, was a huge relief.

Q: Explain how The Restorer is different from your previous works, The Secret Life of Becky Miller and Renovating Becky Miller.

The Restorer is the first book in a fantasy series, and includes an imaginative “other world” and themes of high adventure, sword fights, conflicted loyalties and nations in danger. However, like the Becky Miller books, the protagonist is a middle-American wife and mom. My hope was that readers would identify with her so deeply, that they’d be willing to go on her unusual journey with her.

Q: Chapter 1 gives an all-too-familiar picture of a frazzled mom in need of a break. Can we assume you’ve been through those moments? If so, how did this inspire you to write The Restorer?

Yes, I’ve been in Susan’s skin at various times – including her depression and then guilt about feeling depressed when she wants to feel grateful for her life. But that’s just her starting point. What really inspired the story was the lives of women friends of mine. The whole book is a sort of extended metaphor for the heroic roles that women are sometimes called to face unexpectedly. I wrote this book for my friends who receive a diagnosis of cancer, or the news that their child has a learning disability, or their parent is battling Alzheimers, or their spouse has lost their job. Like Susan, they are yanked into a foreign world, facing new rules, and being asked to fill a role they don’t feel ready for.

Q: Your alternate world is similar to ours in many ways and dissimilar in others. Did you model it after anything in particular? Why did you choose the world you did (instead of perhaps a biblical/historical or alien/futuristic one)?

Since I’ve read a lot of fantasy, I wanted to bring a new twist to the story. I didn’t want to revisit Narnia or Middle Earth or Pern or the Wounded Land ?they’ve been done by better authors than I. . So I challenged each choice as I wrote and looked for fresh angles. What if there IS some sophisticated technology? How would it effect a civilization’s development if they never saw a sun or moon? Why is there a juxtaposition of swords with modern elements? Could a culture work without a written language and what would that mean? What theocratic social laws are part of the culture? The uncertainty of the world – some things familiar, some startling – added to the struggles that Susan faced and made the exploration more fun for me (and I hope for the readers!)

Q: Without giving away too much, can you tell us who your favorite character is and why?

Hee hee! It depends on what day you ask me. Folks who read various interviews will spot that when I’m asked this, I have different answers. Today I’m really drawn to a minor character, Linette. I admire the sweet clarity of her spirit. I think it can be very revealing to see which character readers most identify with.

Q: What do you hope the reader comes away with after reading your books?

I hope they experience an entertaining adventure. I also hope they feel like the characters have become friends to them. And I pray that Susan’s journey will stir courage in the reader to face their own daily battles of truth and faith.

Q: How does your faith integrate with your writing?

Susan’s spiritual journey – her desire to follow God and her confusion when the road is much harder than she expected-is very parallel to my own. I’ve never carried a sword into battle, but I’ve faced the challenge of surrendering more deeply to God’s purposes when they didn’t make sense to me. I asked God all through my life to use me for His kingdom. He led me into some amazing opportunities, but some of these places of ministry also brought much darker hurts than I was prepared for. I wanted to honestly look at my times of disillusionment with God – and what it means to walk forward in faith when all the props are knocked out from under us.

Q: What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?

I love when the words work-when a certain combination of syllables actual conveys what I’d hoped. My least favorite part is when the words don’t work and just lay sluggish on the page no matter how I massage them.

I love the newsletter you send out to your “Book Buddies”. Tell us a little about the letter and your buddies.

Thank you! I appreciate my readers so much, I wanted to give something back. But I couldn’t afford to mail chocolate chip cookies to everyone. So once a month I write a little inspirational devotion (something God has been showing me that month) as well as fun “behind the scenes” articles about writing. I include prayer requests (for my Book Buddies who want to support my work by praying) and I also pray FOR the Book Buddies. I also include tips on ways to support the books and sometimes fun prizes and gifts for my Book Buddies. Anyone interested can sign up at www.sharonhinck.com

What is your next project?

The Restorer’s Son comes out in September. Woo hoo! I know an author isn’t supposed to have favorites (it’s like favoring one child above another), but writing the Restorer’s Son was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had. Susan is back for more adventure, but so is another main character who is cranky and unpredictable, and says things I never would.

Thank you so much for featuring The Restorer!

Thank you Sharon for the interview.