Featured Writer on Wellness: Melanie Hatfield

I wrote my first story in the first grade.

It was about a monster who ate my baby sister, so I voyaged into the creature’s stomach, rescued her, then slayed the evil beast.

The tale freaked out my teachers, but it started my strange journey into the world of writing.

Starting Out Writing in Hollywood Was Tough…Especially for a Woman

I moved to Los Angeles in 2005 with the hope of becoming a television sitcom writer.

The biggest obstacles I faced were outside forces I couldn’t control. In 2007, I had finally found a manager who was willing to read my TV spec scripts and distribute them to studios. Then the Writer’s Guild went on strike.

Not only did I never hear back from that manager, it would be four years before another Hollywood professional would even look at my scripts.

Even just being yourself can become a barrier. The comedy writer’s room was ruled by men. They would hire one woman, and then tell myself and other women, “We already have a woman on staff.”

Sometimes the rejection would be complete nonsense. When I told a producer I had been in L.A. for five years, he proclaimed, “That’s a long time! If you were going to succeed, it would have happened by now.”

And the cherry that tops the turd sundae of my creative life was that my family didn’t offer emotional support. I would have regular calls just to be told such gems as, “When you going to give up on this Hollywood crap,” and, “Why don’t you just marry a rich guy and not work at all?”

I Was Determined to Write, No Matter What the Jerks Told Me

I contribute my youthful optimism as the main reason I kept going. I was determined to fulfill my dream, no matter what those jerks told me. However, I was a newbie without a clue as how to write scripts, so I took various classes at UCLA to learn screenwriting.

The knowledge I learned helped shape my writing mantras:

• Writing is re-writing.
• Don’t become attached to your work.
• KISS = Keep It Simple, Stupid
• Have the ability to write anywhere.

My creative nature drove me to keep writing. When I failed in television, I wrote movies. When I failed to sell those scripts, I wrote novels.

I joined classes and writing groups to surround myself with like-minded people who shared rejections similar to mine. Joining those support groups provided the encouragement I wasn’t receiving anywhere else.

I Was Crushed with the Realization I Would Never Become a Professional Writer

I’ve struggled to accept failure for much of my creative life.

If a pitch didn’t work, I would dwell upon all the mistakes I made. If a scrip was rejected, I would beat myself up for not being “good enough” in an industry that thought it was a good idea to put Samuel L. Jackson on a plane full of snakes.

It didn’t help that Hollywood didn’t open doors to “outsiders,” so when you lost an opportunity, another one may not come for years.

The most traumatic moment was in 2015: After spending a decade chasing my dream, the city became too expensive for me and I moved back to Kansas City. I was crushed with the realization that I would never become a professional writer.

I mended my wounded pride by turning my “drive of shame” into a road trip/vacation. I made stops at parks and museums to make the journey fun instead of embarrassing.

When I arrived at my hometown, I received numerous compliments about my adventures from family and friends. It sucks to lose a dream, but hearing those kind words helped lessen that pain.

The Only Way Writers Fail is if They Stop Writing

I was crushed when I left Los Angeles, and that grief comes and goes like a wave. Most of the time I can coast through life as if I’m a sane person, and sometimes I don’t want to get out of bed. But I can’t quit writing.

I tried, and I failed at that too!

Not writing made the depression worse, so I went back to doing what I love. Conquering the arduous task that comes with developing an imaginary world gives me pride, which in turn boosts my confidence.

Even if I don’t feel like writing, I push myself through it and feel better about myself for my accomplishment. The only way writers fail is if they stop writing. As long as I keep going, I’ll be a “real writer.”

Advice for a Young Writer: Don’t Chase Fame and Fortune

I’m old enough to give advice – that’s another blow to the ol’ ego!

I suppose the best thing I can say is: Don’t do it! Get a real career like delivering packages, flipping burgers, or cleaning up road kill. Those jobs actually pay!

All jokes aside, don’t become a writer to chase an illusion of fame and fortune. Most writers don’t achieve the professional goals they dream about.

However, as long as writing makes you happy, you’ll always be a success.

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Melanie Hatfield is a screenwriter turned novelist. She wrote her first title, Kingdom of the Snark: The Quest for the Sword, to incorporate her two favorite genres of comedy and fantasy. The Chronicles of Turrack is a dramatic action/adventure spin-off from that series. Her next novel, Smoke in the Darkness, a stand-alone novel set in the Kingdom of the Snark universe, will publish in Spring 2019.

If you want to learn more about Melanie Hatfield, you can visit her website, or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Blades of Blood: How far would you go to protect the ones you love?

Princess Azedeh, heir to the throne of Turrack, slays the evil in her kingdom under the guise of Tina the Terrible, the most feared assassin in the land. When a creature of dark magic terrorizes her home, she must journey to a dangerous land to stop it at the source. As she encounters more magical beings on her quest, she must determine whom she can trust—and a wrong decision will cost the princess her life.

Blades of Blood is the first book in The Chronicles of Turrack series, a fantasy action-adventure drama for ages 15 and older. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.