How to Research Historical Fiction with Award-Winning Author Patrick Hicks

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

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Award-winning author, poet, and Emmy-nominee, Patrick Hicks, joined me this week to talk about his unique research process, how stories choose their authors, and how to talk about The Holocaust.

"Whatever scares you to write... that's what you should be writing." – Patrick Hicks

Patrick is the award-winning author of over ten books, including The Collector of Names, Adoptable, This London, and the critically acclaimed novel, The Commandant of Lubizec.

He is the Writer-in-Residence at Augustana University as well as a faculty member at the MFA program at Sierra Nevada University.

He has been published widely in literary journals including Ploughshares, Prairie Schooner, Guernica, The Utne Reader, and many others. His poetry has appeared on NPR, The PBS NewsHour, and American Life in Poetry.

The Emmy-nominated writer also hosts a weekly radio broadcast Poetry from Studio 47 that airs on NPR affiliates.

Note: I’m cooking up some extras for fans of the show in the coming weeks you won’t want to miss including the option to have episodes, extras, and added insights delivered straight to your inbox, and maybe even some Writer Files merch on the way.

Stay calm and write on …

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If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In this file Patrick Hicks and I discussed:

• A roadmap to making a living as a writer
• How he used grants to fund the research for his latest novel
• Note-taking and travel for historically accurate writing
• What it's like to get blurbed by your heroes
• The circularity and universality of the human condition across eras
• Why great writing should always be your end goal
• And more!

Show Notes:

• PatrickHicks.org
• In The Shadow of Dora by Patrick Hicks (Amazon)
• Ulysses by James Joyce (Amazon)
• Poetry from Studio 47
• How Grant Money Funded the Research and Writing of My First Two Novels (and how it could help you too)
• A prized poet, Hicks nominated for an Emmy
• Patrick Hicks on Facebook
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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