How did you become a writer?

I’ve been a writer all my life. I wrote short stories in high school, poetry in college, for the theatre in New York after college, screenplays during most of my adult life in Los Angeles, and have recently transitioned to fiction writing. I became a writer by calling myself a writer and starting to write.

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.).

In high school, I was heavily influenced by Ernest Hemingway. When writing poetry, I was influenced by Charles Bukowski. Sam Shepard’s plays convinced me to write theatre and I was certainly influenced by his excellent work. To learn how to write screenplays, I read Syd Field’s seminal book, Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, and a ton of screenplays of movies I admired. My fiction writing is influenced to some extent by the work of Elmore Leonard, but probably more thoroughly by my long history writing for film and television. After all these years, it just might be that I’ve developed my own voice! I’ve never taken classes or courses of any kind for writing.

When and where do you write? 

I work out of an extra bedroom in my house, a room set up exclusively for my writing work. I’m extremely regular in my habits, sitting down at the desk at 9a and finishing up somewhere between 5 and 6p.

What are you working on now? 

I’ve been finishing a polish draft of a follow-up to DEEP STATE. I have an outline for the third book prepared and ready for commencing a first draft of that manuscript. DEEP STATE has been optioned by a television studio. At some point in the near future, I’ll need to develop a pitch to take out to networks. If we succeed, then I’ll be writing a pilot for that project. Busy!

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?

Never. Not once. Let’s hope I didn’t just jinx that incredible good fortune.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

An ex-girlfriend in my New York years told me I’d never amount to anything. Excellent incentive to succeed!

What’s your advice to new writers?

Read and write as much as you can. Never sit in one project too long; if it’s not flying, leave it behind. Don’t listen to detractors; you can write anything. Don’t smoke. Don’t drink in excess. Spend a lot of time alone. Be nice to everyone; it’ll come back to you eventually.

Chris Hauty was born in San Antonio, Texas, and is a graduate of Reed College. A screenwriter for the last three decades, his recent produced film credits include “Never Back Down”, directed by Jeff Wadlow and starring Djimon Hounsou and “Sniper: Ghost Shooter” staring Billy Zane for Sony Pictures Entertainment. Hauty lives in Venice, California, with his feral cat and a Triumph motorcycle. Deep State is his first novel.