The Writer's Journey

The Writer's Journey
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 by Ines Hatch

Dragged by a horse galloping down a dirt path almost cut my life short. In a six-week coma, my life hung by a thread. God traveled with me, and I learned I had a purpose.

Years later, I would make a difference with word pictures. My journey to recovery prompted my dream to make a difference. Recovery became a necessity, failure, not an option. I vowed never to give up on myself, thus the people I intended to help along their road to recovery. The will to give back from the challenges I faced stays with me to this day.

While fighting my way through school, writing papers and projects provided not only an escape from a cruel world for a challenged child, but also gave me pleasure. I remember how I enjoyed learning. The idea of writing a book to help others in similar situations took root. Throughout my four years of college, I published a poem, excelled, and completed an internship in the marketing department of a corporation. This experience, working with professionals and gaining added marketing knowledge boosted my confidence to develop a plan for marketing my book venture.

The next decade and beyond, facts and memories for my first book found themselves on paper and shelved. My husband and I discussed children since my clock was ticking. Given a second chance, we chose adoption. The accounts of both our adoptions, both unique, found themselves on paper as a creative non-fiction story. I wrote this story as a keepsake for our children, and soon my words turned into something more. I felt a calling to share our difficult and heart-wrenching journey, from the beginning to the end with multiple bumps along the way.

Maybe our troublesome situations, and the way we handled them, would help other adoptive parents. Like many moms, I took advantage of nap times and school hours to write and later contact publishers. After many submissions and rejection letters, I self-published. While writing my second book, the creative non-fiction story of a child left for dead, I continued to use my marketing background to market my books, social media, speaking engagements, book signings, even radio interviews, etc. This soon became overwhelming, and not enough. I filed and shelved my work again.

Continuing to write from personal experience as my son and daughter matured, I published a few e-books about additional life events. Besides two tumultuous decades, I dealt with divorce toward the end. It took another ten years to recover from anger and discover beauty again, leading to where I find myself today, blossoming from my shell.

Yes, I believe things happen for a reason. Recently, I rekindled my dream of writing a book. Researching how to make it reality this time took center stage, and by chance, a friend invited me to join her at her writers’ group. I found an instant connection among like-minded women. Alas, my writing journey continues, with a light in the distance. Maybe my dream, helping people in similar situations will become a reality.

“God is not unjust; I will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6).

Ines A Hatch, an upcoming author with her first creative non-fiction story, an account of her life with TBI. Hatch relays the struggle, pain, and anguish growing up with physical and mental disabilities. Her long road to recovery with disabilities and challenges, was met with her strength, determination and perseverance. Hatch knows the stress of living with challenges and disabilities, the toll it takes on a person every day. As spokesperson for the new Giving Back to Those Who Served program, Hatch provides encouragement, support, and hope for challenged individuals, veterans and their families. This author enjoys family time, reading, animal rescue and spending time with her cat.

She is a member of the Maggie Valley Word Weavers Group.

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