Artist Spotlight: Writer Aaron Hawkins!
Written By: Philip Johnson
Let’s get into the pure artistry that is Aaron Hawkins! Not only does Aaron write dope fictional stories and poetry, but he also narrates them and releases the narrations as audiobooks. This 25 year-old black, gay writer creates and shares the complex worlds he envisions. Check out my interview with him, and especially the links to his work. Enjoy!
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Cocoa Beach, FL the 321!! But as of today, I live in Tampa!
How and when did you get started writing?
I started in 2010/2011 with this collection of children’s stories and it was real kiddie, fairytales but they were out there, and even then I knew my imagination was something that was wild and unique!
What types of writing/art do you now specialize in? And what genres?
As of today, I specialize in urban gay fiction but mix it with sci-fi, adventure, mystery, action etc. I jot down in my notes the idea I have at the moment and I come up with the concept, the main idea, the characters etc. It usually takes me about a month or two to finish the whole project. (depending on how busy I am like with work or something)
How did your writing change in 2016?
It all started when I created my Wattpad and wrote fan fiction, those sex stories with like Diggy Simmons or Bryson Tiller, whoever I thought was cute at the time. And I enjoyed writing so raunchy. I mean I had just turned 21, I’m grown, I wanted my writing to reflect that. But after a while of doing that….I wanted to go more in depth, so I think the breakthrough story was “Golden” which I made in August that year and it was an intergaycial love story and the raunchy was toned down, but I added abuse, heartbreak, drama and I decided to write like that from here on out!
What have you enjoyed about incorporating gay components into your stories since coming out?
The best thing is that I’m creating something that has never been made before! Like the “HeDevils”; 3 gay detectives solving crimes. Or my new one I’m currently writing, “Cunningham”, which is about a federal agent protecting a royal prince from terrorists. The prince is a fem boy and they fall in love! And then to have other gay listeners, especially African American, comment how much they loved it, that right there keeps me going!
What inspired you to begin creating narrated audiobooks for your stories?
I wanted to narrate my work for a long time, but when I saw how much a mic was and other equipment was very expensive, I thought about using my iPhone. But the way my voice came out I just….didn’t like it (I’m my own biggest critic) so I scrapped it. But around last year I started making ASMR/Soft-spoken poetry vids (I record my poems also) and I had a lot of dudes in my DM express to me how much they loved it, some were even aroused by my voice. So when I downloaded the iMovie app (which is wonderful!) It sounded so professional and I recorded my first story “Church Boys”; I really utilized IGTV to upload the 9-12 minute chapters not just YouTube and people loved listening to it so much that I recorded more and been doing it since!
What are your top 2 favorite stories you’ve made?
OMG this is hard because each story is special to me but hands down “Deception” which was a beautiful mixture of the genres. It had black gay love, action, sci-fi and allowed me to do a monster voiceover which I definitely will do more of in the future! And the other story is a tad shorter but its jaw-dropping; its called “The Killer Bottom” and it was a murder mystery and I used myself as the main character (a detective who solves the mystery) and the killer is an outspoken fem-boy who was actually my friend and the ending was very deep and sad actually.
Who is your favorite writer?
I love Terry McMillian. Her work with “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “Waiting to Exhale”; her writing about upfront, real situations about relationships actually inspired me to write about gay relationships the same way, like my story “MEN!” which is 4 black gays moving down to Atlanta each going through situations with dudes and finding love, their careers.
What are your creative dreams/goals for your future?
I want one of my stories to be on the big screen or at least a show on Netflix. The ones I think have commercial potential are “ASHEEDA”, “Deception” and the ongoing story series “HeDevils”!
How do you hope to impact your readers/listeners?
I hope that my readers/listeners like the material and who knows maybe other gay writers out there like me would be inspired to narrate their own creations! Audiobooks don’t have to be long and boring. Also let them know that gay stories can have substance, it can have aliens or monsters, it can have car chases and shootouts and mysteries while keeping the gay… Let your imagination run wild! And with the creation of IGTV, you can use social media to broadcast yourself as well as YouTube!