Welcome to Writers On Writing, an ongoing series profiling passionate writers behind the scenes. Today, we hear from Diane Hatz, novelist, health advocate, and founder of Whole Health with Diane Hatz on Substack.

In which genre do you write, and what’s your Substack newsletter about? Tell us about as much – or as little – as you feel comfortable.

Whole Health with Diane Hatz is a newsletter focusing on spirituality, wellness and healthy food, with a sprinkling of personal writing. (I’m currently 50,000 words into the first draft of a novel and just posted the first chapter of a book I wrote years ago.)
I believe that these days people are searching for more than just one thing, like healthy food. They’re more interested in whole health which involves the inner and outer.
I’ve recently started an actual newsletter to see if my audience would prefer a variety of articles and information each month, rather than one long post each week. It’s still a work in progress but I want something people can bookmark and go back to. Also, the long-form articles are being posted as individual pieces on the Whole Health substack site (wholehealth.substack.com).

What’s the main message of your work, and what do you hope your readers will gain from reading your writing?

My main message is that we need inner and outer health in order to live our best lives. That means looking at our body, mind and spirit. I’m also hoping that through informing, educating, and directing people to trusted resources, I’ll be able to cultivate inner and outer activists - people who want to change the world by changing themselves.

Was there a moment of inspiration that inspired you to launch this newsletter?

I’ve been a healthy food advocate for over 20 years. As the years went by, I began feeling that social causes like changing the food system would not happen until we also changed ourselves.
When covid first hit and I was isolated in a shoebox apartment in Manhattan, and I couldn’t do the work I’d been doing with my nonprofit, I had to re-evaluate my life. After 30 years in New York City, I made the decision to move cross country to New Mexico without knowing anyone and to start a new life.
I subsequently shut down my organization and let go of just about everything. I also made the decision to go back to one of my first loves - writing - and Substack seems perfect for what I’m hoping to do.

Who or what inspires you as a writer?

I can’t point to any one thing that inspires me as a writer. I simply have to write. It’s like breathing to me. So in whatever form - a book, article, blog post or email - I must write every day. It’s my main way I connect with the world.

How would you describe your writing life?

I’m extremely fortunate because I have a lot of flexibility in my life, so my writing life is mine to create. I find I have to write in the morning when I’m most focused, but other parts of the day can include research, social media, follow up, etc.
An average day is to wake up between 6-8am, meditate, write for 2-3 hours, eat and/or exercise during a break, and then write more or do writing-related stuff.

What would we see if we walked into your writing workspace(s)?

I have three areas in my apartment where I write, so I can move around depending on my mood. The first two are in the kitchen - a counter with bar stools or at my kitchen table.
My main writing space, though, is my rock and roll writing room. I cannot fully explain how ecstatic I was when I left NYC and moved into a two-bedroom in Santa Fe. I finally had a separate space for my music memorabilia and a room to write. I rented my apartment sight unseen during the height of covid lockdowns, so I wasn’t sure what my apartment was going to be like.
I bought a massive bean bag pillow - it’s at least five feet by three feet - and I can curl up on it with my laptop, or I sit at my desk. The joy of the desk is that I can look out my window at two mountain ranges in the distance.
I stared at the back of a building for 30 years when in NYC, so there are no words for the elation and freedom I feel when I sit down and can see the deep blue skies of Santa Fe and the mountains of Bandolier in the distance.
Actually, thinking about it, that is what inspires me as a writer. Feeling the expansiveness and beauty of New Mexico touches my soul and inspires my writing.

Do you have an ideal time/place in which to write?

Where I write depends on my mood, and it usually has to be first thing in the morning. I’ve found that I have to move around. I haven’t figured out yet if I need different places for different types of writing, but I find I get agitated if I stay in one place too long.
I described my three writing places above. I also sit on my porch in the summer when it’s warm enough, and also go to the pool area in my apartment complex. I just went to a coffee shop for the first time since moving to Santa Fe because the mask mandate was just lifted, so that was nice.
And I’ve also gone to a couple places with gorgeous views, like on the Pecos River in Pecos or the White Rock Overlook just before Bandolier. I’m currently on active lookout for places I can park the camping chair I leave in my car (my first car ever!) and write. Expansive views that open my soul are a must.

Where do you find your inspiration and ideas?

I think meditation helps me a lot with ideas. I’m working to connect with my Higher Self as well as the guides who help me in life. Some people might call these beings angels or spirits - all I know is that they’re helpful and it doesn’t matter what they’re called.
I believe that true inspiration comes from a within place inside ourselves that is also outside of us. Hard to explain. I’ve heard many artists say that they channeled their work - I’m working to open myself in order to be a channel for creativity.

Who’s your audience for this project? Is it specific, or is it broad with disparate groups?

I’m more interested in psychographics than demographics, so I’m looking to reach people who realize there’s more to life but aren’t quite sure what or how to explore it. I’m also interested in finding people who want to see positive change within themselves and their communities, and understand that work is more internal than external.
So I’m looking for social change agents who are interested in deepening their connection to something bigger than them.

When are you most likely to write productively?

It’s usually in the morning. I can shower, make tea and meditate, but much more than that and I’ll get distracted. One thing I absolutely cannot do is check email or social media.

What does your life look like when you’re not writing?

I have no life unless I’m writing, so even if it’s a paragraph for an Instagram post, I must write. It’s my connection to others and the Divine that surrounds us.

Whole Health with Diane Hatz on Substack

What are you most excited about for your newsletter?

I’m excited about the possibility of building community with like-minded people. I am so excited about exploring my spirituality and finding others to grow from and hopefully share information with. Through that, I hope we’ll all be able to make a positive impact on the world and those around us, whatever we do.

What gives you the most angst about it?

Probably my biggest stressor with Whole Health is the time it takes to promote it and find people who are interested in it. Between that, writing, interviewing, etc, my days are packed full. And I’m not earning income from it just yet, so it’s a balancing act figuring out how to publish a great newsletter while also finding time to earn an income.

What advice would you offer someone who’s considering taking on a big writing project?

I find it best to break down any big writing project into chunks. Carve out small pieces that are doable. I also find keep a written to do list that I can physically check off is very satisfying. And don’t look at the end result; just focus on each bit as it comes. You’ll get to the finish line much easier that way and won’t end up feeling overwhelmed.

How do you jumpstart your motivation when it wanes?

I was recently feeling blocked with trying to come up with character backstories and took a colleague’s suggestions and recorded myself walking. The Notes function on an Iphone has talk to text, so I would go for slow walks and let myself talk stream of consciousness. I did actually find it a little challenging because I’m in the mountains and the hills can get me winded, but I do the same on my stationary bike.
Morning pages are also a great way to jumpstart your day. Check out The Artist’s Way if you haven’t heard of them.

Did you set goals for your newsletter launch, or just follow your gut? How would you say things have gone so far?

I don’t even know if I’ve really launched yet. I just started posting articles on substack, and the newsletter is taking shape more and more as time goes on. Maybe I’ll do a launch when I officially launch the paid portion, or maybe not. I’m trying to have fun with this and not stress out too much.

What advice would you offer to someone considering launching their own Substack newsletter?

For anyone who would like to launch a newsletter, I would suggest you write down your goals upfront. Are you doing this as a side project? Do you want to supplement your income? Do you want this as your full time job? Etc.
There is a lot of potential with Substack, but I’m not sure many people are going to be able to make a living off writing what’s essentially a blog article every week or two, unless you already have a big audience or you know how to seriously promote yourself. Substack is not a platform to find an audience; it’s a platform to reach your audience, so you generally need to go elsewhere to find people to subscribe (at least as of writing this - they’re changing and improving every day).
If you really want to start a newsletter, my advice is just do it. See how it goes. Commit a certain amount of time and write like you have 10,000 readers, even if you are your only audience. Do this for you, not for someone else.
Promote it as much as you want and/or are able and see what happens. No one can predict what will be successful, so get writing!

If there are others genres in which you write, what’s your current work-in-progress about? Tell us about as much – or as little – as you feel comfortable.

In 2012, I published a surrealistic fictional novel called Rock Gods of Acht - it’s an adventure about the demise of the corporate music industry in the 1990s. I worked at a major record label for about 10 years, so it’s based on fact but is taken to a surreal level, i.e., blood vessel explosions, aliens being hatched to be the next rock star, etc.
I published the first chapter in my substack “Whole Health with Diane Hatz” a couple days ago, so reading it might give you a feel for what it’s about.
Too long a story to go into, but I self published before self publishing was popular. A couple months ago, it dawned on me that there might be some royalties owed me, so I went to the publishing website and saw that the book had been automatically formatted as an ebook.
I thought, “ebook, why not?” So I just published Rock Gods of Acht on Kindle. (Acht Records is where the story takes place.) Right now, it’s free on Kindle Unlimited and $4.49 full price. Anyone with an Amazon Prime membership can pick their designated delivery day and often get $1 - $2 credit toward digital products, so the book can also be ordered for even less than $4.49.
You can purchase a copy here!
My current project that I’m 50,000 words into is a fantastical fiction book, but it’s too soon for me to go into detail about it. I was taught that you can talk a book out of you if you tell too many people about it. When I finish a good first draft, I’ll be more open to sharing.

What’s the main message of your project, and what do you hope your readers will gain from reading it?

Rock Gods of Acht is about the corporatization of the music industry and how music became a commodity, not a creative outlet. In a fictional way, it explains why the music industry imploded in the 1990s when digital music appeared on the scene.

Was there a moment of inspiration that inspired you to take on this project?

One inspirational moment was when I was asked to sit in an executive meeting in business affairs to do something menial like take notes, and I was horrified to hear a discussion on how to rip off artists as much as possible. Many musicians that sign major label deals don’t realize that the record company will take the cost of that private car or promo part and deduct it from royalties. My boss at the time stated that every musician should have a side job anyway, not expect to make money from their music. As a creative myself, that pissed me off beyond belief and started the process that became the book.

Who or what inspires you as a writer?

The only real thing that inspires me as a writer is writing. It’s the best form of meditation I’ve ever found. When I get involved with my characters or the storyline, time disappears. And every so often, I click into something bigger than me, some energy flow that fills my soul. I can end an afternoon of writing literally high. Actually, it’s better than getting high!

Where do you find your inspiration and ideas? (see above for more. also…)

I don’t know if there’s a way to really answer that - my inspiration comes from within and also from something much bigger than me. My ideas usually start with something happening around me, like working in a record company, and then my mind can take the reality to a completely different level so that the story might not be real, but the message and the meaning behind it shows a truth about something.

Who’s your audience for this project? Is it specific, or is it broad with disparate groups?

I just put the book on Kindle so I’m in the process of putting together a marketing plan. I think the audience best suited for this are people who love music, probably rock and roll and similar genres. Anyone over 45 will probably get what I’m talking about more than a younger person who grew up after the music industry fell apart, so over 45 rock and rollers is probably my first target audience.

What are you most excited about for this project?

What I’m excited about by putting my book on Kindle is that I had very low self esteem when I first wrote the book. I didn’t hear the positive feedback I got from agents and publishers and thought no one wanted it. That’s why I self published. I was so depressed because Oprah wasn’t calling me to be in her book club that I gave up writing for a very long time.
I finished the book about 2008, so it’s been close to 15 years since I last attempted a novel. Blog and website writing have kept me going since, but a fictional novel is a different type of writing, so I’m happy to be back doing what I love and also sometimes hate.
What I find exciting is that I’m believing in myself more. Is this the best novel ever written? Of course not. But it’s not the worst. And I’ve read so many very popular, literary fiction novels that I frankly thought sucked that I figure I have as much right on a bookshelf as anyone else.
So, to me, this isn’t about accolades and being famous - it’s about getting a book finished and out to the world. I have something to say, but nothing is said if the writing isn’t read.

What advice would you offer someone who’s considering taking on a big writing project?

I’d say out of all the people that talk about writing a book, maybe 5% actually do. I can’t count the number of people I’ve met since I started writing who say they’re thinking of writing one. It’s gotten to the point where I’ll say (nicely), “let me know when you finish and I’d love to chat”. For many people, they can’t get past the talk. So THE most important thing is to WRITE!
My book took 5 ½ years of serious writing. I had a full time job and would get up at 5am - 6am to write and edit. So if you want to write a book, get writing. One sentence at a time, one word at a time.
The most important thing I learned is that writing is rewriting. You’ve only just started when you finish your first draft. The editing and rewriting process is the actual creation of the novel, so understand that going in. Writing a book is usually a long process.
Another crucial point is to make sure you understand the basics of book writing, though you don’t have to get a degree in it. I actually got a Masters Degree in Creative Writing in the 1980s, but I learned more from reading books about writing than through coursework.
By far, the most important thing I learned, that changed everything for me, was viewpoint. If you don’t know what that is and you’re writing a book with more than one character, become an expert in the area. Seriously. You’ll thank me later.
And my last piece of advice is not to give up. I thought I could crank out a first draft with this current book in three months, and that’s not going to happen. I thought I’d work on the book every day, but it seems I can’t. I’m still developing characters and the storyline, so sometimes I need days or even a couple weeks to let ideas gestate inside me before they come out on my computer.
When that happens, I still continue to write - I have my substack newsletter, so I always have something I can be writing about. And I always think about the characters and where the book is going to make sure the ideas continue to bubble under the surface. I also attempt to do something with the book daily, no matter how small or stuck I feel.

How do you jumpstart your motivation when it wanes?

Some days it sucks, and you have to power through. I’ve had the highest highs and the lowest lows - and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. When I get really stuck, I tell myself to just write one sentence or just put down one or two plot ideas each day. Nothing huge.
I sometimes have to remind myself that it takes time. I know some people can finish a book in a month, but for most people it takes much longer than that. Commit yourself and do it. That’s being a writer. You write.

How long did you think this process would take? How does that compare to reality?

The time it takes to write a book is different for everyone. Because I’ve written one, I feel the mechanics will be easier this time around, but it’s still going to take at least a year, probably more. I’m hoping I can cut the time down from 5 ½ years for Rock Gods of Acht to 2 or so years with this current one.

Have you received support/feedback/guidance while writing? If so, what has that looked like? How has the input of others impacted your productivity and/or mindset?

I had a writing group that was very supportive. I’m not sure I’ll do that for this second book, but I will find/hire a beta reader and probably an editor. I’m too early on to think of all that, so, right now, writing is the important thing.

To learn even more about Diane Hatz, visit www.wholehealthygroup.com.

Christine Wolf is an award-winning essayist, memoir coach, and owner of Writers’ Haven LLC, a cooperative workspace for writers. Are you a writer in search of a coach? Would you like your writing profile featured in this series? Reach out to Christine at www.christinewolf.com/contact/.

Writers' Haven by Christine Wolf

Diane Hatz's "Whole Health" Newsletter…