Hendricks, a former Army intelligence officer, introduces Derek Harrington, a retired Marine, in The Instructor (Forge).
What prompted you to settle on a military action thriller?
To be honest, it came about by happenstance. I had been writing fantasy novels, but on the side I was writing short stories for any topic or genre that came to mind. The idea for The Instructor came to me during a random coffee break conversation with a colleague at work one day. What was intended as another short story took off on me. Ninety days after starting, I had a 90,000-word draft, and from there I was off to the races on my publishing journey.
Novelists are often advised to “write what you know.” Is that what you did here?
The “write what you know” maxim is strong with this story. Being in the military for five years, including two deployments to Iraq, and having experienced my fair share of reintegration issues upon getting out, I was able to repurpose those into Derek’s story. I also love the outdoors and nature, but I’m not a survival expert. For those plot points I turned to primary source subject matter experts as well as my own extensive research.
Is there a model for Derek?
Derek is very much the product of three men and their experiences. My aforementioned work colleague, whose background served as a blueprint for my protagonist; my father, whose honor, integrity, and self-sacrifice for his family I tried to capture; and finally, myself through the roller-coaster ups and downs of reintegration to civilian life and struggles with PTSD.
Do you have some overall advice learned from your experience with PTSD?
If I could offer any advice for those struggling with PTSD, veteran and civilian alike, I would tell them not to wait before getting help, and not to go at it alone. So many of us have gone through this before you and still deal with it on a daily basis. I call it “navigating the minefield.” Why try to blaze your own path and take on all the risks that come with it when there’s already an avenue that’s been cleared? Reach out to someone, anyone, and start on your path to healing as soon as you can. Don’t sacrifice years, relationships, and opportunities like I and so many others have.
