Dark stories to help women navigate the shadow side of life.
Madeleine Van Hecke writes dark novels that focus on what contemporary women fear (and often condemn) to help them better navigate the shadow side of life. A psychologist, former college professor, and author of two nonfiction books, Van Hecke has returned to her first love of fiction during her retirement years with her debut novel, Once You Know.
1. Um. Not to be rude, but aren’t you kind of old to be publishing a debut novel?
I am. And I can’t even blame procrastination. I was the kind of student who had term papers finished a week before they were due. But it takes courage to put yourself out into the world. I think it’s taken me all these years to be brave enough to do that.
2. So, why now? What made it possible?
One reason is that I found an absolutely wonderful developmental editor/writing coach, Alida Winternheimer who, quite simply, taught me how to write a novel. Like a symphony, a novel is incredibly complex. It has so many moving parts and blends different character voices. Though books on writing and week-long writers’ workshops have been helpful to me over the years, I needed something more intensive to even begin to master that intricate artistry. Alida’s astute guidance gave me that.
3. What made you want to write this particular book, Once You Know?
Women have confided in me. Often the hurt that caused them the most pain and was the most difficult to deal with was the hurt of being betrayed by someone they loved and trusted. What to do may appear obvious to those on the outside of that situation. But it feels much more entangled and problematic to the person within the relationship. That’s what I tried to capture in Once You Know in the hopes that this story might help women in similar circumstances make the best decisions possible for themselves.
