How to Write a Book From Prison

Jayson Hawkins explains how learning to write during incarceration gave his life purpose, from short stories and novels to co-authoring books and creating a guide on how to write from prison.

The phenomenon of a midlife crisis has become a familiar one in American culture: Guys in their 40s or 50s start reflecting on their life choices, and from that existential questioning they end up getting hair plugs or buying a sports car. Having been incarcerated for the decades of my life when marriage, children, career, and other major milestones would have occurred, I’ve been spared the turmoil of second-guessing such decisions. Yet I experienced the prison equivalent—what might be called a mid-sentence crisis.

In 1996, I received an aggravated life sentence. In Texas, that meant I would have to serve a minimum of 30 years. That’s a daunting stretch for anyone, but I was determined to work toward a better future by focusing on education. After following the academic path as far as it could go in here, I had earned two master’s degrees, but I was barely halfway to my parole eligibility date. What was I supposed to do with the second half of my sentence? School had occupied my mind for so long that I’d never stopped to contemplate what my days would be like without it. A sudden void had opened in my life that needed to be filled.

Discovering the Power to Write

The one skill my education had developed that could be of immediate use was the ability to write. Penning hundreds of pages of academic papers had built confidence that I could write in any genre, so I began submitting short stories to literary journals. After selling a few, I spent the next four years immersed in writing a novel, Dog Days. Next up was a job writing articles for Prison Legal News, which lasted another four years.

Along the way, I won a PEN award in the memoir category, later expanding it into a book, Institutionalized: Mental Health Behind Bars. And my hobby of creating puzzles led to another publication, Next Level Sudoku. I co-authored several works with Thorstein Mayfield, including Vegvisir and the Heathen Study Course, The Rune Book.

Don’t miss Summer Memories also by Jayson Hawkins!

Why Writing Matters in Prison

Beyond any accolades my work has generated, writing has given my life in prison a purpose. It is a sense of meaning and fulfillment available to any incarcerated individual regardless of education level or other circumstances. All it requires is a desire to write and the will to follow through.

For anyone interested in pursuing this path, I teamed up with Charles Hill (author of Hot Pot Chef) to create a step-by-step guide, How to Write a Book from Prison. It goes in depth at each stage in the process—writing, editing, proofreading, publishing, and marketing—and offers a long list of useful resources. Having published a few dozen works between us, we can help others avoid the many mistakes we have made over the years and get the most out of their time and effort.

The Transformative Power of Writing

Even if someone has no intention of publishing their work, the theme stressed throughout the book is the transformative power of writing. Developing the habit of putting one’s thoughts on paper invites introspection and evolution toward positive change. That’s something we could all benefit from.

How to Write a Book from Prison is available now on Amazon.

Want to read more? Check out From Death Row to Writing

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