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January 13. 2006 10:38AM
Our Neighbor: Zachary
Hayes
Building a career as a
writer
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Zachary Hayes sits Tuesday
at the work station in his bedroom where he
writes. (Donnie Roberts/The
Dispatch)
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By CRAIG ALLEN
The
Dispatch
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Zachary Hayes,
22, of Southmont, began writing while he was still in high school.
It was "a way to get stuff off my chest," said Hayes, who
graduated from Central Davidson High School in 2001. He was inspired
by the works of Beat writer Jack Kerouac, who wrote "On the Road,"
'60s rocker Jim Morrison, known for his rock lyrics and his poetry,
and gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who wrote "Fear and
Loathing in Las Vegas."
"I look at everything I write as a
chance to speak out on something," Hayes said. That's one reason
writing appealed to him when he was a student. He could have his say
without having to speak.
"I've always had difficulty
conveying things," he said. "I've never been much of a public
speaker. ... It's easier to make a character say it. Or write it
down."
Now, Hayes' efforts as a writer are beginning to get
noticed, albeit on the screen.
A short film directed by
Lexington native D.J. Summitt, a friend of Hayes, won an award at
the Baja California International Film Festival in Tijuana, Mexico,
last fall. Hayes, who met Summitt while the two were students at
Central Davidson, wrote the script for the film, titled "Clarinet."
Besides winning an award at the Baja festival, "Clarinet"
has also been shown at other film festivals and has aired on UNC-TV,
North Carolina's public television network.
When people
think of a writer's work, many might think of books, poems or short
stories. But writing screenplays can give a writer a chance to use a
medium that is, by its nature, more visual than the printed word.
Film can help a writer "capture something that can't be captured
just in words," Hayes said.
In the wake of the success of
"Clarinet," Hayes is working on a script for a feature-length film
he and Summitt hope to shoot. That story, "Don Kyoto," will be a
re-thinking of the famous "Don Quixote" story, which featured a
character who mistakenly believed he was a medieval knight. The "Don
Kyoto" story will instead feature a modern-day man who thinks he's a
samurai in feudal Japan.
Hayes is also working on other
writing projects, ideas separate from his work with Summitt, who now
lives in San Diego, Calif. Hayes is working on the story of a
hopeless romantic, someone who's "in love with the idea of love
itself." He is also working on a collection of poetry and short
stories, and he's even working on ideas for a children's book. Hayes
is the father of a 3-year-old girl.
When he's not writing,
Hayes works at Childress Vineyards and spends time with his
daughter. He enjoys spending time outdoors and watching movies. He's
also a cartoonist and has even painted a few portraits. He plans to
return to college and is even considering volunteering for the Peace
Corps.
So far, Hayes isn't making a living with his writing.
Responding to a question about whether the term "starving artist"
might apply to him, Hayes said: "It's something I've been striving
for - to be an artist, starving or not. Writing is something I love
to do. I'd be doing it whether I were getting paid or getting
recognition or not."
Craig Allen can be reached at 249-3981,
ext. 217, or craig.allen@the-dispatch.com.
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