Ask the Author: Billie Nicholas
Answered Questions (6)
Billie Nicholas
Hi, Susan. I'm working on it! If you'd like to be an early reader, I'll reach out when I'm finished. Thanks!
Billie Nicholas
When I feel sad, I read dystopian fiction. I watch dystopian shows and movies. I can't explain why, but it's what makes me feel better. Since the recent election, sales for 1984 skyrocketed and people couldn't stop talking about the Handmaid's Tale on Hulu. I realized I wasn't alone in seeking a dark escape. After that day in November, I found myself in a dismal state, and I started writing. What began as a therapy of sorts turned into a novel. It's not for everyone, and that's OK. It doesn't have to be.
Billie Nicholas
When I was in middle school, I wrote a very dark poem, and my teacher submitted it to a writing contest. And I won. I later wrote a happier poem for the same teacher, and he told me to never write anything happy or cheerful again. I love writing dark, dark fiction. Oddly, it's when I feel the happiest.
Billie Nicholas
Grow yourself a really thick skin, and get your work out there. Who cares if someone doesn't like it? Try again. Make it better. Learn whose opinions to trust and whose to ignore. You will get a ton of feedback, and it could be different all the time. If you're getting the same comments over and over, however, be humble enough to listen to them. When you have a wonderful balance between "I need to get better every day," and "I'm pretty damn good at this," you're doing alright.
Billie Nicholas
I went to school for graphic design and copywriting, and I love how visuals and the words that accompany them can bring an idea to life. I not only have stories in my head that I must get down on paper (right now!), but I love imagining what my made-up worlds look like, then trying to paint them through words. Creating characters, building relationships, constructing futures with my own crazy thoughts is nothing short of magical.
Billie Nicholas
Every time I sit down to write, I say to myself, "just write." When I'm writing a first draft, I don't judge myself or ask myself if what I'm writing is good. That's the beautiful thing about writing words—they can be changed. The story can be improved. You can kill characters! Allowing myself to just write is the only way I can write something as long as a novel.
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