Author Interview ~ Scott Nicholson

Scott Nicholson is the author of six supernatural thrillers, including The Farm and The Home. He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where he tends an organic garden, collects mountain folklore, and picks an acoustic guitar. Nicholson is also a freelance editor and has published over 50 short stories. His Web site www.hauntedcomputer.com contains folk wisdom, writing tips, and fiction excerpts.





What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

THE FARM came out in July, a tale of a little mountain town where a dead circuit-riding preacher puts in an appearance about once a decade. My vampire action novel, THEY HUNGER, will be out in April. It’s billed as “Deliverance with Fangs,” and we’re trying to set it up with Hollywood at the moment.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

I always wrote as a youngster, but didn’t pursue it seriously until about 10 years ago. I immediately began sending off stories and getting rejection slips, and it wasn’t until I’d finished five novels that I finally sold one. I was at work when the editor from Pinnacle Books called, and I think I jumped out of my seat without using my legs. I knew it would happen sooner or later if I stuck to it, but still, it was the culmination of a long dream, but also a wake-up call that the next steps were still ahead.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Sure. You’re only as good as your last book, and, indeed, even your last sentence. There’s always a chance the well will dry up or your career will collapse or readers simply stop caring. I remain optimistic that if I holed up my end of the bargain, the rest will sort itself out.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

Not understanding the markets well enough. I used to send my novels to every publisher listed in Literary Marketplace, and I’m lucky some of those places didn’t accept them, because my career would have died before it even started. Sometimes rejection is a favor, not an insult.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

Keep at it. Beat your head against the wall until the bricks fall. Don’t take “no” for an answer, and don’t let people around you kill your dream.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

Write what you know. If we stuck with this rule, fantasy, science fiction, most horror, and mystery wouldn’t exist. Sure, you should be emotionally true, but the rest you can research and invent.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

Realities of the publishing industry. The publisher really does have hundreds of books to release and promote, so yours is just one in the stream and the next new one is coming up fast behind it. Instead of being bitter, try to build a mutually beneficial partnership and trust that the publisher knows what it’s doing.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

Promotion is difficult. I’ve tried dozens of different approaches, and even though I am experienced with media, it’s hard to tell what’s working. After five years of doing it, I’d say book signings, banner ads, bookmarks, newspaper and web interviews, writing articles, and writing groups all help a little bit and that you should spend as much time, energy, and money as you can afford.

What are a few of your favorite books?

I love Dr. Seuss and Mark Twain. MISERY by Stephen King—there’s a writer’s tale for you! Dean Koontz, John Steinbeck, William Goldman. To kill a Mockingbird is a great book, as is The Haunting of Hill House.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

My story “The Vampire Shortstop” was very effortless and it won an international writing contest. Plus the viewpoint character is autobiographical. It’s been published several times and appears in my collection THANK YOU FOR THE FLOWERS.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Some new writers think established writers have time to read their unpublished work. That’s why I do freelance editing as a sideline, but I just don’t have time to read stuff for free, though the new voices are important. I do read for pleasure, but that’s different. Too many books, not enough time.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

I’m a reporter, so I write every day for my job, and then write my fiction and writing articles when I can. Usually, I sneak a wedge of time during the morning or night. Some days I can spent eight or ten hours on a project, but consistency is the best approach for me.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

The pacing of William Goldman—novels like Magic and Marathon Man are taut, with no wasted words.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

Right now I just want to continue improving and expanding and gaining new readers. Eventually, I’d like to write fiction full time, possibly teaching or editing a little on the side. Like I said, all of this can go away very quickly. On the other hand, if you don’t take risks for your dream, why should anybody else believe in it?

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

Almost every day…right in the middle of that first sentence, when it seems like the most difficult thing in the world. But like Santiago in Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” you know you’ll soon row yourself warm.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

Favorite is sitting around in sweatpants and T-shirts, working at home. Least favorite is trying to make money from it.

Parting words?

You’re the only one who knows how to tell your stories. It’s a sacred duty, so do it as well as you can.