Nikki Elizabeth interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Hi, I’m Nikki Elizabeth! I always wanted to be an archaeologist and writer, but life had other plans… and now I’m just a writer. I started reporting in 2007, though nowadays I work in blogging and content creation. At times, it seems like I write a bit of everything. Social media posts, ads, press releases, travel spotlights, and more! Content is king, and content creation truly never stops in my life. 

Falling into my career path was pure serendipity, but writing each day brings me a lot of joy. They say that you’ll never work a day in your life if you love what you do, and I find that to be so very true. When the work day ends, I still have time to hang out with my menagerie of critters, belly dance, play my instruments, and work on my manuscripts. 

When did your love of books begin?

I remember the moment I found my love of literature, as silly as that is. Like any other reader, I participated in school reading challenges to score free pizza and ice cream. Though I was incentivized, I hated reading in my first two years of participation. I read Dr. Seuss’ The Foot Book for every assignment simply because I memorized it.

In second grade, my teacher would read chapter books to us. It felt so grown up. She introduced us to the first three books in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and I was hooked. If we wanted to find out what happened to the Baudelaires, we’d have to keep reading independently. I did. I would have to wait another few years for the series to reach its conclusion, but I kept reading. From the day I picked up The Miserable Mill, I was hungry for stories. I actually have a Snicket-inspired tattoo as a nod to this milestone in my life. 

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

Quite honestly, I don’t know exactly where I got the writing bug. I was in eighth grade when I first tried my hand at writing a novel, which was a random urge I had out of nowhere. I juggled and abandoned three different ideas, and then completed my first manuscript the summer before I started high school. 

As you are probably imagining, it wasn’t a very good book. But just as I kept reading after initially discovering my passion, I kept writing. I completed six manuscripts in high school. I also abandoned two. 

Somewhere during that era, I began dreaming about seeing my stories in print. Back in 2019, I revisited one of the manuscripts I had abandoned and completed it. Nowadays, I’m weighing my options for just how to publish it. For now, I am querying agents and publishers, though self-publishing is in the back of my mind. 

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

Physically, I’ve discovered the process for becoming an author by reading books, participating in writing groups on social media, engaging with blogs, and talking to the incredible writing community on Twitter. If you are looking for advice, these are all incredible places to start digging for answers. 

Figuratively, I’ve found the process to authorship a bit grueling. As a content marketer in my day job, I’ve found myself doing analyses on potential target audiences. I have pieced together theoretical marketing campaigns. I’ve written and rewritten my query letter. It has truly been a lesson in patience and self-restraint. At the same time, this opportunity to analyze my work has ignited a fire in me. It is an exhausting journey, but it’s a journey I have thoroughly enjoyed. 

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Do it. When I was a reporter, I learned that everybody has a story to tell. What is mundane to you may be incredible in the eyes of others. If you have a story to tell, then please tell it! However, I would also remind you that research and study are essential to perfecting your skill. Keep reading. Keep writing. Also, don’t forget to study the publishing industry as a whole. There are a lot of paths to success, and you’ll want to choose whatever one feels right and natural for you. 

Tell us about your book/books:

Oh, gosh. Where do I start?

The story I am currently querying is an odd one, admittedly. It’s science fiction, but it stays away from fantastical elements like space travel, time travel, and parallel universes. In Industrialized, a young inventor finds herself at the forefront of social reform… and weapons she created for the nation’s largest tech corporation are about to be used in a civil war. It draws influence from gothic literature in its musings, but it also has a feel comparable to The Yellow Wallpaper in that its story is told from the perspective of a journaling woman who is succumbing to hysteria in a prison-like bedroom. 

My current work-in-progress is a historical fiction about resurrectionists during the American Civil War. Back in the day, obtaining cadavers for medical study was a dangerous and dirty job. This project is still in its infancy, but it has given me a chance to convene with my passion for mortuary archaeology. 

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

I love the diversity that exists in the reading and writing community. For every author with a unique idea, there is someone with that exact literary appetite waiting to read their work. That level of connection is so beautifully human, and I think that level of camaraderie speaks volumes about the human condition. We may each be unique, but we’re never alone. 

On a personal note, I especially love my beta readers. Those of you that personally devoted your time to reading my work and providing feedback mean the world to me. I may be a writer, but I struggle to put my gratitude into words. 

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Thank you for reading my work. Truly and sincerely, I thank you. 

In college, a professor told us about a critic confronting him over an article he had written. This critic was rather cruel and the encounter was in-person, but my professor stayed humble and thanked the stranger for reading his work. He reminded us that reading takes time, and that someone took the time to read your work. A little piece of that person’s lifetime was devoted to you. Even if they walked away with a negative opinion of your work, they gave you a moment of undivided attention. For that, we should be grateful for critics and fans alike. 

I always keep that lesson in the back of my mind. Whether you’ve read one of my articles, one of my novels, or just this brief interview, I truly appreciate you. Thank you for letting me enter your world for a moment in time. 

Where can people connect with you?

I can be contacted at authornikkielizabeth@gmail.com, and you can find me on Twitter @NikkiByNight. I can’t wait to hear your own story.