Nicola Knight interview
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
A little introduction:
Well, I’m Nicola and although I have always wanted to be a writer, I started my journey ‘for real’ a little over a year ago when I randomly entered a writing competition and got a lot further than I was expecting to. After years of doubting myself, I finally resolved to give it a proper go, and what started out as a tentative competition entry developed into my first complete work of fiction and I now have two more works-in-progress as well. Writing is not a full-time gig for me, I have the most wonderful day job as Head of Communications for Redwings, an amazing horse welfare charity here in the UK, so I get to write about ponies in the daytime, and then on a spare evening or at weekends or whenever I can find a few quiet moments, I put on my other writing ‘hat’ and work on my novels. Somewhere along the way I must have also had some kind of social life as I’ve managed to acquire a lovely husband and a beautiful little girl who are super tolerant of me and my little writing ‘habit’.
When did your love of books begin?
When I was teeny! It’s family legend that I was reading the newspaper by two and a half which is of course not quite true but I could read very early and was reading independently by the age of five. From then on, I simply devoured every book I could lay my hands on in super-fast time. I cemented my reputation as a total book nerd when at the age of ten I took a half-term reading challenge rather too seriously and read 9 books in one week. My classmates looked at me like I was insane, but I was super proud ha ha.
When did you start to have the wish to become an author?
For always. At different stages in my life, I have wanted to do a lot of different jobs, from flying RAF fast jets to teaching and from becoming a barrister to journalism, but the one thing that has always been constant was the desire to write. I remember distinctly my first ever proper story, it was called ‘Thaw’ and it was about a group of kids who got snowed in at their school and had to dig their way out. It was very melodramatic and overdone I’m sure but it stayed with me, the feeling of producing something out of thin air like that.
How have you found the process for becoming an author?
Very complicated! I’ll admit that when I decided to actually pursue the novelist ‘thing’ I still had the romantic impression you could just write a novel that was halfway decent and send it off to an agent and they would absolutely love it and immediately find you a publisher and that would be that. It turns out to be a lot more difficult than that… almost impossible really, or so it seems sometimes, but I am kind of enjoying the challenge in a masochistic way. I’m an eternal optimist so I’m always awaiting that elusive email or MS request. I like to enter writing competitions as I enjoy the drama and the deadlines.
What would you say to those wanting to become an author?
Go for it! There are all kinds of statistics out there about how 97% of aspiring authors never finish their novel but one thing I know for sure, 100% of aspiring authors who don’t start their novel will never finish it. It is a competitive world out there, especially at the moment, but if you have an idea for a strong story with strong characters that you think a) you can sustain for around 70k to 90k words and b) that you can bear to keep reading and rereading and editing and reading about for the next 2-3 years afterwards (because honestly you need to LOVE this story or who else will?)….if you have that, then there’s no time like the present. Just start.
Tell us about your book/books:
My first novel is called The Ballad of Felicity Brooks, a (semi-festive) romantic comedy about a girl who hates Christmas meeting a boy who hates Christmas. On Christmas Eve. While he’s dressed as a giant penguin. I like to think it’s a romantic comedy with a bit of depth as there’s a lot more to Felicity than might first appear. She is currently out on query with agents. I’ve also written a more serious work of women’s fiction called No Psychosis Please, We’re British, which was recently longlisted in the Mslexia Novel Prize, and I’m currently working on a third, another romantic comedy but one with a fresh new twist, I hope!
What do you love about the writing/reading community?
They are so supportive!! I honestly thought it would be dog eat dog but since joining Book Twitter and encountering lots of other writers on social media in general I have found nothing but love. So many established authors and editors and beta readers have taken the time to give me encouragement over the past year or so and I am extremely grateful.
If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?
Lose yourself. If there was ever a time to lose yourself in a fictional world and escape reality just for a little while, it’s now. Escapism is good for you – it’s official (probably).
Where can people connect with you?
You can find me on Instagram as @nicolaknight15 but mostly I’m pottering about on Twitter as @NicolaKWrites. Come and find me!
https://www.instagram.com/nicolaknight15/
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