Nicolas Wilson is a published journalist, graphic novel writer, and novelist. He lives in the rainy wastes of Portland, Oregon with his wife, two cats and a dog.Nic writes a variety of genres, including science fiction, horror, speculative fiction, and political fiction.
Download copies of his debut novel, Whores from smashwords. or amazon. As a word of caution, Whores contains some graphic violent content. His second novel, Dag will be available April 22nd.
Hi Nic, Welcome to Booky Ramblings. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview.
You're very welcome. Interviews are fun, and it's nice to interact, as opposed to the one-way communication I'm used to having with an audience.
- First off tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm Nic Wilson. I've worked as a journalist, and have now been writing fairly seriously for something like eight years as a fiction writer. I finished the first draft of my eighth novel in February, the morning of my wedding.
- What inspired you to write your first book?
I'd been writing seriously for five years, a short story every week. So for me, it was just time. I started my weekly short story because I didn't want to just write- I wanted to write well, and I knew the only way to do that was to work on things until they were done and then publish them. So I did that, weekly. And Dag was just the natural evolution of that.
- Describe Dag, your main character, in 5 words.
Adorably whiny, awesomely sarcastic lady.
- What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
That kind of varies. I have a day job, for starters. And like I mentioned, I just finished my eighth novel in February, and a novella in March. I'm in various stages of polishing and drafting the others for publication. The plan is to continue to do more editing than writing until I've got the number of unpublished projects whittled down to two or three. I've got four full novels tentatively scheduled for this year, plus a collection of my journalism and several short story collections, too. So right now I'm editing heavy. But because of the day job, my writing/editing schedule is to usually wake up sometime between 3 and 5 am, get as much done as I can, go do the day job, come home around five and work on it more until bed time. It's pretty brutal, but I absolutely love the work- including this aspect of it- so it's worth it.
- Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I love readers. Especially my readers. So specifically: thank you. I know your time is precious, and you've got a lot of options out there. But by choosing to read my stuff, you're actively making my dreams come true, a buck or two at a time.
- Which authors would you say inspired you to write?
I'm not sure. I know a lot of authors have inspired me stylistically, or philosophically. So maybe I'll go with that. I think Hunter S. Thompson, by way of Warren Ellis, taught me that writing can have a point- maybe even that it should have a point, and a gooey moral center. Sure, the outside should be enjoyable and chocolatey- but you've got to have some nutritious nougat at the center, too.
- What books did you read as a child?
Poe. Seriously. I loved Poe as a little kid. There was just something so deliciously sadistic, especially in The Pit and the Pendulum. But it felt like it had a moral center, too- like it was a Bible story for a more modern era. Lots of normal kids stuff, too. Seuss, Berenstein bears. And one of my fondest literary memories is of my dad reading my the Hobbit. And doing voices.
Here are some random questions for you now.
- If someone wrote your biography, what do you think the title should be?
I have a tendency towards self-deprecation, which usually spars with my ego for the spotlight. I know when I interviewed Adam West he called me “quiet and diabolical,” so I think I'd be inclined to go with that.
- What book are you currently reading?
I'm sort of in the middle of Tad Williams' Memory of Sorrow and Thorn trilogy, specifically the first book, called The Dragonbone Chair. I've got an idea for a fantasy saga, and my wife insists I finish the series before I start in on it. Well, that and I have to finish this year's slate of books, too.
- Favourite Ice Cream flavour?
You're going to make me choose? Actually, that may not be that hard. I love the rainbow of flavors, and in particular ice creams with other desserts in them, but for some reason, right this second, I'm craving chocolate ice cream with Oreos in it. Mmm.
- Cats or dogs?
Cats, generally. Dogs are too needy- and I'm just emotionally detached enough that I know I neglect them- but emotionally attached enough to then feel bad for it. Of course, I've got a dog, right now, that came along with the wife... and he's just the sweetest thing, and I can't imagine our house without a dog in it, along with our cats. So maybe both.
- And finally, since I’m a little obsessed with the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse, your house is under attack and you only have time to grab 3 things, what do you grab?
It might tickle you to know (and be cheating) that I actually have a zombie survival kit assembled that I could grab. A filmmaker friend of mine asked me to star in a short movie (one that was sadly never finished), and actually asked me to star, and to gather up the gear I would want to try to survive with. It's still put together because for the longest time we planned on finishing the shoot. But because I don't want to cheat, I'll say this: best weapon possible is a crowbar, hands down. In the event of the zombie apocalypse, you're going to want a sturdy weapon (no wood) that won't get dull or stuck in a corpse (no knives, axes, etc.). Plus, a crowbar would allow you to easily break into abandoned houses for a safe place to stay the night/to raid for more resources. Secondly, I'd want a combination tool, with a knife, can-opener, maybe even a spork, those kinds of basics, because there's going to be lots of things you're going to have to improvise on the go. And finally, a decent sack to carry your hard-won cans of food in. From there, you'd mostly want to keep your head down, and to stay in the suburbs as much as possible. There would be decent foraging opportunities there, without the strong likelihood of being overwhelmed you'd have in the city, or the strong likelihood of getting shot you'd have in more rural areas.
Wow! You have certainly given it much thought. Is it wrong that I haven't given my choices any thought? I guess I shall need to get thinking, I cant just hope that I run into my very own Daryl Dixon.
Dag by Nicolas WilsonBook synopsis: Dagney Morgan, a sarcastic Department of Agriculture employee with an affinity for paperwork, has a chance run-in with a farmer covered in toxic chemicals, and walks away with a genetically modified baby, along with the seeds of a military-industrial conspiracy. Dagney and her makeshift family scramble to stay ahead of artificial soldiers and megalomaniacal businessmen long enough to reap the truths behind an international web of corruption and intrigue. They also stop for pie, at one point.
Dag is going to be out in digital form from Amazon and everywhere Smashwords distributes, as well as in print through Createspace. Visit my website for links to available retailers, or follow along with me on Smashwords or Amazon. For the first week it's out, April 22nd-26th, Dag will be 50% off. Happy Earth Day and Arbor Day!
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Thanks for chatting with me, Shona. I'll have to check back to hear about your zombie-survival tactics, soon! Never hurts to be prepared, right?
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining us Nic, its been a real pleasure. I will definitely get thinking on my survival options otherwise i'll be the first chick to die lol
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