About Nina Post:
Nina Post is the author of six novels, including The Zaanics Deceit, Danger in Cat World, Extra Credit Epidemic, The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse, The Last Donut Shop of the Apocalypse, and One Ghost Per Serving. She lives in Seattle.
What inspires you to write?
Since I started making little hand-stitched books for my mother at age six, hearing stories and reading books have inspired me to write. The spark that happens when I connect ideas inspires me to write. Writers I love to read inspire me to write. But something else that inspires me is the thought of a reader escaping into one of my books and being entertained.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m a planner, a researcher, and an outliner — and I use Scrivener. My process always has some variation, but generally I think about the project and make notes for a while, then outline for at least two weeks. The basic things I always know about a significant character are what they want both externally and internally, what they actually need, and what their motivation is. I know their wounds and flaws and strengths, how they act under stress, and what their conflict is with other characters.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I like to visualize scenes and get a strong sense of what my characters will do in that scene. I’ll think about a scene before I write it and just watch that character act based on what I know about them.
What advice would you give other writers?
Write consistently. Write what excites you. Be careful about the contracts you sign.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I initially focused only on small presses, and chose one that had fair contracts, a good website, and seemed to have their act together (which they did). I’m still with that publisher, but have also self-published a number of books.
There are several advantages to working with a smaller publisher. One is that you typically aren’t stuck with an onerous contract, so you can get your rights back after a decent span of time. Another advantage is that you can have more input on cover design and other aspects of the publishing process. In addition, the time it takes to get to market is shorter, and that publisher is often more nimble when it comes to making marketing or promotion changes. I also like self-publishing, for more control of the process and promotions.
I would advise authors to choose whatever they’re comfortable with, as long as they inform themselves first.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
It’s much harder for writers to make any kind of living from their writing now, despite those fabled KDP success stories. Writers need to diversify.
What genres do you write?: Mystery/thriller, contemporary fantasy, YA
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Nina Post Home Page Link
Link To Nina Post Page On Amazon
