Today let's give a warm welcome to Nix Whittaker. Tell us a little about yourself
I was born in South Africa with snakes and other creepy
critters. When I was a young girl I moved with my family to New Zealand. A very
different place. There are hardly any critters at all. But at least it was safe
from political turmoil. It also opened up opportunities for me. Being able to
go to University and living on my own were things just not achievable in South
Africa, unless you have money. I started writing because I ran out of things to
read. I didn’t really get anywhere until a few years ago. Mostly I didn’t
believe in myself. I had to dust off my ego and admit I have a story inside me
people would like to read.
I think sometimes we are our toughest critics. Have you been given any helpful advice? If so What?
The best advice I’ve gotten was from a fellow self
published author. He told me that you don’t have to know everything when you
start. You just become an expert on the next thing you need. This allowed me to
take away most of the hurdles to writing and just start.
I know I have learned so much between the publication of my first and second book. Currently, what are you working on?
I have two projects at the moment. I’m working on a four
book series and I’m only half way through. But I got the urge to start another
project and I’m almost done with my very first mystery novel. Exciting to try
new things.
What has
been the most difficult thing you have struggled with since you began a career
in writing?
Finishing a book. I have about five hundred stories that
I’ve started and never finished. I didn’t have enough confidence as I am
dyslexic and I thought that meant I could never reach the bar. It was only when
I realized I had just as much skill as other authors that I brought myself to
finish my first novel. I’ve written 9 since then.
Who designed the artwork for your cover? Or did you
design it yourself?
I design my own book covers. I wouldn’t recommend doing
this unless you have some skills and an artist’s eye. I did think about going
into art but that is an even harder gig than writing to get into. All I had to
do was teach myself how to use photoshop. I now sell covers to other authors.
Nix, one thing we have to deal with as an author is negative criticism, no one can please everyone. How do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?
I’m terrible. I want to see what I can learn and where I
can improve. Usually I don’t read bad reviews because they annoy me. Mostly
because they don’t get what I’m trying to do. Or it is something I don’t intend
to change. One of the criticisms I usually get is the need for more detail. I’m
dyslexic and reading even one word takes colossal effort so when I read I skip
over bits that aren’t important otherwise I would never finish it. When I write
I write only the parts I normally read. I hate all that fluff in books that
don’t help with the story line or the characters but sounds super pretty and
sophisticated. That’s nice for some but not for me. Otherwise I always get good
reviews but even those I avoid as I nitpick and wonder if they are just being
nice.
Is there something you learned from writing your first
book?
How to finish a book. I always struggled. In my first book
I decided not to write one of my precious babies that I had been sweating over
for years. Instead I took one of my throw away ideas. I didn’t have to be
perfect so that allowed me finish it as I only had to write it, I didn’t need a
master piece.
Nix, which do you find more challenging inventing the hero or
the villain? Why?
Villain every time. My recent mystery novel. I had the bad
guy all planned out and his motivations and then I started writing him and
realized he was too evil to be the big bad. He was obvious. I kept him but I
wrote in another bad guy who in the end was a better fit.
How many times do you think you read your book before
going to print?
It feels like a million but it really is about ten times.
Even then I re-read my books every year and make changes. I don’t think I’ll
have it completely perfect until a decade after I’m in my grave.
Nix thanks for sharing with us. Happy Reading!!
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