Today, my guest is Nadine Ducca, author of the marvelous sci-fantasy novel, Serving Time. Come back tomorrow for an excerpt and my review of her novel.
Tell us a little
about yourself.
I'm from California, but I moved to Barcelona, Spain, when I was a teenager. I've been living here ever since.
I studied Translation and Interpreting at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and then a master's degree in Medical Translation. Right now, I manage a language school and supervise the Cambridge English exams in Catalonia. Apart from that, I also teach part-time at the Open University of Catalonia and am a Speaking Examiner for Cambridge English. Whew!
I try to write something--even if it's just plain nonsense--every day.
What made you want to
become a writer?
I can’t pinpoint a specific moment when I said “Now! I’ll be
a writer now!” Instead, writing has been an ongoing pastime in my life. Ever
since I was a child, I enjoyed writing (and illustrating) short stories I was
one of the “special” few who used to get excited whenever the teacher handed
out an essay…
Back in the nineties, there was a great computer program
(whose name I cannot remember…) that let you set up your own picture book. You
could choose the number of page, and then go bonkers adding scenery and
people, animals and props from the wide (actually quite small) selection of
images. It was great! You could even flip the images around. Without a doubt,
the nameless program had a great impact on me and my writing.
I actually still keep
several titles from when I was a kid: Clara
the Cow, The Dinosaur Dictionary
(including top-notch scientific explanations such as “Chickens are also
dinosaurs. I bet you didn’t know. Well, chickens are also dinosaurs.”), and A Different World. This last short story
is a bit surprising, considering I was 7 or 8 when I wrote it. A Different World explains the creation
of different life forms, evolution, and finally the arrival of a sentient
species, all with the helpful nudge of an external entity. It actually reminds
me quite a lot of 2001: A Space Odyssey,
and it is the basic premise for Serving
Time.
Your novel Serving Time mixes fantasy and science
fiction. What about this combination appeals to you?
I’m a firm believer in the paranormal. I believe there are
ghosts and other entities out there, as well as extraterrestrial life forms that
might or might not be more technologically advanced than us. For me, it’s not a
matter of “see it to believe it.” It’s a matter of opening your mind and believing
in order to see everything that surrounds us.
What happens in Serving
Time is that Tristan and Eneld live perfectly normal futuristic lives—until
they realize there’s much more to life than they thought. The fantasy elements
are woven into the story: from the resentful demons forced to do all the hard
labor to the vain and somewhat absentminded goddess, Time.
I guess what appeals to me most about the sci-fantasy
combination is how the elements of each genre interact with each other. The
science fiction characters (Tristan and Eneld) come across the fantasy
characters (Robert and Time) and mayhem ensues. Beliefs are questioned or torn
apart, and life for the heroes becomes a lot more complicated.
What inspirations lie
behind the novel? Where did you get your ideas from?
When I was a teen, I got the idea for a short story involving two brothers, Tristan and Seth, who made a living looting derelict space ships. In the short, they pushed their luck too far in the black market and quickly ended up on the system's "Most Wanted" list. To avoid being caught, they decided to make a dash for Earth, the capital of chaos, where anyone with a past can blend into the crowd.
As a teen I never got round to writing the actual voyage, and I let the story sit and gather dust for several years while I went to university and started my career.
The idea remained latent in the back of my head that whole time until I finally decided enough was enough! In June of 2011, I enrolled in a creative writing course, and in November 2011I joined Critique Circle, an ongoing critique group.
Characters changed names and appearance and aspirations. The plot evolved and became more intricate. Fantasy came poking its head over the edge of my computer screen, and every now and then asked, "Can I be it it, too?" In the end, a certain goddess of Time, a supercilious necromancer, and a slobbering pack of demons demanded to be let in on the fun, so I welcomed them into my novel.
We might butt heads every now and then, but we're one big happy family.
Are your characters
based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
In all of Serving Time,
I can only think of one group of the minor characters who are loosely based on
real people: the grimy, neohippie inhabitants of the ark starship Stone Cloud. I have to admit I didn’t do
them any favor!
All of the main characters come from my imagination and, inevitably,
many of them also contain some of me in their personalities. For example,
Tristan is my cynical, pessimist side while Eneld represents that little part
of me that always tries to find that silver lining.
Of all the characters
you have created, which is your favorite and why?
Don’t make me choose! I love them all. Even the super-cruel-drop-dead
villains!
Now that I’m working on the second novel in the series, I’m
spending a lot more time fleshing out the character Robert
Westbrook. He was a supporting character in Serving Time, but becomes more and more important in Making Time. In the first novel, Robert
already starts off calling himself the Demon Master, which just goes to show
how great he thinks he is. He’s hopelessly drowning in puppy-dog love for the
goddess Time, and controlling his emotions will be one of his hardest
challenges.
Without giving away any spoilers, I have to say Robert’s
journey is one of the darkest and one of the most entertaining. Yes, I admit
it! I like to give my characters a hard time!
What is the biggest
surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?
While going through the entire process of becoming a
published author, I had two big surprises: a good one and a bad one.
The good surprise was discovering how many more aspiring
authors are out there. It turns out I’m not alone! It’s not just me! Stage two
of this great surprise was discovering how helpful writing communities can be.
The people at Critique Circle,
for example, made me feel right at home.
However, not everything is rainbows and butterflies. The bad
surprise came shortly after publishing my novel. Marketing! For someone like me
who has very little marketing experience, the whole process can easily become
an absolute pain, and it drains away hours that could be dedicated to writing.
Why did you decide to
self-publish?
I’m a control freak. Enough said.
No, seriously. I was weighing different options, and I
learned about self publication through Critique Circle. I heard about other
people’s experiences, difficulties and successes, and after giving it some thought
I decided it was the route I wanted to go.
I want absolute control over my books, and indie publishing
grants me that. I want to choose the cover, the layout, and the price. I want
to have the assurance that even if my book doesn’t do very well, it will still
exist for as long as I say so and won’t get pulled from the retailers, as
happens with traditionally published books. In traditional publishing, you get
one chance. If your book doesn’t succeed, that’s the end of that. With self
publishing, on the other hand, you have the freedom to make all the changes you
want, whenever you want.
Is there any
particular author or book that influenced you either growing up or as an adult?
I’m not sure. I’ve read hundreds and hundreds of books, and
all the stories and characters are a mish mash inside my head. I suppose all of
our experiences influence us, so all of the book I have read must influence my
writing.
Do you have a day job
in addition to being a writer? If so,
what do you do during the day?
Actually, I have two! I work full-time at a language school
and part-time at the Open University of Catalonia.
What is your favorite
writing tip or quote?
The writing tip that has had most impact on me and my career
as an author is: “join a writing community.”
I admit I made the hermitage mistake: I went at it alone for
too long. Writing was a lonely experience. When I found Critique Circle, it was like joining
group therapy. I wasn’t alone! Here, at my fingertips, were hundreds of other
writers! People who were just starting out like me, and people who had been
writing for years. Published authors, unpublished, we are all in there!
My favorite tip is to get over your shyness (or, for some, superstition) and share your work with
others. Stand up and say “I am [insert name], and I’m a writer!” Take pride in
what you do, but also pay attention to the advice others give you. That is, in
my opinion, the only way to grow as a writer.
Tell us a little
about your plans for the future. You
call Serving Time (Servants of Time, Book #1) Do you have
any other books in the works?
Yes. Right now I’m working on the second novel in the
series. The title is Making
Time, and I recently finished the first draft. I’m editing these days
and trying to solve some minor plot problems that popped up. I hope to have a
completed version of Making Time in
the next few months and to release it by the end of the year.
Where can we find you
online? (please cut and paste links):
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NadineDucca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NadineDucca
Independent Author
Network: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/nadine-ducca.html
A very nice, informative interview. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting me, Jamie. :-)
ReplyDelete