Getting to know: Nicole Coverdale and Fearless

When was the first time you realized, you wanted to be an author?

                 I didn’t always want to be an author. Growing up, I wanted to be so many things. I wanted to be a cop, I wanted to be a doctor, I wanted to be a lawyer, but I could never make up my mind about what I wanted to do. The one thing I had always loved to do, though, was write. As a young girl, I used to write about everything. I’m sure many of my teachers could tell you the hours I spent, writing in my notebook, and it wasn’t until I was in some boring college class that it dawned on me; Being an author, meant that I didn’t have to decide on a career. Through my characters, I could be the cop, I could be the doctor, and I could be the lawyer. It was the perfect career for me.               

What do you like most about writing?

            The best thing about writing, is being able to create a world so different from our own. These days, there are so many things we worry about and sometimes all of that burdens a person.

            Being able to write a story, a world so different from the one we’re living in, gives readers a chance to escape the stress and worries of their daily lives. They’re give a chance to escape from their world, and I’m glad I can give everyone a sense of relief, even if it’s for a little while.

 What do you think makes the perfect story?

            There’s no such thing as a “perfect story.” Even if I were to write a million books, I know, that every story will have its flaws, its weaknesses, and of course it’s critics.

            For me, though, what makes a story memorable is the emotions I feel when I read it.

            I always say the phrase, “what makes us human?” I’ve said it so many times, I think people wanted to beat me over the head for it! What makes us human, though, is our emotions. Just think about it, if we didn’t have our emotions, what would we be? The answer is simple, robots.

            When I write a scene, I like to put myself in the character’s shoes. I think, how does she feel about this? How does he react to this? I want to feel everything they’re feeling; the pain, the hurt, the happiness, and the laughter. If I don’t feel that connection to my characters, I know I haven’t done my job right.

How did you come up with the story for Fearless?

                To be honest, Fearless isn’t the first idea I came up with.  My first idea, was for the novel I’m working on now, Dark Revelations

            Dark Revelations, is centered around a young woman who once was kidnapped by a serial killer, and how she’s trying to move forward with her life. It also centers around a young man, who’s coming home for the first time in years and learns that everything is not as it once was.

            I was sitting in my home, watching a movie, and I thought to myself. Wouldn’t it be cool, if I did a prequel to this? I had always wanted to write a story about a woman who could kick butt, that was action packed, and that told a story of revenge. Hence, Fearless, was born.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

            To never give up! You wouldn’t believe the dozens of emails I received rejecting Fearless for publication. What did I do? I kept pushing, I kept reading through my manuscript and changing certain parts. They always say that a good portion of writing, is re-writing.

            For any aspiring authors, if you have an idea, that is half the battle right there. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do, is finding something you want to write about. The other thing, is finding the time, to sit down and write it. I know, every other writer out there will say you always have time to read, you always have time to write, but that’s not always true. We all have jobs, families, and other things going on that it’s hard to find time to write or read these days.

            Just do me a favor, and don’t give up on the story you believe in. Every story has the potential to be great, and if you believe in it, someone else will as well.

Do you experience writers block?

                The million-dollar question! Yes, like all writers, I do experience writers block and it always seems to occur at the beginning of a chapter. I’ll be typing right along, thoughts flowing from my mind, and I’ll just stop. My fingers stop typing, the thoughts seem to stop in my head, and I have no idea what to do.

 What do I do? Honestly, I start the chapter over. I re-write it probably in about twenty different ways, until I find a good flow again.

I must say, though, sometimes writer’s block can be a good thing. Why? So many times, I will picture a scene before me. I know how it begins, I know how it ends, but the middle is sometimes foggy. With writer’s block, when you re-write the beginning of a chapter twenty times or so, it often changes the way the chapter ends into something you never saw coming.

What is next for you and your writing?

                As I said before, I am currently working on my second novel, Dark Revelations. After that, I’ve got several ideas for books in the same series. I love series, and wanted Fearless to be the beginning of a fabulous series. Once I’m finished with that, I want to write an end of the world type of book. Something along the lines of a zombie apocalypse? Who knows, I always have so many ideas in my head, who knows where that will take me!