Author Chat: Rosalind Smith-Nazilli

Today we welcome author Rosalind Smith-Nazilli to the Ludis. She's here to talk about flash fiction, Camp NaNoWriMo, and  a bit about living life in Turkey. So make sure your cup is full and chat with us. 

Tell us about Rosalind Smith-Nazilli

Just a woman with a lot of words in her head.  I shall be 57 next month and am lucky enough to live a very undemanding life by the sea in Turkey.

I am originally from the UK but discovered this paradise about seventeen years ago, and stayed.

What inspires you to write mostly flash fiction?

I have tried and failed to write longer work but my brain has developed a real relationship with flash.

My inspiration is always fueled by a picture or word prompt.  If I don't get an immediate reaction I move on to the next one.

You have a new book available Consequential Moments, a collection of flash stories. Can you tell us about it?

Yes of course.  There are twenty-four stories, some very short and some a little longer.  They all, in one way or another result from a moment of consequence, hence the title.

To be perfectly honest, some of the collection was previously published under a different title, but I realized that I had acted in haste and withdrew it, re-formatted and sought a professional to create the cover.  I am totally happy with it now whereas before I wasn't.

How is writing flash fiction different from writing a full-length novel?

Well the best part of course is that, for me, there is no planning or outlining involved.

When something comes in to my head, I just write it and nine times out of ten it goes out as it came to me.  I rarely edit flash fiction, apart from spelling and grammar of course, because to me that is the beauty of flash, a lot of story in few words.

Do you have a writing routine or just grab a pen when the muse hits?

No routine to speak of, but the laptop is open for most of the day and night and I come and go, unless I have a deadline of course.

Like all writers I can find many excuses to veer away from what I should be doing.

You’ve signed up for this round of Camp NaNoWrimo, has the experience changed your writing at all?

Yep..  Second year running and I have pulled out again.  Just can't seem to build any depth and as always, every other paragraph was presenting an idea for a flash, so I decided to cut my losses.  I have however come away with enough work for a second book of flash.

Your stories are very diverse. Do you have certain genres you prefer to write in over others?

I do have a dark side I think.  I can't write flowery prose at all.

What are your favorite writing tools?

Shame on me.  Coffee and cigarettes.  BUT..  I have recently acquired a Galaxy Tab... and yes.. I love it.

What is your favorite coffee shop treat?

Living in Turkey the variety is not what it is in the UK..  I love baklava, but do miss fresh cream.

Do you have any projects in the works or coming events you can tell us about?

A second collection of flash is my first priority, and I have now created my own separate blog that gives a flash fiction challenge every week.

Where can we find Rosalind Smith-Nazilli? 

http://rosiesmith-nazilliwrites.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/MrsNazilli

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRosie?ref=hl

Reading Makes Better Writers

The most important thing a writer must do is write. The second most important is read. Reading is what inspired us to do what we do. By reading we gain knowledge but we also learn skills.

We can learn by example. Most people do this little trick and don’t even realize it. Writer’s can learn from each other’s style and verbiage as much as we can from taking classes. It’s all there in our favorite books.

As we get lost in a tale our minds are picking out things that we can use and apply to our own skill set. We might recognize it when it happens but most often not. We’re not learning to imitate our favorite authors as we did when we first began putting pen to paper.

We are loading our tool box up with different styles and techniques that will help us as our own style and technique grows. So it is vastly important to read as much as we write.

Find a cozy spot to mark as your reading room. Even if it’s just the end of the couch, make it your reading space with good light and favorite books. Maybe even a note pad just in case there is something you find you want to make note of.

Or an idea blooming from a scene or phrase that you’ve just read. We are a unique profession in which we feed off of each others ideas. No, no we don’t steal ideas or plagiarize. Our imaginations are sparked by the visions words create.

Sure other things bring inspiration but nothing like the right turn of phrase. So find the perfect place to curl up with a good book. Even if you don’t have a special room for reading, make sure to give your writing some reading room. 

*This post is part of the August Fellow Writers Blog Hop (I'm only a week late tee hee) The hop takes place the 2nd Tuesday of every month. If you would like to join us for September just click HERE or on the Fellow Writer's Blog Hop tab at the top of the blog to sign up and get next months topic. 

One Word/60 Seconds: Trap

OneWord.com is a website for getting the muse warmed up. Each day you get one word and sixty seconds in which to write what it inspires.This is my entry for today's One Word. What's yours? 

The door slammed shut, he could hear the bolt slide into place. "Damn." There was a reason those mysterious notes say come alone. It was a trap, his gut was right instinct had been right but he came anyway. Now he had two options, wait for his captor to kill him or search for escape.