Interview with Lisa De Nikolits, Author of West of Wawa

Posted by bridgid on | October 20, 2011 | 4 Comments |

Meet Lisa De Nikolits, author of WEST OF WAWA and the art director for Air Miles magazine. In her interview, Lisa shares a glimpse into her life as an art director and writer, her experiences with self-publishing and small publishers, and a little about her books. Check back tomorrow for a chance to win a copy of WEST OF WAWA.

BG: How did you get started as a writer?

LDN: I don’t recall a time when I didn’t write! One of my first memories is my mother teaching me to read because I was such an insomniac as a child. And, odd as this may sound, that even way back then, while I was reading, I was thinking I know I can do this! And that’s why I feel as if there’s never been time when I wasn’t aware of writing, and I’ve always been aware of my role as a writer, even in the most potential sense.

BG: Tell us a little about your book, WEST OF WAWA.

LDN: WEST OF WAWA is a journey – a gritty backpacking bus journey from the east to the west coast of Canada and it’s also a philosophical and emotional journey. When Benny (main protagonist) starts out in St John’s, Newfoundland, she’s carrying a lot of baggage – hurt and angst about a failed marriage, humiliation about an art show that went horribly wrong – and all of this in Sydney, Australia.

Her trip across Canada gives her time to think about things, and most importantly, she gains fresh perspective and insights from the people she meets along the way and from the things that happen to her (and not all of them are good).

One reviewer made the comment that “West of Wawa is full of humor and tragi-comedic elements, in a style that is smooth and fast paced”, and I think that’s a very accurate summation.

BG: What inspired the story behind WEST OF WAWA?

LDN: I did the journey across Canada, on a series of Greyhound buses, so that was the first seed of the book. However, apart from enjoying the scenery, I didn’t share any of Benny’s adventures! I kept a travel journal which, some years later, proved a wonderful backbone for a story about a young woman who comes to Canada and learns so much.

 I realize, as I get older, that so many of the things that tear us apart when we are younger, are all just a part of the rich fabric of life and that’s what I wanted to try to impart really – that life is a journey on many levels and that even the things that hurt us are all part of what makes life an incredible experience, an experience to be cherished, even when things feel tough.

BG: Please tell us a little about the path to publication for WEST OF WAWA.

LDN: I don’t have an agent but I do have a wonderful publisher and so I’m really very happy with where my work is, and what it’s doing.
I met my publisher via a rejection letter! But it was a very nice rejection letter, and immensely helpful, because it came with a snippet of advice “try Inanna…,” and I did, and West of Wawa is our second book together.

BG: What kind of marketing and promotion have you done for your book?

LDN: I keep my personal website up to date with reviews and comments and I have a YouTube reading (with the help of my very supportive and enthusiastic husband – and in fact we need to do one for West of Wawa, we only have one for The Hungry Mirror). I have been the guest on a number of great blogs (like this one!) and people have been very generous to give me feedback and reviews. I’ve met with bookclubs and done readings and had discussions, I did a reading for the Toronto Public Library and we had a great discussion there. I attend festivals such as Word on The Street and things like that. I also created a trailer for West of Wawa, just a little thing to generate some interest. I’m lucky in that my graphic design and photography skills come in handy for things like that.

I also have a lot of readings in the works for West of Wawa, which I am really looking forward to.

BG: What marketing and promotion support do you receive from your publisher?

LDN: My publisher is absolutely incredible. She secured reviews and submitted us for awards; The Hungry Mirror won a Gold IPPY Award from the Independent Publishers, 2011 and has been longlisted for a ReLit Award. I have the greatest respect and admiration for my publisher.

BG: You have a self-published title and two traditionally published titles. How did the publication process for these compare? Would you recommend one over the other?

LDN: Please don’t think me negative but I would never self publish again! I did it years ago, so granted it wasn’t what it is today but for example, on my latest book West of Wawa, I thought I had it nailed, I thought it was so sharp, so polished, and then when my editor gave me feedback, she helped me sculpt it in ways I could never have done myself. And I’ve worked with freelance editors for feedback and it’s just not the same – my editor has her name with me on the work, and she wants it to really shine – I did get feedback from freelancers but it felt polite – like they didn’t want to offend me or get too deep. So they’d give me input but superficial stuff really. I know I can rely on my editor to give me tough challenges, to really make me work the words harder and I love that.

Single Girls Go Mad Sooner (the self-published work) is thankfully out of print and the disreputable publishing house went under, so I’m glad to say I have the only copies left in the world!

I gave a talk at a writer’s conference recently and I held Single Girls up as an example of humble beginnings and someone asked me if there was anything from it that could be saved. The answer is no. At best it was a good exercise!

BG: If you could go back in time, and give your pre-published self one piece of advice, what would it be?

LDN: Hmm, very good question. My advice would be this. Write less, study more. I wrote and wrote and wrote for years; I have about three manuscripts (and lengthy ones too) that are pretty much worthless. Because I just wrote. I thought that more writing would lead to better writing but all it led to was reams of the same kind of work. It’s much like my guitar teacher advises me; that it’s better to do ten minutes of good practice than keep playing the same song badly for hours every night. It’s like I played the same song badly for years! But once I identified that mistake, I devour learning daily and it’s all improved since then.

BG: Is there anything I didn’t ask, that you would like to add?

LDN: Just one thing, I’d love to share what I’m working on next – my third novel, working title The Corner of the Desert. I am very close to finishing this manuscript and am very excited about it.
Here’s a little blurb about The Corner of the Desert:

With spectacular Africa as a backdrop, this novel explores the consequences of lust and greed as they come head-to-head with civility and honorable human morality. An gripping read as well as a microcosmic study of human nature in an isolated and wild environment, readers will be riveted by the astonishing facts that are woven into the narrative; African witchdoctors, muti, the plight of the Bushmen, the origins of Nazi theory and how Robert Mugabe used yoga to stay in power are just some of areas covered.

As I say, I’m very excited about this novel – its very different from all of my previous work and I love being able to write about such amazingly different aspects of our rich and wonderful world.

Oh and there’s just one more thing I’d like to add! It’s not an easy thing, being a writer. But it’s one of the most worthwhile things to do in this world and so, to all writers out there, let’s never give up! Let’s support each other, learn our craft daily and cherish the fact that we have the luxury to do this crazy thing.

BG: Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us, Lisa! Best of luck with the launch of your book.

Originally from South Africa, Lisa has been a Canadian citizen since 2003. She also lived and worked in the U.S.A., Sydney, Australia, and London, England. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Philosophy from the University of the Witwatersrand and has contributed to various international anthologies. Her novel, THE HUNGRY MIRROR (published in 2010 by Inanna) received positive reviews and acclaim and won the 2011 IPPY Awards Gold Medal for Women’s Issues Fiction, and has also been longlisted for the ReLit Awards, 2011.

Lisa has been an art director on Vogue Australia, Vogue Living, marie claire South Africa and Cosmopolitan Australia. She is currently art director of the Air Milesmagazine at Rogers Media.Lisa’s second novel, WEST OF WAWA, has just been released and she is now working on her third novel, THE CORNER OF THE DESERT which is set in the Kalahari desert in Namibia. To learn more, visit www.lisadenikolitswriter.com.

Remember to stop by tomorrow for a chance to win Lisa’s book, West of Wawa.

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