Scott Nicholson (Writer)
Name? Scott Nicholson
Place Born? Mooresville NC
Place Grew Up? All over North Carolina
Favorite Color? Cobalt blue
Eye Color? hazel
Favorite Place to Visit? Pamlico Sound
Favorite TV Show? MASH
Favorite Movie? The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Favorite Book? Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Favorite Music? Beatles
Who are your idols? and for what reasons? Stephen King for sheer literary talent, Johnny Depp for being cool, Robert Smith of The Cure for doing it his way
Who influenced you the most growing up? Why? Grandma Nicholson because of her folk tales
Who influenced your Writing Career the most, and why? Dr. Seuss because he was wildly creative and imaginative, Ernest Hemingway because of his tight sentences, and Kurt Vonnegut for his crazy ideas
Why did you become a Writer? How long have you been writing? what age did you realize you were a career writer? I always wanted to be a writer, starting from when I was doodling with crayons. I always wrote comics and poems, and later songs and short stories, before I started novels. When I was in my mid-30’s, I got serious about writing as a career.
What was your first completed book or novel? What influenced you to develop the story, how long did it take to complete? I’m still revising my first novel, 14 years later, but I sold The Red Church after five years of writing. It was my fourth novel. I was just toying around with local legends and a haunted church near my house, and the story just fell into place.
What stories do you prefer to write about? When you are writing, is there anything that factors into your method of working? How do you develop your stories? I write mostly thrillers, though I have done some funny stuff in my screenplays and comics. I use a lot of supernatural elements, sometimes crime and mystery, and I;ve also written science fiction and fantasy. I get ideas all the time, but I try to stick with the ones I know I can use for an entire book.
How many novels or books have you written? How many have been signed on? By what publishers? what was your last or most recent novel and how long have you been working on this project? Did anything influence you to write it? I’ve written nine novels and three story collections. My novel Drummer Boy is my most recent, and I wrote it about three years ago. Novels usually take me six to 12 months to finish.
What makes Scott Nicholson TICK? What motivates you in life? How long do you plan to write your novels? I love my garden but I also love creativity and connecting with readers. When someone writes about a story, that’s the best feeling in the world.
What goes on in your everyday life when not writing? How do you relax? How do you unwind after long periods of writing? Gardening, swimming, cutting firewood. We live out in the country so we always have work to do!
Is there anyone special in your life? Have any kids? Do you have any pets? My daughter is creative and we sometimes work on projects together. I have two chickens, a cat, and a dog. Sometimes we have goats.
Whats your take on having a possible novel of yours turned into a movie or TV show? and lastly as a journalistic curve ball whats your take on Hybrid cars? My novel The Home is under option for film development and I’ve written six screenplays. So something will probably get made someday. I don’t care what it is as long as people enjoy it.
-Scott Nicholson, May 2010
