Author Interview: Bethany Nuckolls
JC – How has teaching English as a Second Language helped you as a writer?
BN - It's opened my mind to different cultures, customs, and public systems which are especially important in writing science fiction. Rather than create a whole world from scratch, I can borrow from my real-life experiences living in Japan, Scotland, and Germany while teaching ESL.
JC – What are some other hobbies or interests you enjoy outside of your job?
BN - Lately I've been into running (just finished my first 5K), contra dance, hiking, keyboard, ukelele, manga, Spanish, the Bible, baking, and most of all, travel. I plan to visit Peru and climb Macchu Picchu this summer.
JC – When you want to write a story, do you write an outline or just start writing? Do you have a routine or write whenever and wherever you happen to be at the time?
BN - Ideas hit me at all random hours of the day or night, and I jot them down quickly in my notebook. From there I just start writing, using the energy of the idea to give the story life through a scene or two. Once I've captured that first raw essence of the story on paper, I take the time to outline it. The only part I leave purposely unmapped is the ending. I like a surprise as much as anyone. :)
JC – What books, stories, and authors inspire you?
BN - I believe that J.K. Rowling is the best author of this century this far with her ability to transport millions of enthralled readers to her own little world of wizarding (it's a rather big world, actually). It's not just about the prose or the genre; it's about reaching into the readers' hearts and imaginations and filling them with an experience they crave. Some of my favorite science fiction includes The Handmaid's Tale, Fahrenheit 451, and The Giver.
JC – Your story, “The Girl Who Colonized Mars,” is a sad, reflective piece with a surprise ending. Where did you get the idea for it?
BN - I once wrote a short story about a girl on Mars when I was a kid and how lonely it was for her without any other kids to play with. I was pretty shy as a kid so at the time I was probably working through some issues, but the psychology of a kid alone on a faraway planet still fascinates me. It's difficult for a child who is used to their comfort bubble of home and family (atmo-bubble) to leave it for the hostile, outside world. Ray Bradbury's 'Martian Chronicles' also helped inspire this story as he vividly painted a word picture for me of the immense emptiness of the planet.
JC – Do you have any advice for writers wanting to get published?
BN - Find a good writing group that will share and critique stories. Giving and taking criticism refines one's reading tastes and develops an ear for good prose and suspenseful writing. You can also build a network of writers in this way.
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Bethany Nuckolls is an ESL and Creative Writing instructor in Charlotte, NC and earned her Master’s in Creative Writing at Queens University in 2013. She has published several short stories, teaches creative writing online with the Center For Writing Excellence (janiewrites.com), and is currently seeking an agent for her science fiction YA novel. Bethany’s hobbies include dressing up as Doctor Who and singing on stage like a total nerd.
