SIX MINUTES WITH NICOLE WALTERS:

Today, Nicole Walters is the star of Six Minutes with an Author! She is the author of Charis: Journey to Pandora’s Jar, a middle-grade spin on the fascinating Greek myths. Nicole lives in Seattle with her husband and childhood sweetheart Marc. She finds the rainy days perfect for writing and inviting just the right amount of melancholy to sweetly pine for her grown children.

How did you get started writing?

When I was in school, the classes I gravitated toward and excelled in were already so writing heavy that it never occurred to me to write a story simply for pleasure. Unless it was assigned, I didn’t write any fiction for fun. However, when I became a parent, the genuine enjoyment I took in reading to my sons sparked the curiosity to wonder if I could be a writer. Years later, the answer is yes. Yes, I can. Yes, I am.

Who influenced you?

My middle grade and high school teachers are easily my biggest writing influences. Their encouragement and corrections instilled a belief in my ability to write, which I still call upon. Also, the exceptional teachers who introduced literature as if it was a rare magic that I was part of. Honestly, if a book can change your way of thinking or take your imagination to a place you could never have conceived, then I guess it is really magic. Thank you Ms. Nelson, Mr. Carrol, Ms. Woodrow, and Mr. Mangone. Your enthusiasm and inspiration are alive and well within me.

Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?

I love too many books about too many things with too many awesome characters in too many diverse settings to name a favorite. That said, I love books that have some definite spiritual, god elements but that solidly tell the human story; the story of our greatness, potential, perseverance, and overcoming. I really enjoyed The Alchemist, the Harry Potter series, Life of Pi, and Beloved. I love when the spiritual and practical collide and integrate. That intersection is the place where my own book lives.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?

Just write. It sounds simple enough, but it’s actually very hard and requires a lot of discipline. If your life is at all like mine, time is a precious commodity that can be spent in a million different ways. Writing isn’t something you find the time to do; it’s something you make the time to do. Some days it’s a priority; some days it isn’t. But if you want to be a writer, if you want to produce something that reflects your ideas, your hopes, your talents, then write. Write in the morning, before bed, or whenever you can. If you write a little at a time, you will eventually meet your goal. You can do it. You can. One keystroke at a time.

Where is your favorite place to write?

Sitting crossed-legged in my bed with my laptop, my PJs on and my yummy, comfy blankets in a glorious mess all around me. I love my bed. It’s my happy place.

What else would you like to tell us?

Thank you. Thank you for what you do to encourage a love for reading among preteens and teens. You’re intentionally exposing young minds to ideas and worlds outside of their own. It’s priceless and worthy. Be encouraged. It matters.

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Thanks for joining us, Nicole! Your honesty about your journey to becoming an author is inspiring. Make sure to check out her book Charis: Journey to Pandora’s Jar on LitPick.