Little Birdy Book Blog: What inspired you to start writing?
John Nicholl: Writing: White is the coldest colour, was a cathartic process. I've always been creative, and writing the book helped me at a difficult time in my life.
LBBB: How long did it take for you to write your first book?
J.N.: Two years. The editing took a lot longer than anticipated.
LBBB: How do you come up with ideas for your stories?
J.N.: White is the coldest colour is my first novel. It's a dark psychological suspense thriller which draws heavily on my experiences as a police officer, child protection social worker and manager.
LBBB: What is your writing routine like? Do you have a set schedule or are you flexible?
J.N.: I write for three hours a day, five days a week.
LBBB: What inspires you to write?
J.N.: I need to be creative. I find writing a demanding but rewarding process. I'm already writing a second novel, and I'm sure others will follow in the future.
LBBB: Are any of your stories written from personal experience, or any character traits that mirror yours?
J.N.: As I said, my professional experiences played an important part in shaping: White is the coldest colour. It's inevitable that writers mirror their character traits to some extent in one character or another, and I'm no different. For anyone who reads the book, I guess Nicholson is based at least in part on myself. All the characters are, however, entirely fictional.
LBBB: When in a slump, what do you do? If you read or listen to music, what are your go-to books or music?
J.N.: Music is a must! Reading, always! I'm a big Stones fan, but I've got a wide eclectic taste in music. We saw Paloma Faith in Cardiff recently, and she was excellent! When it comes to books, I love original novels that don't fit any particular mould. Slaughter house five is a great example.
LBBB: How do you respond to negative feedback/comments with your work?
J.N.: My novel will be available in late April 2015, and so I've only had to cope with criticism from editors up to now. I can't wait to find out what readers think about the book. At the end of the day it's the opinion of the buying public that matters most.
LBBB: What is your writing space like? Do you work anywhere or do you have a special place just for your writing? Messy or clean?
J.N.: I write at the dining room table. Perhaps some day I'll have a study with a view of the sea. We can all dream!
LBBB: Do you have a favorite author? Series?
J.N.: Paulo Coelho; The Alchemist is wonderful!
LBBB: Any fur-babies?
J.N.: No.
John Nicholl: Writing: White is the coldest colour, was a cathartic process. I've always been creative, and writing the book helped me at a difficult time in my life.
LBBB: How long did it take for you to write your first book?
J.N.: Two years. The editing took a lot longer than anticipated.
LBBB: How do you come up with ideas for your stories?
J.N.: White is the coldest colour is my first novel. It's a dark psychological suspense thriller which draws heavily on my experiences as a police officer, child protection social worker and manager.
LBBB: What is your writing routine like? Do you have a set schedule or are you flexible?
J.N.: I write for three hours a day, five days a week.
LBBB: What inspires you to write?
J.N.: I need to be creative. I find writing a demanding but rewarding process. I'm already writing a second novel, and I'm sure others will follow in the future.
LBBB: Are any of your stories written from personal experience, or any character traits that mirror yours?
J.N.: As I said, my professional experiences played an important part in shaping: White is the coldest colour. It's inevitable that writers mirror their character traits to some extent in one character or another, and I'm no different. For anyone who reads the book, I guess Nicholson is based at least in part on myself. All the characters are, however, entirely fictional.
LBBB: When in a slump, what do you do? If you read or listen to music, what are your go-to books or music?
J.N.: Music is a must! Reading, always! I'm a big Stones fan, but I've got a wide eclectic taste in music. We saw Paloma Faith in Cardiff recently, and she was excellent! When it comes to books, I love original novels that don't fit any particular mould. Slaughter house five is a great example.
LBBB: How do you respond to negative feedback/comments with your work?
J.N.: My novel will be available in late April 2015, and so I've only had to cope with criticism from editors up to now. I can't wait to find out what readers think about the book. At the end of the day it's the opinion of the buying public that matters most.
LBBB: What is your writing space like? Do you work anywhere or do you have a special place just for your writing? Messy or clean?
J.N.: I write at the dining room table. Perhaps some day I'll have a study with a view of the sea. We can all dream!
LBBB: Do you have a favorite author? Series?
J.N.: Paulo Coelho; The Alchemist is wonderful!
LBBB: Any fur-babies?
J.N.: No.
Author Bio:
I'm married with three adult children and one granddaughter. I have worked for the police, the child guidance service, two social services departments and the NSPCC. I've also lectured at various colleges and universities, and have written articles relating to child protection in newspapers and a national social work magazine. I wrote a multi-agency child protection manual during my career, but White is the coldest colour is my first novel.
You can find John on--- Facebook