My hearts, this is part two of two of my interview with Nikki Elizabeth. She interviewed me for her blog and we had such a great time, I asked her if I could return the favor.

JEN: This is the most fun. Okay, when I posted about how great a job you did interviewing me, I asked people what they’d ask if they could interview you. These next few questions are actually from our Bookstagram friends and fans of your books.

Author and Bookstagrammer Charlotte Valentine asks, “What inspired you to write dystopian fiction?”

NIKKI: Oh, gosh. I think it’s obvious that I love reading dystopian fiction, especially the classics. But I love new content, as well. I just read this book called In the Fullness of Tion by J.C. Gemmell, and it was beautiful. I love the richness of these far-off worlds, and I love the social commentary they provide if you peek at them through the context of the era in which they were written.

For my Industrialized series, the concept was born in 2011. The Egyptian Revolution was unfolding, and as a little archaeology student and raqs sharqi dancer, I was horrified. What was it, I wondered, that could hurt and inspire people to attack and dismantle their own cultural history? What would that look like if it happened closer to home? I began scribbling down my thoughts. I built a few characters and started plotting an outline. I started writing Industrialized around 2012, balancing a day job, client work, and my education. I just didn't have the time to fully dive in, so I eventually put it on the backburner. 

Then, in 2019, I started writing in the corporate world. I worked for the loveliest company, and my income was comfortable, so I started stepping back from client work. Having more time, I finally sat down to finish Industrialized. It grew and changed, reflecting our current political state in many aspects while remaining true to the storyline I'd plotted years ago. Then, I finished it. Yay! But something happened. COVID-19. 

JEN: Wait, you finished the book before the pandemic!? Gosh, that makes you look even more like a genius, Nikki!

NIKKI: I suddenly had to go back to the drawing board and heavily edit the story, as the Separating Disease and storming of the capital suddenly felt a little too close to our current world. I wanted the story to be a subtle social commentary, and that felt a bit too blatant for me. I swear, during the height of the pandemic years, one thing after another kept happening that felt a little bit too close to Industrialized. I kept editing with every horrific real-life incident that unfolded. I waited and waited, then finally felt comfortable saying it was finished in 2022. I spent about a year querying the story before I ultimately decided to self-publish Part One: Experiment more than a decade after I started it.

JEN: I have so many questions. But I promised I’d ask these Bookstagram questions! Okay. Author Tamaya Cruz asks, “What has writing shown you about yourself?”

NIKKI: If anything, I think writing has shown me that I’m built to be a social scientist. I love buyer personas, and I love building characters and worlds around them. I believe I take a very anthropological approach to how I write, striving to fully disconnect my personal views and beliefs from the characters I’m studying. So, as much as I love writing, I think it also has me inspired to continue chasing my archaeological dreams one day. I loved the digs I went on as a student, and I can’t wait for the day I get to study characters from a distant time again. The only difference between dissecting the life of a real person and a character is that you have actual evidence before you to interpret. As a writer, that evidence is hidden in the world you’ve built. It’s just a matter of searching for it.

JEN: I love that so much. Passion leading to passion. Next up: my Insta-friend and fellow author Julian Kennedy asks, “What was the first story you ever wrote?”

NIKKI: Oh my gosh, this is so embarrassing. It was a supernatural urban fantasy about werewolves. Wolfsbane. I finished it the summer before high school. It was rough, but it was also beautiful. It wasn’t this cheesy young adult supernatural romance – I mean, it was, but that wasn't the point of the story. It was about the FMC’s struggle with coming into herself and her total rejection of the life happenstance has ushered her into. She had to accept that some things are out of her control, and being unhappy about those uncontrollable events would lead to a lifetime of displeasure. So she chooses to love herself and find beauty in the mundane instead. 

I have to add that I actually do pick up that story from time to time as a reader, because it has its charms. If I had to classify it in a genre, I’d say food porn. You know when you're scrolling through social media and you pause on a delicious-looking entree? The whole book is filled with over-the-top food descriptions, it’s just like scrolling through social media. Let me show you a little blurb from literally the first page: 

He sat down at the table, eyed her sandwich distastefully, and settled the pizza box down before him. "This is from Giovanni’s. Yeah, that Giovanni’s. Neapolitan pizza made with tomatoes grown in soil infused with ancient ash from Mount Vesuvius. Imported buffalo mozzarella, crisp Virginia-grown onions, and pepperoni from that one deli you like whose name escapes me. Ah, and look. There’s ham and pineapple on one half, which I happen to despise but you enjoy immensely."

JEN: Obviously you must edit and publish this book! I’d read every word. Werewolves and food porn? Bring it. This is actually a perfect segue to our next question from your fans. “How do you manage to be so incredibly wholesome and caring while your stories seem quite the opposite?” Any Pascual Suárez says she loves the contrast! 

NIKKI: (Laughs) This one makes me laugh! I do have some dark content. I think I am drawn to writing darker scenes and stories because, in a very Mr. Rogers sort of way, it also highlights the wonder that comes with good deeds and kindness in a world that may feel like it’s falling apart. I think those dark stories highlight the splendor of the human experience, you know? Life is horribly cruel at times, but we can choose to be good people even when the worst things are thrown at us. And we can choose to prioritize ourselves and our own mental wellbeing in those situations, though it takes a lot of strength to do so. I like giving readers an opportunity to reflect on how they might react in those situations, how to identify who the true pillars of support in your circle are, and how to find strength in people and situations you genuinely might not be able to relate to.

Writing dark stories is a great exercise in being wholesome, in a way. You’re walking a line between wickedness and goodness as you explore these worlds, and you have to choose how much of each you're going to show. It’s a balance between being very intentional and allowing a situation to unfold in a natural way. It's a trial in patience. And it’s a reminder to be kind, because you never know what is happening in any individual's private world. 

JEN: Beautiful answer. Wow. I’m so glad we’re having this conversation! Okay. Next is from a reader. Chelsey asks, “How do you come up with all your ideas? Where do you draw inspiration?”

NIKKI: Oh, goodness. Where do I draw inspiration? Well, I already went into Industrialized, so I guess I can talk about my next book. Or next few books. I don’t know, we’ll see where my brain takes me. 

I find inspiration in the world all around me. I never know what's going to spark an idea, but I always write them down. I have a document of ridiculous concepts I might run with one day… the ones that seem most resonant age like fine wine, in my mind. Others grow cringier as time progresses. 

My next book coming out is Peace on Earth & Mercy Mild, and that one was written as a nod to my day job, I suppose. As a content marketer, I often have to follow a certain hierarchy in my writings, but there's always a way to make each story fresh. So Mercy follows a familiar script – it's like a Hallmark Christmas movie. A successful lady from the big city returns to her quaint hometown for the holidays and finds drama and romance. But she's a vampire, so it gets pretty weird. In a way, I think it's a love letter to my fellow writers. Every story has been done, to a degree, but it's never been done your way. If you have a story to tell, it's always worth telling, even if you may feel like the concept is a dime a dozen. Just narrow in on your value prop that makes it worthwhile to readers and you'll find your own spin on things.

After Mercy, I'll share Part Two: Execution in the Industrialized saga. I'm excited to finally lay that story to rest so I can shift focus to my other works-in-progress. I have two others, whose titles I won't reveal yet, that rest in two distinctly different genres. Each is over 100 pages long now. One is a historical fiction that explores body snatching and the evolution of modern medicine, so I think it really hearkens back to my interest in mortuary archaeology. 

JEN: This has been the most fun conversation. Thank you so much for your thoughtful interview for your blog and for letting me turn the tables on you.

NIKKI: And thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your story with me and letting me share my story with you and your readers. I think storytelling makes the world a better place—it’s literally how human culture and tradition have survived and evolved. Providing a platform for that to unfold in real-time is the ultimate superpower, and I’m so delighted to see you carrying the torch that our ancestors left to us. 

JEN (after I cleared my choked-up throat): Nikki, stop. You’re the absolute best. I’m so grateful to you and for you, too. Thank you again.

My hearts, please check out Nikki on her website. And I hope you’ll read Industrialized, Part One: Experiment.

Are you a human author? A human who narrates audiobooks? A human who designs book covers? Or a human who does PR and promotion for other authors? I'd love to interview you, too. Let me know when you’re ready!