Written Author Interview
- Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do outside of writing. What is a day in the life like for you?
Ironically, I have a job as a professional news writer for a TV station in NY. So, I write every single day. Outside of that I enjoy traveling, adventures and watching murder mysteries.
2. What inspired your first novel? What was the thing that got you into writing in the first place?
I was inspired to write my first novel due to an illness. I became ill with an autoimmune disease at 20. I was uncertain how long I would live and how long I would have a good quality of life. So, after a breakup at 25 made me reconsider the choices I was making, I started my first book.
3. How do you come up with characters? Are they spontaneous or meticulously planned?
The characters in my book are always inspired by real people that I know. The storylines are generally based on my experiences or those of people I’ve encounter or written about at work.
4. What are some of your favorite genres to read? Are there any books you’d recommend to first time readers or people looking for something new?
My favorite genres to read are memoir and true crime. A few of my favorites are “When Breath Becomes Air,” “The Other Wes Moore,” “Losing My Cool,” “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace.”
5. What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer?
The most difficult thing about being a writer is finding the time to do it while battling and illness, a marriage, and a full-time job. It is also dealing with endless rejections.
6. What is your process to completing a novel from outline to final product?
Generally, if a story idea pops into my head I immediately try to draft a complete summary of the book. I use that to break the book into chapters. I place part of the summary at the top of each chapter and begin to write. Often I am forced to go back to revise the summary and outline to fit the direction of the story once the words begin to flow.
7. What’s the most unhinged thing you’ve written in your novel? Don’t worry, we don’t judge here.
In my memoir, I think most people were surprised at how brutally honest I was about my relationships, including having a tryst with a married man.
8. What’s one thing about being a writer that absolutely drives you up the wall?
I think the thing that bothers me the most about being a writer is that you must also be a salesperson to have any real success in the business. You are selling yourself as well as your work.
9. What does being a successful writer look like for you? What type of life do you want to live as a writer?
I already consider myself a successful writer because I sold more copies of my books than people I know. Of course, I would love my work to reach more people, especially in other countries. It would be a dream to be able to write books full-time but I am grateful that I get to write every day.
10. Describe your writing journey. If you had to write a story centered around it, do you think you could pull it off?
I began my writing journey under duress, believing that I had to churn out a book as soon as possible. I’ve learned that it is better to slow down, research your books, ask for help, have other people read it, have an editor look it over, revise it multiple times and never stop submitting if you want a traditional publisher. I know it is also okay to self-publish.
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About
Nika C. Beamon attended Boston College and is a writer/producer for WABC-TV Eyewitness News in New York City, the number one local TV station in the country. She’s been a journalist for more than 30 years. She’s won a Peabody award and four New York Emmy awards. She is the author of the non-fiction book, I Didn’t Work This Hard Just to Get Married: Successful, Single Black Women Speak Out (Chicago Review Press, 2009) and the critically acclaimed memoir, Misdiagnosed: The Search for Dr. House with a foreword from Rhonda McCullough, wife of late comedian Bernie Mac.
Misdiagnosed details Beamon’s 17-year journey to find out the name of the illness that sickened her. It could be best described as a companion book to Healed. It was also endorsed by author & Maryland Governor Wes Moore, as well as bestselling authors Mayra Hornbacher and Richard Cohen. And she is the author of two novels, Dark Recesses and Eyewitness.
She’s been a blogger for the Huffington Post and other sites, appeared in dozens of articles, and served as the ambassador for the NYC autoimmune walk sponsored by the Autoimmune Association. She also was the keynote speaker at Amgen’s speakers training meeting discussing the first FDA drug approved for Igg4-RD, the rare autoimmune disease she’s been diagnosed with and refers to in her books. She has appeared on nearly a dozen podcasts.
Social Media
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-c-beamon-621b024/
Website: https://nikabeamon.com
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