Author Bio:
I am a writer, mother, and wife living in Houston, Texas. I’m best known as the seeing-eye-person for my little blind dog named Cricket. I self-publish under my business, Twenty-Eight Creative, and I launched my first children’s picture book, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” in November 2015. After taking a few years off to raise four children, I started freelance writing again in 2012 when I was hired by the Institute for Spirituality and Health to research the history of this Houston non-profit organization. “Uniting Faith, Medicine and Healthcare: A 60-Year History of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center” was published in 2015. The book is used as a marketing and communications tool, and all financial proceeds benefit the Institute (not me). Now I’m spending my days marketing and publicizing my children’s book about art cars! I graduated from Baylor University with a BA in Journalism in 1985; I earned a Master of Arts from Louisiana State University-Shreveport in 2013.
What inspires you to write?
I’m inspired by experiences that have happened in my life. For instance, I love art cars, and I enjoy snapping photos of them around Houston. One day while carpooling my son to school, I thought of the idea for “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car.” I couldn’t waste a minute, and I rushed home to write that story. Over the next few months I explored my options and chose to self-publish. That took me on a two-year journey that, when I hold my beautiful book in hand, I don’t regret. Another life experience occurred when I broke my femur (thigh bone) at the age of nine! Ouch! A few years ago, I wrote a middle-grade chapter book called, “At Last, A Cast!” that I hope to self-publish next. Sometimes kids say the funniest things, and that can inspire my writing as well, in the picture book genre. Often it’s just one little phrase, and off I go with a big idea. I love writing and that’s how I express myself!
Tell us about your writing process.
For the most part, I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer. That being said, I often have a very brief outline to follow. This might be just a few phrases jotted down in my journal that I keep with me at all times. I like to think about a character before I start to write. ie, what’s his or her favorite color, what do they want to be when they grow up, (or if an older character, what was he/she before retirement?), who is their best friend, what’s their favorite food, do they get along with their parents, etc. … things like that. I think it’s critical to know those things before you begin to write. When I write, the story is created in Microsoft Word on my Mac Air laptop. I take it with me and find a quiet place to write. Sometimes that means sitting in a big fluffy chair of my home, but I’ve even been known to sit in my car and write, simply because I have a moment to myself. I think writing is very personal, and I don’t think you can “teach” someone how to find time to write. If you want to write, you just do it. There’s really no stopping a writer — it’s a part of how they live and breathe.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I talk to myself in my car (or in the shower) all the time! I frequently pull into a parking lot so that I can stop and text myself a phrase or character trait that I might want to add to my story. I try to keep my journal with me, so I often write the idea there. Ideas just pop in my head, and if I don’t write them down immediately, I’m apt to forget. I get extremely attached to my characters, and I “feel” for them as I write. I have a soft spot in my heart for them, and I often want the best for them. My characters tend to end up with happiness in their lives. Perhaps that will change if I switch to a different genre, but for now, I’m writing children’s books and I like wholesome characters.
Who are your favorite authors?
I recently read Stephen King’s book, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,” and it was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I’m also reading Liz Gilbert’s “Big Magic” right now, and I love it. Memoirs are some of my favorites, such as: Jeannette Walls’ “The Glass Castle,” and Carole Radziwill’s “What Remains.” I’m a sucker for a great page-turner novel such as those by Gillian Flynn, Maria Semple, Paula Hawkins, Kathryn Stockett, etc. I’m also a huge Young Adult fan! I have read every book that John Green has written (“Looking For Alaska” is a favorite); I recently discovered Robyn Schneider (“The Beginning of Everything” and “Extraordinary Means”); and Rainbow Rowell (“Carry On”) was a fun read as well. Finally, you cannot replace the beautiful classics by Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Louisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery, and all those amazing writers, and I re-read those books over and over. The books I do not read are self-help and poetry — I just cannot get into those genres and probably never will.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I have a long, varied career background in publications work. I started off as a journalist/reporter, but then moved into Public Relations work. In that field, I worked with printing companies for many years to produce newsletters, brochures, etc. That gave me the confidence to self-publish my own book(s). I have also self-published a book for a non-profit organization that hired me to write their history; I also helped an acquaintance self-publish her book of poetry, and those books are for sale on Amazon, which makes me proud. My own book, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” has sold 490 copies in the first two months, so I don’t regret my decision to self-publish. I think I made the right choice.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I’m concerned about the trend that big publishers have made towards publishing for celebrities — whether the story/writing is good or not! There is something inauthentic about saying you have to already have an author’s platform to be a “good risk.” That makes me sad and concerned for the future of publishing. I understand that publishers need to make a profit, but I wish the process of finding an agent/publisher was not so daunting. For that reason, and for a few other reasons, I self-published. A positive trend I see? Well, I like the fact that self-publishing has become more acceptable!
What genres do you write?
children’s picture book, middle grade
What formats are your books in?
Print
Website(s)
Cathey Graham Nickell Home Page Link
Link To Cathey Graham Nickell Page On Amazon
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