Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Savage.
Hi Nick, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I always wanted to be a writer. The thought of it always struck me in a way that lingered. While I went through a phase where the acting bug hit me, I could not act that well. Writing, though, was always something I was good at. In high school and college, I loved English classes, especially those centered on creative writing.
But life got in the way, and my early works were not up to par, nor were they ever published. In 2016, I shifted focus from trying my hand at screenplays to novels. It was the first time I felt at home with my works.
Now I spend my free time writing novels in whatever genre the story calls for. I don’t like to force myself into any one genre. Though I’ve been told my works, regardless of genre, feel more like lit fic than genre writing. I take that as a compliment.
Since 2017, I have published nine novels and one graphic novel in collaboration with two other people.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not always. When I was in college, I was determined to break into Hollywood as a screenwriter. The only problem was, I couldn’t wrap my head around the format of screenplays. I was waaaay too descriptive when brevity is king. A spec screenplay should be 90-110 pages. Mine were closer to 250. Just not cool. People would tell me I should try novels, but I was stubborn. It wasn’t until I moved to Orlando that, after years of trying to get a story into development, I decided to put that story into novel form. That’s where The West Haven Undead comes from. The irony is that I moved down here to do scenic design and found it wasn’t my jam. Then my wife and I were out, and inspiration for a writing exercise hit me, and I wrote my first novel, The Fairlane Incidents.
Of course, getting a novel published is never easy. I was rejected a dozen times and never heard back from twice as many before I ran into my publisher at a convention. That was my first break in the publishing industry.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I guess saying I’m a writer or novelist leaves a broad interpretation of what that might be. As I said, while it has the feel of lit fic, The West Haven Undead falls into the Sci-Fi genre, specifically Urban and Hard sci-fi, since it takes place outside Chicago and the story delves into the science behind the fiction.
While I don’t fancy myself a romance writer, since romance books are generally thought of as having happy endings, I will say that life loves a good tragedy, and I don’t mind providing them. My The Fairlane series and my upcoming World Whore, D, which is a standalone novel, both take a look at love in a harsh light of day. Wining and dining and sweeping someone off their feet have been done. I like to explore a messier brand of love. Sometimes the endings are … uncertain for now at best; other times not so much. No matter the ending, there is always an underlying message of hope and acceptance.
While I am not sure that specifically or directly answers your question, I think in a roundabout way, it does.
What matters most to you? Why?
This is going to sound cheesy, but I think what matters most isn’t what someone does for a living, but how they treat themselves and others. There’s a lot going on in the world today. The divide between everyone is only getting wider and it breeds hate. Life is too short for hate. People need to learn to love one another, not for who we think they should be, but for who they are in the individual’s mind.
I always say, “It costs nothing to be kind,” and more people should remember that.
That said, showing compassion and being others’ punching bag do not always go hand-in-hand.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.TheAuthorNickSavage.com
- Instagram: @TheAuthorNickSavage
- Facebook: @TheAuthorNickSavage
