Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with D. Scott Dickinson
Book Title: The First Nowell: A Cornish Christmas Carol
Released: 08/17/20
Genre: Holiday/Historical Fiction
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “The First Nowell”?
Dickinson: I was between sci-fi novels, and an unfinished narrative on an old thumb drive provoked new questions in my mind: How did survivors of earlier pandemics cope with grief? Do their experiences hold lessons for us in dealing with our own personal losses in the COVID pandemic? At the time, my youngest daughter was a nurse manager in a hospital swamped with COVID patients and expressed great empathy for the suffering of surviving family members.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Dickinson: I researched common Cornish names of the 17th century. (There are multiple sources on the internet for doing that.) And where I could, I assigned names that are symbolic of the principal characters: Morveren means “sea maiden” in Cornish; Awen is the Cornish word for “poetic inspiration”; Perran is the patron saint of Cornwall; Cadan is of gaelic origin and translates to: companion in battle. The meanings behind the names all play out in the narrative. Symbolism adds another dimension for the reader and, besides, it is fun as a writer to discover historical references that give deeper meaning to your story!
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Dickinson: As an activity, writing is my first love (literally). I began my professional career as a reporter and editor, but the farther my career progressed, the farther away I got from writing. Now retired, I am back to my first love (as an indie author) and enjoying it immensely. As for writing process, I favor short, punchy sentences and phrases. And I am long on visuals--descriptions of people, places and events that will stand out in stark clarity in the mind’s eye of the reader.
Like all my books, “The First Nowell” conveys a message. It is a story of hope and redemption from the bitterness of grief and personal loss.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Dickinson: Start a different book. Usually, I have two or more narratives going at the same time. “The First Nowell” is the most recent example. I had over-promised my readers in the second book of a trilogy about climate change, and I was struggling to come up with a sequence of events for a sea-crossing in the final book. (BTW, the open ocean is a pretty monotonous backdrop for an extended piece of narrative.) So, I found a piece of writing on an old thumb drive, and that got me started on “The First Nowell”. After finishing it, I went back with a clear mind and cranked out the closing volume of my “Regenesis” trilogy.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Dickinson: If you need/hope to make money from your writing, educate yourself about marketing before you get too far down the road. For me, the joy is in the writing. I have found that I have absolutely no talent or interest in marketing a book. That is a side of writing better left to those who understand it (I do not). But my message to aspiring authors is this: Do not expect your book to sell itself! Indie publishing is a blessing in opening opportunities for aspiring writers to get their works published, but it is a curse in flooding the market with so many books readers have difficulty picking and choosing. This is the first time I have sought a review of my work, and thankfully there are more established writers willing to review books by indie authors who are not!
If "The First Nowell” were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Dickinson: No idea. I will say this though: It is no accident Morveren is described as “cherubic”. Having raised three daughters, I am peeved by today’s notion that the ideal body type for a woman is somewhere between a holocaust survivor and a string bean. (The description of Morveren in chapter 2 and later is my small cry of resistance.) So, that actor should look like the real women in our lives.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Dickinson: My favorite genre is sci-fi, but my favorite book is “The Immense Journey” by Loren Eiseley. It is an elegantly written treatise spanning the history of life itself.
What are you working on next?
Dickinson: Next for me will be a book about the women who have brought laughter into my life. The beginning already is written in my mind, and it is visual: The formation and geology of Boston’s north shore . . . and the narrative will develop from there. But that is a project for another day as life will surely intervene and keep me pre-occupied through the holidays!
Learn More About the Author and The First Nowell here:
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