Could you tell us about yourself?
I was born in Michigan and moved when I was a teenager to Florida and then New York. I’m currently living in Miami, taking a break from writing this year to finish up my medical degree. I’m a Scorpio, love the ocean, yoga, exercise, and of course writing. I started writing creatively when I was in elementary school and would spend my lunch breaks writing short stories with my friends. From there, I’ve delved more into poetry and songwriting, and have just released my very first fiction thriller, Nightmares & Daydreams.
What made you write your first book?
I had been writing songs and poetry for years and one day I realized that I kept revolving around certain themes that I had been typing up in my notes app. I started to organize the poems and unfinished songs and threaded them together, as well as revising and placing them into organized sections that represented the earth’s four elements. My very first book, WATER, was born within a couple months of this process. Although my style in writing has changed and evolved since I released WATER in 2016, the book will always serve as my basis and frame of reference as my second and third books elaborate on the essence of the foundational themes of it.
What is your writing process like?
I always have specific themes that I want to explore when I’m imagining a new book and from there I try to dissect their layers. Writing itself can sometimes seem effortless, but the tedious part of the process is organizing each poetry piece so that one cohesively builds off the other. When I write poetry books, the poems are not randomly placed. For my second book, Intuition, for example, I describe it as a story that’s simply told through individual poems. Sure, the poems can stand alone if needed, but together they build a story from start to finish, including a plot, conflicts and conclusion. The process is simply free floating thoughts that become meticulously stitched together in an order. As for Nightmares & Daydreams, the idea for the story came to me one morning and I outlined each chapter. With every draft I wrote, I filled in more details until it was fully fleshed out. It was a two year effort, and I wrote almost every day.
What themes do you generally write about?
Change, spirituality, inner conflict, past trauma and moving past it, trying to maintain a sense of equanimity, self realization. My second book Intuition was heavily based on the cycles of change. I first experienced a major life change when I moved from my childhood home when I was a teenager. It was difficult for me to adapt to change, but now I understand the benefits, and I now thrive from it. Intuition deals with the cyclical aspects of change and understanding the ways we can evolve, yet still maintain the core essence of who we are as we grow. In Nightmares & Daydreams, there’s a section of poetry at the end where I confront a lot of past trauma, and situations from my childhood that explains the way my personality is today. I used that project to purge many negative traits and feelings that I had been holding on to for years. It was a much needed therapeutic exercise that I’m happy to have finally endured, and have now moved on from.
What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of publishing your books?
My favorite part is seeing the first physical copy and seeing all my thoughts in tangible form. It’s the most rewarding moment. My least favorite part is the editing process since it’s very tedious and time consuming. The most bittersweet moment is publishing the book, because it’s finished and out in the world, and I can no longer keep it to myself. Once I publish a book, very rarely do I go back and read it. I’m always looking forward, so it’s a bit of a farewell.
Do you try to be more original or give the readers what they want?
It’s not specifically a conscious choice, but my books are original because they’re mostly about my own personal experiences. With Nightmares & Daydreams though, I did write it with the intention of representing the LGBT Middle Eastern community, though in terms of plot, it was original, and I didn’t know how it would be received as it does contain dark subject matter. But luckily I’ve seen positive feedback on it, so I’m happy to see it’s resonating with many readers.
What are common traps for aspiring writers and have you faced any of them?
The most common trap I hear is writer’s block. Honestly, I’ve never experienced writer’s block because I normally don’t force myself to write. Usually an idea will come into my head and sometimes I’ll write an entire piece of poetry within minutes, or I’ll have just a few lines that I may or may not go back to. I could write for days, or not write for months. My advice is to never force yourself to write. If you find that you can’t write anything at the moment, then read, or do anything else that could potentially inspire you. Most of all, have patience, and make sure what you write is up to the highest standard before you publish it. Even if you have to rewrite a chapter five times, or a poem ten.
Are you working on anything at the present moment?
I am in the midst of writing another book of poetry, but the process is going to be longer. I have some growing to do, and I want to make sure everything I convey in the book is perfect as it’s very different from my past work. It’s probably going to be the longest time I spend writing a book, but I’m always up for a challenge.
Dominic Anton Media Links
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