In November of 2023, Thirty West Publishing House embarked on its most ambitious #AntiWriMo project to date: The Ternion. This three-novel series is written by 9 authors, all written in one month. The Ternion is an experiment in creativity, community, adaptability, and stress; and it was successful.
Today, we are proud to take a moment to highlight one of the many people behind the pen involved in this incredible collaboration.
Nicole Tallman is the author of three previous collections: Something Kindred, Poems for the People, and FERSACE. She serves as the official Poetry Ambassador for Miami-Dade County (Florida), Editor of Redacted Books, and Poetry and Interviews Editor for The Blue Mountain Review and South Florida Poetry Journal. JULIE, OR SYLVIA is her collaborative fiction debut
1. What was your favorite personal contribution to the #ANTIWRIMO project?
The fact that I was able to work Sylvia Plath, Marcel Proust, Hannibal Lecter, and Jean-Baptiste Grenouille on a horror novel, and my collaborators just rolled with it.
2. When do your best ideas come to you?
Often when I first wake up, in the shower, walking, or when reading or hearing something inspirational.
3. What media other than books inspire you?
I love movies and TV. I reference some favorites in Julie, or Sylvia
4. Do you have a dedicated writing space, or are you a roamer?
I write whenever and wherever I find the time. I prefer my bed (very Proustian, I know), hotel rooms, and wooded areas.
5. In your opinion, what is the best piece you’ve ever written?
6. What is your third favorite dinosaur?
Damn, that’s specific. Maybe the Stegosaurus because it’s cool aesthetically (especially the armor), but was thought to have a tiny brain.
7. What does your drafting process look like?
Would you like to see the 978 notes in my iPhone notes app, my writing on random slips of paper, or the fancy journals I rarely use?
8. What did you want to be when you were a kid?
An actress on “The Young and the Restless.”
9. How do you deal with critics and trolls?
I mostly ignore them. The less oxygen, the better.
10. What fictional character would your best friend compare you to?
I don’t have a single “best” friend. I have a few very close friends because choosing just one makes me uneasy. When I asked one of my closest friends, she said (direct quote), “You’re kinda in a league of your own.”
When I asked another, he said, “Mary Jayne Gold, played by Gillian Jacobs in Transatlantic. She’s like your total doppelgänger.” I haven’t seen the show, so I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended.
11. Which writers had the most influence on your style?
Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Marcel Proust, Marguerite Duras, Emily Dickinson, Alex Dimitrov, Victoria Chang, Diane Seuss, Richie Hofmann.
Which point of view is your favorite to write from and why?
First-person because I love the confessional nature.
13. Are there any major themes that span your work as a whole?
Grief.
14. What book do you wish you could read again for the first time?
Perfume by Patrick Süskind.
15. Do you have one word that you always misspell?
I don’t misspell it, but I always struggle with “incense.” My brain wants it to be “insense” because isn’t it used to create “scent” in a room and shouldn’t it be tied to our olfactory “sense”? Oh, what do I know?
16. How old were you when you first started writing?
Like pre-school age (No joke. My mom taught me to read when I was 2), but I didn’t start publishing my creative writing until 2020.
17. What is your least favorite part of being an author?
I love being an author, but I’d love to make more money as one. It should really be better compensated. Oh, wait. I wrote a poem about that.
18. What are the top five books on your TBR list?
(Looking at my literal TBR pile):
Stephanie Burt’s Don’t Read Poetry,
Maggie Doherty’s The Equivalents,
Bret Easton Ellis’ The Shards,
Kashina’s East of Borneo,
It’s a bonus if I finish those five, next up: Patrick Modiano’s Romans.
19. What was your favorite class in school?
English and French.
20. Do you write more in the Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter?
It’s always Summer in Miami, so Summer.
21. Do you write while on vacation?
If I feel inspired to do so, but I don’t force it.
22. Is writing your full-time job?
To a degree, yes. I’m a writer (correspondence and speeches, mostly), but I’m also the Director of Legislative Affairs and the Poetry Ambassador for the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, which is cool.
23. What was your biggest fear when you were 8?
I wish I could remember for sure, but I think it was probably dying or getting sick. I suffered from a lot of anxiety over that. I was also terrified of the dark after seeing “Dark Crystal.” That movie scarred me. I couldn’t sleep alone for weeks afterward. My poor mother.
24. Do you have any future projects you're excited about?
I have another poetry manuscript ready to send out, and I started working on a novel about the building I live in that is set in Miami and has an interesting cast of characters, but I don’t know if I’ll finish it any time soon. I’ve written five books and published three so far since 2020, with the fourth being my first novel with Thirty West. It’s been fast and furious.
25. Do you like poetry? If so, do you plan on submitting to this year's Wavelengths Chapbook contest?
Well, I’ve published three poetry books and do have a fourth that happens to be in English and French, if you’d like to see it for consideration.
26. Have you ever been in a book club? What was it like?
I was in one at work once. There were only a few of us who actually read the book. Most people just came for the conversation, charcuterie, and wine. (It was after hours on the weekend at a colleague’s apartment.)
27. How do you keep yourself motivated to write on those especially blocked days?
I don’t force myself to write if I don’t have a deadline. I also don’t ever really feel “blocked.” I just write it out until something decent appears on the page.
28. What was the first book you ever truly loved?
The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder.
29. Have you ever tried NANOWRIMO? Did it work out?
I’m a poet, so my first novel attempt is what Thirty West is publishing.
30. What does “made it” look like to you?
The freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want – which means financial wealth, optimal health, and plenty of time.
Want to hear more from Nicole? Find her on social media and at nicoletallman.com. Keep an eye out for JULIE, OR SYLVIA, part of The Ternion, coming June 2024.
For something to read in the meantime, peruse our Book Shop.