Literary Birthday – 7 September – Nalini Singh

Happy Birthday, Nalini Singh, born on 7 September 1977.

Nalini Singh Quotes

1. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. All of my stories held a thread of romance, even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes.
2. Creating unique characters and giving them happy endings is my favourite thing.
3. I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher, but not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency, but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.
4. I even love the voices in my head, so there’s no other job I’d rather be doing.
5. My best advice is to write. Just write. Write with all your heart, with everything in you that hungers to tell this story. Finish a short story, a novella, a novel, whatever resonates most with you – but finish it. Then write some more. Exercise those writing muscles until they get itchy if you don’t use them every day.
6. An interesting villain is as fun as a good hero or heroine. And if they have something that doesn’t fit, then it takes them beyond one dimension. Maybe they give religiously to charity or help old ladies cross the road? A small quirk can make a big impact.
7. I plot out where we’re going, but how we get to that point? It’s organic. The breadcrumbs get laid organically. But because I know where we’re heading, I don’t tend to head off on tangents. Like a road that has lots of side roads, but I don’t turn off, because those don’t lead to my destination. That doesn’t mean those side roads are forgotten – rather, I explore them in novellas, short stories etc.
8. Knowing the beginning and the ending is what I need to keep me on track. I don’t usually write it down, but I must know it.
9. One practical tip is to keep a small notebook with you, and scribble down any thoughts about scenes as they come to you through your day – then when you get to your keyboard, whether you have ten minutes or forty-five, you just look at those notes and write scene after scene.

Source for quotes 1-6: Author’s website and quotes 7-9 :Dear Author

Nalini Singh is a New Zealand author of Indo-Fijian descent. She is best known for her paranormal romance novels, which often combine romance, fantasy, supernatural powers, and complex worldbuilding. Singh has published more than 50 novels, including the popular Guild Hunter series and Psy/Changeling series. Her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She has also self-published several short stories. Her Guild Hunter series is set in a world of angels, vampires, and powerful archangels. Her Psy/Changeling novels explore a future society divided among three groups: the Psy, the Changelings, and humans. Singh is known for creating detailed fantasy worlds while keeping romance at the heart of her stories. Her books have been translated and published around the world. Archangel’s Eternity is the 18th novel in the Guild Hunter series. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Source for photograph: Author’s website

by Amanda Patterson
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