Interview with Nerine Dorman

NRR: Hi Nerine! Thank you for taking the time to stop by for an interview!! Can you share with us how you were inspired to write Inkarna?

As with most of my stories, Inkarna came into being when the borders between the waking and dream worlds blurred and weakened. The novel itself grew out of the death of two men. One was a stranger, but his music inspired me. The other was a dear friend and mentor. About a week before I flew up to Joburg for my friend's funeral, I'd started nurturing a spark of an idea for a story which, in turn, had grown from a dream I'd had round about the time the musician had died in April of that year. As I stood there on the banks of a Crocodile River beneath the weeping willows, I watched a priest officiate the Egyptian rites of my friend's funeral, and the little cogs in my mind started whirring like mad. By the time my plane landed in Cape Town the following day, I'd plotted out the entire novel.


NRR: What was the most challenging aspect to writing this book?

As always, the most challenging part of writing a novel is finding the time. My life is very busy, chaotic even--what with my demanding day job as a newspaper sub-editor and writer, and my part-time work as fiction editor. Oh, let's also not forget about helping my husband, who is an indie filmmaker and photographer. Let's just say things in the Dorman household are never dull, and leave it at that! (I make a terrible housewife, okay?)

NRR: Can you describe the most important part of your writing process?

Outlining. Seriously. I'd be lost without my outline. Because so much time often elapses between my moment of inspiration and actually sitting down to write the story, I need to make exhaustive outlines that capture as much of the initial idea as possible, so that there's something to work on. Of course these outlines aren't the be-all and end-all of the process--I allow myself creative leeway to make changes should the story demand it--but they're important to provide a skeleton for the writing process. While it's important that I'm creative in my writing, I do believe that the hallmarks of a successful story are those that succeed in satisfying some of readers' expectations. Ask yourself why George Lucas's Star Wars works so well. I'm a firm believer in the Hero's Journey that underpins effective storytelling.

NRR: If you could only use on quote to sum up Elizabeth's character what would it be?

"What the hell?" [followed by a puzzled expression] Seriously, Lizzie has absolutely no idea what's going on at first, which is half the fun of the unfolding misadventure.

NRR: This one is for fun...What is your guilty pleasure?

Listening to Type O Negative's October Rust album. Seriously, one of the most underrated metal albums ever. It's been my "go to" comfort music since I first saved up the bucks to buy that CD (which I still own). The late Peter Steele had a voice that just does *something* to me. Dark, brooding, velvet midnight. That's all I can say. I think my husband is a little jealous. [smiles]

 

 

NRR: What is one thing you would caution readers before reading Inkarna?

You're going to get a crash-course in the ancient Egyptian conception of the soul. So, you'll get to seek words like Ka, Ba, Kha and Akh thrown at you. It might seem a bit strange at first, but you'll get to figure out the differences soon enough. (I solemnly promise to provide a glossary in book two.) The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul was made up of a whole bunch of different parts. If you have a love of ancient Egypt, you'll be indulged, that much is for sure. The novel is kinda Indiana Jones meets Supernatural, with a deeply flawed hero.

 

 

NRR: What is next in the works for you?

I'm in the midst of edits for my first YA urban fantasy novel, Camdeboo Nights, which is due for release some time next year. It's set in South Africa, and features a rag-tag pack of teens, a vampire and a '47 Hudson Commodore that may or may not be sentient. Also, I'm working on the reboot of my debut novel, Khepera Rising, which I've streamlined and commissioned new cover art. And sometime I need to finish writing the follow-up to Inkarna, which is entitled Thanatos, and has our hero go to hell and beyond (figuratively, of course).