One thing I love about this 3Q’s feature, is seeing the variation of responses, but also seeing how people who’s work you love operate! Case in point – Nico Bell! I’m a big fan of her writing, but have also had the privilege of appearing in an anthology she released. (As this isn’t about me – I won’t link it here – but do find it on her Amazon page!)

Welcome, Nico!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Nico: I used to be very chaotic in terms of my writing schedule. I’m a night-owl, so I used to write most of my stories late at night and into the early morning, but that proved exhausting. I trained myself to be a daytime writer, and now, I spend most mornings working on my manuscripts. If I’m on a deadline, I stick to a word count of about 2,000 words a day, but if I’m in the beginning of the writing process, and I’m just brainstorming and fast drafting, I don’t worry about hitting a specific word count.

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a character you could write about forever?

Nico: This is a fantastic question! I love all the characters in my novellas, but the first to pop up when I read this question was the woman in my poem “Smile,” which was published in Under Her Skin: A Women in Horror Poetry Collection by Black Spot Books. Readers get a tiny peek into this woman’s life as she struggles to survive a terminal illness, and I would love to expand her story one day and really sink into her suffering and how she desperately wants to appear happy to those around her.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Nico: This is a big year for me! I actually have three releases! The first is Beyond the Creek, which is my creature horror novella set in rural Virginia. It’s about Alex, a young woman escaping an abusive past only to find herself at the center of a centuries horror in the making.

Next up is Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology to be released June 21, 2022. This is a passion project as it contains twelve incredible fat-positive horror stories that will terrify and delight. I co-edit this with the fabulous Sonora Taylor.

Last is a yet to be titled pro-choice/pro-body autonomy charity anthology I’m co-editing with the talented Roxie Voorhees and being released in the fall of 2022 by Creature Anthology. All profits go to NARAL, which is a pro-choice charity.

Steve: Bonus Question! Did you have a favorite wrestler as a kid?

Nico: OMG…so quick story!! My grandfather loved wrestling and introduced it to me as a kid, but he convinced me everything I saw was 100% real. I watched a match with Jake the Snake where his competitor put the snake in a bag and did an elbow drop directly on top! Tears filled my eyes and I looked to my grandfather and asked, “Is that real too?” Without missing a beat, my grandfather replied, “Yes, it is.” At the time, all I could think was “that poor snake!” It tore me up. When I got older and started watching wrestling on my own, I understood how things work, so I get it now, but that moment as a kid was pretty harsh!

But back to your question…I didn’t have a favorite as a kid, but I love Sasha Banks now!

Awesome! Thank you, Nico!

Find some groovy links below!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nico-Bell/e/B083Q12B1J/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicobellfiction

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18380351.Nico_Bell