Tahani Nelson
Billings, Montana
USA
Good morning, Tahani, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for Art and Authors and those who love them.
Tell us about what you've written.
I’m the author of the Faoii Chronicles, a completed female-led military fantasy series.
What is your favorite genre to write?
I love the freedom that comes with writing fantasy, and the different ways you can explore important issues in different settings.
Favorite food. Tea or coffee? Pizza or ice cream? Wine or beer or soda or what?
Oh, there’s a lot here. Okay. I love American Chinese food. I like the smell of coffee, but think it smells like death, so I’ll stick with chai tea. Pizza over ice cream. Cream soda Dr. Pepper is my favorite soda.
Where would you like to visit? I’d love to go to both Greece and Italy on the same trip and compare the different parthenons and statues that still exist today. Greek Mythology is one of my favorite subjects to teach, and I think it would be amazing to visit both places. I went to Rome as a teenager, and it was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. I’d love to do it again as an adult.
Favorite musical artist.
Abney Park. Yay, steampunk!
Do you listen to music when you write? What?
I do often listen to music while I write, but not anything with lyrics. Two Steps from Hell is usually my go-to, because it has all the battle and fantasy vibes I’m going for without words getting tangled into my passages.
What makes you laugh?
Baby goat videos. I love them so much.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
Medusa with the Head of Perseus by Luciano Garbati
How old were you when you started writing? According to my father I’ve been writing books my entire life. I didn’t start doing it seriously until high school, though. When I was 17 I wrote a 320,000 word monstrosity filled with tropes and 2-dimentional characters. I’m very lucky that I had people who believed in me that encouraged me to keep practicing and hone my craft before publishing my debut novel, The Last Faoii in 2017.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write? I am definitely a pantser. I don’t know what’s going to happen until it happens, and then I’m usually as surprised as my readers are. It’s a lot of fun, and the story feels very organic to me. I’ve tried to plan out characters or arcs in the past, but that never lasts for more than a couple chapters before my characters take over and do their own thing.
Describe your perfect evening.
I love playing video games with my husband. On nights where he works, though, I like fuzzy slippers, books, and a cat in my lap.
Where do you get your inspiration?
My first book started out as a dream. I woke up at 2 a.m., wrote what is now the first 3 chapters, then went back to bed. The next morning, the idea hadn’t released me yet, and I kept writing. Now I get my inspiration from real-world issues and the way that humans face them. I’m always amazed by how much of a difference a single person with a voice can make. We are so capable of forging our own destinies.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I think writer’s block is usually triggered by some sort of fear. Fear that what you write isn’t good enough, or maybe a lofty goal you don’t know if you can reach. I’ve really cut down on writer’s block by making a goal of 200 words a night. It’s not much, but there’s never a fear that I won’t be able to hit that goal, and if it’s not great—who cares? It’s 200 words I can delete later. It frees me from a lot of the chains I think we let weigh us down as writers. And even though 200 words doesn’t seem like much, it all adds up. 200 words a night has gotten me through three 100k novels and a supplemental anthology in 4 years.
Who is your favorite author?
Tamora Pierce was the first author that showed me women in armor changing their worlds. She unlocked a gate that I’ve since marched an army through. I’ll always be grateful to her for that.
Best book you ever read.
Fahrenheit 451. It always reminds me that books have more worth than we give them credit for. It makes me want to be more than I am.
Last book you read.
The House in the Cerulean Sea. I was really amazed by the prose and characters. A phenomenal read.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I love teaching high school English.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? My father has always been my biggest supporter. He’s the person that taught me to love literature like I do. He has always been my first soundboard when I get a new idea and my first editor when I write something new. He’s the one that tells me to keep going. In the same vein, my husband walks me through the frustrating times, and always reminds me of my worth. He keeps all of my best reviews and reads them to me when I’m feeling low. Reminds me of the readers I’ve met and how excited they were. He is the person that keeps me going.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I’m sure that I have an ancestor or descendent who was or will be an author, and I’d love to sit with them. Talk about our dreams, our inspirations, and how much things have changed over the years. I’d like them to know that I’m proud of them, and I’d like to believe they’re proud of me, too.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Stop comparing yourself to other writers. There will always be someone who writes more than you each night. Who sells more copies or who attends more events or makes more in royalties. It is so easy to get discouraged when you’re constantly comparing yourself to other authors—especially on social media. Those highlighted reels of other people’s “best of” moments while you only focus on your “bloopers” track. Comparison is a thief of joy. It is a soul crushing habit made specifically to extinguish whatever sets your soul on fire. Instead, I encourage you to think about where you were a year ago. Or five. Or ten. That person in the earliest stages of writing would have believed you could ever come this far. They would be so proud of you. And rightfully so. You’d be their hero. YOUR hero. And that’s exactly how it should be. If you must compare, then only compare the author you are now to the author you were then. And keep going. I can’t wait to see what author you’ll be.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
https://www.tahaninelson.com
https://www.facebook.com/thelastfaoii
https://twitter.com/TahaniNelson
Instagram: TahaniNelson
TikTok: TahaniNelson
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