Tuesday 13 November 2012

Interview with Nick Orsini


Today we're chatting with author Nick Orsini about his novel, FINGERLESS GLOVES.


Welcome, Nick! Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m 26 years old, only about 5’6’’ tall, big glasses and a sometimes-beard. I call it that because it’s not quite as much of a beard as it is an unfortunate collection of lazy stubble. I’m a writer, a terrible guitarist, an amateur professional wrestler and a connoisseur of classic video games. I also pride myself on my T-shirt collection and my skills with a light saber. I have an unhealthy obsession with horror movies and creative socks.


How long have you been writing?


About four years.

Tell us about FINGERLESS GLOVES. What’s the story about?

Fingerless Gloves is set over a 24-hour time period. It’s this story about Anton, and early in the book his best friend, James, gets rushed to the hospital. Overnight, Anton goes on this quest to figure out what happened to James. Essentially, what he’s really looking for is how to put his past behind him in order to move forward with his present. It’s a story about these things we do to keep ourselves from feeling older. It’s also about the tragedies we sometimes have to endure to realize the true value of the time we get to spend here with our families and our friends.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

It came to me one night in 2010, I was living in Montclair, New Jersey and was going through some internal struggles. I wanted to write a story not about growing up, but about feeling like a grown-up. I also began to ponder how important my friends are. Fingerless Gloves is a very pop-punk story - about the value of love and self and the journeys we go on with unforgettable people.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

I don’t really plan. I let the story guide itself. I muse on many different things when I’m writing and I have the hardest time outlining, etc.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

The first line of the first chapter. I really like to start things off with a bang. I always imagined first lines should be epic, sweeping things. I literally study first and last lines of novels, examining them closely. It’s weird, but it matters!

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

My Garden State movie poster. It reminds me where I’m from. I saw that movie over 10 times in theaters. It’s one of my favorites.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

The ability to teleport like Nightcrawler. I’d only want to teleport to places I could see. I wouldn’t want to be able to blink my eyes and be on top of the Grand Canyon or at the bottom of the ocean – I’m not impractical.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

“What is a McRib made of”

I don't want to know, lol. Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: turbulant, beautician, remorseful.

I felt remorseful when I put the beautician through a turbulent series of requests for a high-top fade.

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ... 

Watching Batman and Robin with my roommate, on my couch, laughing.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

For my parents: Richard and Catherine, thank you so much for allowing me to grow up the way I did. Thanks for sending me to school every day when I hated it. Thanks for giving up so much for your kids. All of this is for you.

For my sister Allyse, you do better work than I do … you help people every day and live a most admirable life. You made it out of New Jersey even when New Jersey hasn’t quite made it out of you. Thanks for helping me get it together.

For Juice and Ryan, you two stuck with me since the beginning. Thanks for helping out on the “Read or Die” Tour and for believing in this the whole time. You guys are an amazing support system and have made me laugh harder than I ever thought possible.

For Dylan, thanks for that first interview on TellMeSomething.org …that site has become so much since then … you’re a so-so podcast host.

For Tara, thanks for helping this writer grow up a little. Your encouragement and care has seriously led to some of the best work I’ve ever done. I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.

This is also for every person who ever responded to my first novel, Two Wrongs Make a Vice, and/or any of the poems on AdorkableLife.com … none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for you. Your stories and emails and kind words helped me keep writing. I told you, years ago, that together, we’d bring writing back … and we have. This all belongs to you. Thanks for letting me tell you stories.

Lastly, for Grandma Orsini, Grandpa Teddy, and Grandma Nori, all it takes is an old photograph or a memory to set me off writing again. Thanks for calling me all through college to make sure I was doing ok. Although you aren’t a phone call away anymore, the lessons learned from your lives continue to inspire my writing.

And finally, where can people find you and your book online?


My blog, AdorkableLife.com … Fingerless Gloves is available now from Apostrophe Books, on all ebook retailers!

Links to buy Fingerless Gloves:
iBookstore USA: http://goo.gl/txhCn
iBookstore UK: http://goo.gl/3vK7n

Links to find out more about Fingerless Gloves:

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