Hello friends! It is an honor to welcome author Giada Nizzoli for Muse Monday. Giada and I first connected several years ago through Instagram and have been following each other’s writing journeys ever since. Besides sharing a connection to the UK, Giada and I have both been published by Querencia Press. I’ve been blessed to read her poems and short stories and know I will love anything she writes. Enjoy this Q & A with Giada and be sure to check out her social media accounts and books, linked at the end of this article.
Muse Monday with Giada Nizzoli
1. What is one of your earliest memories involving creativity?
I did my first ‘creative writing’ before I could actually write. My mum said I’d sometimes start putting sentences and rhymes together and she’d write them down for me. They didn’t make much sense, obviously. I’m pretty sure my first poem was about a goldfish flying away thanks to a red balloon and my first short story featured a cowardly seal. I like to think I got at least a liiiiiiiiiiitle bit better since then.
2. What words do you use to describe the work you do as a creator?
I think of myself as an author living poetically like a quirky main character (and hopefully, inspiring others to do the same).
3. When did you first realize you are a writer?
It’s an odd one, because I’ve been writing on and off throughout my entire life but it took me years to figure out that writing was indeed my calling. I actually spent my late teens worrying about it because I just knew there was something I was meant to be doing but couldn’t figure out WHAT. Back then, I had moved from my little Italian village to London, and my life was so hectic that it was hard to find the time to pause and recognise that longed-for answer. I just kept working crazy shifts and jumping from one thing to the next.
Then, when I was 20, I caught chickenpox and was forced to stay in my bedroom for a couple of weeks. All I could do was read and write… and that’s when I finally had my epiphany.
But my granny had known the entire time! She used to call me ‘little Jo’ (after Jo March from Little Women) when I was a child. So, I dedicated my first poetry collection to her.
4. What has it been like to get your words out into the world?
Beautiful and painful at the same time.
I love sharing my writing with others. It honestly makes my day whenever someone messages me about it, tells me they found my words inspiring, or shares photos of my books.
But at the same time, keeping up with it isn’t easy. Years ago, I’d just share my poems or snippets of my writing on Instagram and reach hundreds of people with each post. Now, with social media and their algorithms changing, it almost feels like you have to reinvent yourself as a videographer or spend hours creating shareable content. Otherwise, hardly anyone is going to see it.
So, personally, I find it hard to stay motivated.
Also, facing so many rejections from publishers and agents definitely had a toll on me. So, sometimes I just need to take a break from it all and come back to it when I feel ready.
But I will always come back to my writing. There’s no questioning that.
5. Which of your creative achievements are you most proud of?
Having Ghost Hometowns, my poetry pamphlet, picked up by Querencia Press.
It’s a very personal book because, even though it covers familiar and relatable themes, it’s based on my own experience as an immigrant. It’s all about that disorienting feeling of not knowing where you belong. I think of Ghost Hometowns as a doomed quest for a home in your birth country, abroad, and even with family sharing opposite views.
After dozens of rejections, it went through countless edits, but I had pretty much given up on it at one point. Then, several months after my submission, Querencia Press emailed me back, and they designed the most beautiful cover for it, too. It was literally the dream of a lifetime!
6. What other hobbies do you have?
I run my own marketing business as a copywriter and consultant. So, combined with my author life, that doesn’t actually leave me much time for other hobbies.
But I do love reading, dancing, and drawing inspiration from 80s fashion. If you were to bump into me in real life, the chances are… I’d have voluminous hair, loop earrings, and a top with shoulder pads or tucked into a pair of high-waisted denim jeans.
I also like to travel and explore, whether that’s abroad or by discovering hidden gems in my area, from waterfalls to cute indie cafes and anything in between.
7. Describe your life ten years from now.
My biggest dream is to have at least one novel published traditionally. I’m currently working on a nostalgic coming-of-age story set in Carrara, Italy (one of my ghost hometowns) in the 80s. It’s about two friends on the cusp of adulthood who try to find their place in the world—which may or may not be next to each other. It’s not a romance but it is a love story.
So, ideally, in ten years from now, that novel has been in bookstores for a while and a few people around the world own their own copy. Maybe they’ve even annotated it and underlined their favourite quotes.
8. Share some of your favorite words.
My favourite words change all the time, but I’m always drawn to evocative ones: ephemeral, dusk, will-o’-the-wisps, misty, horizon, nostalgia, moonlight…
Thank you, Giada! It’s been lovely having you on Musings of a Selkie Witch.
Giada Nizzoli is an Italian writer based in Chester, UK. She’s the author of the poetry pamphlet Ghost Hometowns, the magical realism short story collection Set in Marble, and the poetry book Will-o’-the-Wisps. She shares her work and writing journey on Instagram at @giada_writes. You can find out more about her and get your own copies of her books at giadanizzoli.co.uk (as well as Amazon and major online book retailers).
Delightful! I’ve met Giada on instagram more recently and she is a lovely soul.