Stories don’t always begin with a lifelong dream of being a writer—sometimes they start with a reader who wants a book badly enough to create it themselves. In this interview, Nichelle Giraldes talks about finding her way to writing through that quiet, persistent pull of story; the power of small, precise details to carry enormous emotion; and why her work keeps circling back to the complicated ways women love, protect, and measure one another. We also discuss gothic horror, visual art as inspiration, cutting beloved scenes, and what it really means to keep showing up to the page long after the traditional markers of “success” have been reached.
Q: What’s a memory of a story or book that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: I was a reader long before I ever thought about being a writer. I was a total library kid growing up! The kind of child who had to have their books taken away at bedtime so I’d actually go to sleep instead of reading under the covers. Even then, I never had any aspirations or even interest in writing those stories myself.
Write on the World 