[In a new series, we ask local authors the same 20 questions to get a glimpse into their personalities and processes.]
Nina Sadowsky is an author, filmmaker and educator. She has written numerous screenplays and produced such films as “The Wedding Planner.” Her debut thriller, JUST FALL, was published by Ballantine in 2016 and her BURIAL SOCIETY series launched in 2018 with the second book in the series, THE EMPTY BED, to be published on January 28, 2020. Nina currently serves as Program Director of NYU Los Angeles, a “semester abroad” program for advanced students considering careers in the entertainment and media industries. Sadowsky also serves as the Director of Educational Outreach for the Humanitas Prize, is on the Leadership Council of Creative Future, and is a founding member of the Woolfpack, an organization of women showrunners, writers and producers committed to community and mentorship.
What part of Los Angeles do you call home? Westwood.
Are you a native of L.A. or a transplant? A native New Yorker.
How many books have you written? Four: two published and two coming in 2020.
Did you publish traditionally or independently? Traditionally.
What inspired you to write this (your most current book’s) story? Anger at an unjust society.
Which characteristic of your protagonist do you most admire? Badass fearlessness.
Which characteristic of his/her/their nemesis do you enjoy? Defeating them.
What’s the best part about being an author? Writing. And when people respond to my work and “get it.” Also the ability to make a real difference as I’m doing by donating a portion of the pre-orders for THE EMPTY BED to benefit the Violence Intervention Program and the Alexis Project. (More details on my website.)
And the worst? The cycle of thinking I’m a genius before I recognize I’m an idiot before I think I’m a genius again. And repeat.
How do you keep the momentum of writing/editing/publishing/promoting? No sleep! The promoting is a shocking amount of work.
What’s your “writing ritual”? I set asaide the hours and then treat that commitment with the utmost respect. I also blast a little music and dance before I work.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? The author is the doctor. The editor or other reader is the patient. It’s their job to tell us where it hurts, but our job to diagnose the problem and treat it.
What’s the best advice you could give another author? See above. And persevere!
How do you interact with your reading audience? Conferences, workshops, book clubs, virtual appearances and classes, a monthly newsletter (“Dispatches from the Cheerfully Dark Mind of Nina Sadowsky”), which is filled with writing tips and other tasty content. (Sign up for it on my website.)
Where are you most social online? I use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Where are you most social in real life? Everywhere. My philosophy is “Be the light.”
What’s your favorite place in Los Angeles? The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City ranks high.
Do you have a hobby or go-to that helps you recharge? Dance, meditation, Pilates, cooking, collage art.
What are you currently reading? SOMETIMES I LIE by Alica Feeney; just finished BIG SKY by Kate Atkinson.
What’s next for you? Edits on my new book, CONVINCE ME, plus an original TV pilot.
About THE BURIAL SOCIETY and THE EMPTY BED: The Burial Society series is in development for television. THE EMPTY BED is the latest in her Burial Society series, in which a woman with a dark past runs a “private witness protection program,” helping whistleblowers, abused women, and other desperate people escape their dangerous lives and find safe new ones. The third in The Burial Society series, CONVINCE ME, is to be published in summer 2020. Find her at www.ninarsadowsky.com
lalasociety.org 