Inclusivity, Sci-fi, and Tea: Nina Grant Interviewed by Nick Savoie
- Nick Savoie
Nick Savoie
Up until this point, what has been your background in the arts?
Nina Grant
As far as artistic mediums go, I’ve definitely tried a decent variety. My family enjoys watching movies together and my father is a musician, so both music and film have been a large part of my life and my passions. I also read many books as a kid, which gave me a great love and appreciation for writing and reading. All of this has really influenced my education at SFU. Even though I focus on my writing and singing now, taking some extra non-required arts courses such as music and theatre has reminded me of how much I love those mediums, and has also given me a formal perspective on them.
NS
What artistic mediums do you identify most with? What is it about these mediums that draws you to them?
NG
As of right now, creative writing has taken the wheel. I’ve been experimenting with multiple different formats such as screenwriting, playwriting, and even writing for Dungeons and Dragons as exercises in world-building and character creation. The format that I have stayed with the longest and used the most consistently, though, is standard fiction writing. Fiction writing is something that I am familiar with from my reading as a kid, and is something that creatively grabs me. You can create literally anything, anything at all, with enough time and motivation. I think that’s why books fascinated me so much when I was younger, these vast worlds of fantasy, mystery, and adventure were so well crafted and vivid that it was almost like they were real. And even more incredibly, they were all created in someone’s mind. If they could do it, why couldn’t I?
NS
Given your fondness for fiction writing, who are some of your biggest influences? What aspects of these artists resonate with you the most?
NG
NS
NG
I tend to have a lot of half-finished projects, especially as a student. Writing is very time consuming and involves a lot of changes and complete rewrites sometimes, so a finished product takes a long time to be satisfied with. That being said, I’ve been working on some ideas for a fictional short story with some historical basis. I’ve been specifically researching Julie d’Aubigny, a renowned fencer and singer from the 17th century who had a very interesting and adventurous life. I often feel very inspired by “infamous women” who outwardly paid no mind to any codes meant to confine them, and I believe their incredible personalities and adventures should be talked about more.
Up until this point, what has been your background in the arts?
Nina Grant
As far as artistic mediums go, I’ve definitely tried a decent variety. My family enjoys watching movies together and my father is a musician, so both music and film have been a large part of my life and my passions. I also read many books as a kid, which gave me a great love and appreciation for writing and reading. All of this has really influenced my education at SFU. Even though I focus on my writing and singing now, taking some extra non-required arts courses such as music and theatre has reminded me of how much I love those mediums, and has also given me a formal perspective on them.
NS
What artistic mediums do you identify most with? What is it about these mediums that draws you to them?
NG
As of right now, creative writing has taken the wheel. I’ve been experimenting with multiple different formats such as screenwriting, playwriting, and even writing for Dungeons and Dragons as exercises in world-building and character creation. The format that I have stayed with the longest and used the most consistently, though, is standard fiction writing. Fiction writing is something that I am familiar with from my reading as a kid, and is something that creatively grabs me. You can create literally anything, anything at all, with enough time and motivation. I think that’s why books fascinated me so much when I was younger, these vast worlds of fantasy, mystery, and adventure were so well crafted and vivid that it was almost like they were real. And even more incredibly, they were all created in someone’s mind. If they could do it, why couldn’t I?
NS
Given your fondness for fiction writing, who are some of your biggest influences? What aspects of these artists resonate with you the most?
NG
I feel like I’ve been inspired by a lot of writing which I find twistedly or unconventionally clever. One such example from when I was younger was Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” which is an entire book series written in an address to the reader and woven with irony, twists, and absurd tragedy throughout. I have a lot of fun with this cleverness in writing, which is what drew me to Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens, a similarly written novel documenting an angel and a demon living amongst humanity and attempting to thwart Armageddon. The witty style is so unique and fun that’s hard to describe in so few words, but I recommend that book to almost anyone.
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| Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Omens |
I also have a great deal of respect for an author that creates a diverse cast of characters while still being entertaining and realistic, whether they leave descriptions ambiguous for any person to project onto or create intricate backgrounds and culture behind their creations. Gaiman and Pratchett, as well as Noelle Stevenson, Hayao Miyazaki, and Rick Riordan, are creators I really look up to for this reason. The inclusion of realistic women, people of colour, and LGBTQ characters and perspectives are important things that I want to carry forth into my own writing. Stories like that meant the world to me when I read them, and they still do.
NS
How do you approach the creative process? Are there any “rituals” that you find yourself doing at the beginning of a work?
NG
I find it varies depending on what type of writing I’m working on. My usual preparations involve brewing some tea, getting comfortable with my laptop, and finding an area free of distraction. I do put on music, however; sometimes silence can be distracting too, and I often find it hard to concentrate on writing if I don’t have something to pull me into that creative space. I am a huge fan of television, video game, and film scores, as well as some independently made instrumental music. The playlists I’ve put together really help with getting into the zone for my writing, whether it’s creative or academic. For instance, if I’m writing something that’s really classic, high fantasy, I’ll go for something like the “The Last Airbender” or “Game of Thrones” soundtracks. The soundtracks for “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Last of Us,” along with most Studio Ghibli scores, are also some of my favourites, and are some of the most reliable tools for getting me into a creative space.
NS
How do you approach the creative process? Are there any “rituals” that you find yourself doing at the beginning of a work?
NG
I find it varies depending on what type of writing I’m working on. My usual preparations involve brewing some tea, getting comfortable with my laptop, and finding an area free of distraction. I do put on music, however; sometimes silence can be distracting too, and I often find it hard to concentrate on writing if I don’t have something to pull me into that creative space. I am a huge fan of television, video game, and film scores, as well as some independently made instrumental music. The playlists I’ve put together really help with getting into the zone for my writing, whether it’s creative or academic. For instance, if I’m writing something that’s really classic, high fantasy, I’ll go for something like the “The Last Airbender” or “Game of Thrones” soundtracks. The soundtracks for “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Last of Us,” along with most Studio Ghibli scores, are also some of my favourites, and are some of the most reliable tools for getting me into a creative space.
NS
Do you have any upcoming projects on the horizon?
I tend to have a lot of half-finished projects, especially as a student. Writing is very time consuming and involves a lot of changes and complete rewrites sometimes, so a finished product takes a long time to be satisfied with. That being said, I’ve been working on some ideas for a fictional short story with some historical basis. I’ve been specifically researching Julie d’Aubigny, a renowned fencer and singer from the 17th century who had a very interesting and adventurous life. I often feel very inspired by “infamous women” who outwardly paid no mind to any codes meant to confine them, and I believe their incredible personalities and adventures should be talked about more.
Nick Savoie is a musician, composer, and recording engineer based in Vancouver, BC.
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