Welcome to the weekly Irish Independent Authors Collective (IIAC) author interviews. Today on my blog, I’m delighted to introduce you all to Nils Ödlund. I hope you all enjoy learning more about Nils and be sure to check out his books.

Irish Independent Authors’ Collective – Nils Ödlund

 Tell me a little bit about yourself and why you decided to join the Irish Independent Authors’ Collective?

My name is Nils Ödlund. I’m originally Swedish, but moved to Ireland from France in 2007, and I’ve lived in Cork ever since. I work full time in customer support, and try to fit as much writing as I can manage into my free time.

Over the years, I’ve come to realise that being a writer isn’t nearly as solitary a task as it’s sometimes made out to be. Sure, the act of putting words to paper may be, but there’s more to being a writer than just writing – especially if you’re going the indie route.

It’s technically possible for me to produce a readable book completely on my own, but with the help, support, and inspiration of people around me, it gets easier. I also believe the end result will likely be better for it.

I’m part of a few online writing communities, and that’s been very helpful to me in the past. My hope is that being part of the Irish indie author community will let me connect with people in the “real world” too.

How long have you been writing and why did you decide on self-publishing?

I started writing as a hobby in 2010 or 2011. At the time, I was trying to create a setting for a pen and paper RPG, and it was suggested I try and write some short stories to breathe a little life into the world.

Soon enough I’d written quite a few stories, and the world-building had taken a step back.

For a long time, it was all just something I did for fun, with the vague goal of perhaps getting something published at some point in the future, maybe. Then, about two years ago, I decided to try and actually get something completed to a state where I wouldn’t be ashamed to ask people to pay for it.

I had a story I’d put a lot of time and effort into, and which I really liked. I’d also been talking about my writing and my stories for way too long without actually having anything to show for it.

I thought about trying to find a publisher, but I wasn’t sure where to start, and I kept hearing horror stories about people sending out endless streams of query letters and barely even getting a rejection slip back. That wasn’t something I wanted to spend my time and energy on, and it seemed like an easier option to just do it myself. It also seemed like a great way to learn more about the business side of publishing if I did it on my own.

The whole process took a lot longer than I’d anticipated, and there were a number of complications I hadn’t expected, but in the end, I published my first book, the novella Emma’s Story (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emmas-Story-Nils-Odlund-ebook/dp/B078PTKPVP/) on the 2^nd of February this year.

I wrote a more detailed article about the publishing process for the Mythic Scribes writing community, here (https://mythicscribes.com/publishing/published-book/)

Do you think the stigma surround self-publishing is lessening?

I think that among people who write it most certainly is. People are more open to doing it on their own and trying new things to get their stories read. There are a number of great success stories, and I think the idea of doing it yourself is something that appeals to a lot of writers – at least in theory.

When it comes to non-writers, I don’t actually know. I imagine that among casual readers there’s still a large stigma, whereas people who read a whole lot will be more open to it. In fairness though, I’m not yet well enough in touch with the “scene” to really have a well-grounded opinion on this.

What do you feel the hardest part of self-publishing is?

The most difficult thing I did when I published my book was to write a letter to my mailing list saying the book was available.

I’d had a preview of the book available on Instafreebie.com and I’d had a few people sign up to receive my newsletter. It was a lot more nerve-wracking than any other part of the whole process.

In the end, though, that’s something I’ll get used to with time, and it should be much less of an issue next time.

What I believe is really the most difficult part is to get reviews. I did get some lovely ones from friends who bought my book, but it still feels like it’s something that’s very much outside of my control. I can ask my readers to please leave a review, but that’s about it. Even if they have the best of intentions they might just not get around to it. If anyone has any tips or advice, I’d be happy to listen.

What genres do you write?

Fantasy. To be more specific, I try to write character-focused stories that take place in a fantasy setting. It’s more about the characters and their personal struggles than about big epic conflicts with dragons and magic.

For example, Emma’s Story is about a young woman who can’t make up her mind about whether or not to marry the man who’s proposed to her.

My upcoming story Last Fight of the Old Hound (first part of the Lost Dogs series), is about a man (Roy) facing another difficult decision: will he stay true to himself and his beliefs, or will he stay loyal to his best friend? Roy is also a superstar werewolf wrestler with a big match coming up, and while it’s easy to focus your attention on that, that’s not really what the story is about.

What is your favourite story or character that you have written?

Very often, I feel like my favourite character is the main character of the story I’m currently working on. It’s very easy to get invested in a character when you spend so much time really close to them, and you can’t get much closer than having them live in your head.

With stories, it’s different – even the opposite. The stories rarely feel as good as I imagined them to be, but I guess that’s natural. Some stories feel like they have more potential than others though, and that if I get them right, they could be really good.

At the moment, I’m working on a series of novellas, and for the time being I have the six first parts in various stages of completion. Out of these, I feel the third one is the one with the most potential.

The story is about a young woman (Alene) who’s trying to get by as a traveling freelance journalist, while at the same time struggling with recently having become a werewolf. Just before the full moon she gets stuck in a small town in the middle of nowhere, and she has to convince the local werewolf pack to let her join them for their full moon hunt. The local pack, in turn, is a nasty bunch of people with little to no sympathy for a lone young woman in a tight spot.

What time of day do you prefer to write?

When it’s dark outside – even in the morning. As long as I can have a few candles lit near me I’m happy.

Do you have a special writing space?

I’ve got a writing desk in my living room where I sit when I write at home. I also prefer to drag my laptop with me to the pub, or to a local coffee shop and write there. My current shift and work has my “Saturday” when it’s Monday in the real world, and it’s usually pretty quiet out, meaning I can get a lot done even in a public space.

Do you outline your books ahead of time or just go for it?

I outline quite a lot. With the current series, I’m working on I’ve got all of the books outlined down to chapter level. I know what each chapter will be about and where it will take the story, but I don’t know exactly what will happen.

Who are your favourite Irish authors?

It’s with some shame and reluctance I have to admit that I don’t have a favourite Irish author. I read a lot as a child and as a teenager, but unfortunately the amount of reading I get done has declined as I’ve grown older. I no longer consider myself well read. That said, I’ve read Stoker, Wilder and Swift, but not recently, and not enough that I can say I prefer one above the others. I did read the Narnia books a as a child, but it was only recently I learned that C. S. Lewis wasn’t English, so I’m not sure that counts.

Your latest book Emma’s Story is a fantasy novella. What was the inspiration behind it and is there anything you would like readers to know?

The inspiration for the book came from a discussion about “strong female characters” that I took part in some years back. I’m of the opinion that strength in this context is about the characters ability to carry the story forward, not about being strong in some worldly sense.

The initial idea was to try and write an interesting fantasy tale about an ordinary young woman whose main ambition is to settle down and live an ordinary life in a quiet little countryside village. It didn’t quite turn out like that – neither for the story, nor for Emma herself, but that’s how it started, and at least the story didn’t miss the mark by that much.

Is your latest book part of a series and if so how many books are planned for the series?

Emma’s Story is a standalone novella. Some readers have asked to know what happens next, but at this stage I don’t actually know for sure.

My upcoming story is the first part in the Lost Dogs series. It’s a series of novellas and I currently have twenty stories outlined and waiting to be written. The first part is done enough I’ve made it available for pre-order, here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DK17PYN

The book will be available on the 5^th of July, but there’s a preview of the first four chapters available here: https://claims.instafreebie.com/free/LJVDmPHe

Where can readers find out more about you?

I keep a blog on http://svrtnsse.com – updates are sporadic and come in bursts, but I’m likely to post more often once the release of Lost Dogs #1 draws near.

I also post regularly on Instagram, here: https://www.instagram.com/nilsdlnd/ – I regularly share quotes from whatever story I’m currently working on, but also plenty of pictures of completely unrelated thinks (clouds, flowers, cups of coffee, and pints of beer).

Emma’s Story by Nils

Emma wants what all young anfylk women want, a burrow in the village and a family to fill it with life – and she could have it. Her best friend Torkel has proposed. He’s the only one for her and he’s first in line for the only available burrow in their small hillside village.

It should be easy, but it’s not. Torkel is a dreamer and a scoundrel. A self-styled huntsman and adventurer, with no real grasp of what it means to be a father and a husband.

But time is ticking, and the longer the burrow lies empty the weaker the village’s spirit gets. When a giant bear comes down from the mountains to terrorize their forest the villagers are unable to ward it off on their own.

To seek aid, Emma must travel farther than she’s ever been on her own before. A journey in search of the help her village needs, and the answers her heart desires.

While she’s gone, Torkel has his own ideas for how to impress Emma and make her like him enough to be his wife, completely missing the point. There’s a reason she has a hard time making up her mind… 

Emma’s Story is available in eBook and Paperback from Amazon and is also enrolled in the KindleUnlimited program where it can be read for free.

Until next time,

Keep reading and writing,

Amanda