Domiciano is a passionate writer and today we decided to talk to him about his published book as well as his creative process. We had an informal interview/chat which was fantastic and gave us a little more insight into what it takes to write a book. Below are some highlights of our talk:
When did you first realise you had a passion for writing?
“I guess that this started with school assignments and having to write and prepare assignments for literature subjects. I then realised that writing was a great way of expressing myself better and constructively sharing my thoughts.”
Was there a particular moment or experience that led you to start writing?
“Not really, I must admit that my parents encouraged me to do so and this was a supportive push for me to write my stories.”
Are there any Authors, Books or people that inspire and influence your writing style?
“I would say that my Dad and Sister also write and this encouraged me to do so as well. One of the Authors I get inspiration from is Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, a Portuguese writer who in many of her works describes Childhood memories and nostalgic moments”
Has reading influenced your writing or even the other way around?
“Reading makes me more aware of other genres and great ways to send my message across to an audience. It provides style ideas and structures that I can then use within my own ideas”
What inspired the idea for your book – The Curls of Kavuto?
“I would say mainly my sister but most importantly a little reflection on Angolan Society in general.”
Many authors and artists have different creative processes. What is yours?
“What works for me is during the day, for example, I get ideas and make a note of them on my phone. As some time I start puzzling these ideas together to find a great theme or paragraph. I also start finding ways to connect what I have been reading and experiencing around me every day and write with this in mind.”
What did you do when you hit a creative dry spell?
“When this happened I normally did some research about my topic and this helped connect me back with my own storyline.”
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while writing and publishing your book?
“I would say working with the Editor was very challenging as we needed to meet several times and discuss our differences in opinion but ultimately produce a great book together. Also at the book launch in Luanda, speaking in public was not easy as people had many questions and I needed to find different ways to convey my answers clearly and effectively.”
What is the most surprising thing you learned about publishing a book?
“The most surprising thing for me was the amount of people involved and necessary to publish one book is incredible from the Editor to the Illustrator, Paging, Translator, and many others that need to work together with one common goal.”
What advice would you give your friends here at CDL who also love to write but haven’t had the courage to share their work yet?
“I would say that finding someone you fully trust and sending them your work is very important. You can ask their opinion and discuss your work without it becoming public or with any judgment. After that, you might then feel more incentive to approach another writer or editor and ask for their opinion. Also, you can always use a Pseudonym if you are not comfortable with your name being used in publications. The important is writing and seeing how your words are read by different people.”
Do you have future publication plans?
“Yes, I really want to write a Novel for an older audience and possibly make that into a screenplay or theatrical play. In the works still … “
Thank you so much Domiciano for sharing all of this with us. We loved your book and look forward to reading your next Novel!
