Nick DiChario won the
Science Fiction Story of Excellence Award for
LOST SODA BOTTLE
FINDS LOVE WAY OUT IN SPACE
Biography
Nick DiChario’s lucky number is 42 + 2. He’s written many stories of science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and oddball stuff. He’s written short stories, long stories, and flash fiction. But this is his first story (and bio) of exactly 42 words.
BAM: So, Nick, where are you now?
Nick: I live in Rochester, New York, the city where I was born and raised, although I moved away for a while. I spent about ten years in St. Pete, Florida, a spectacularly gorgeous city. I loved it there, but I returned to Rochester in 2020. There’s no place like home.
BAM: Good. In a few years, I plan on moving to New York from Japan. I'll ask you more about New York later. So, where is your writing space, home, café, your desk?
Nick: Home. I need my creature comforts. My old desk, my favorite coffee, my best snacks, and so on. I’m a homebody at heart.
BAM: Mostly the same for me, too. How about an icebreaker question? Do you drink coffee,
tea, or something else?
Nick: I’m definitely a coffee person. I never tire of
trying different beans. I love it when I discover new ones. I always drink my
coffee straight-up black. I don’t like flavored brews, which are sins against
nature in my opinion. Shoutout to my hometown roasters, who have produced some
of my all-time favorite coffees.
BAM: It sounds like you’re big into
community. On that note, do you have a writer circle?
Nick: I love being in the company of other creative
people. I’m in a writers’ support group and a manuscript critique group. Both
have helped me focus and write through all the ups and downs of my career.
Plus, I’ve met warm, kind, and loving people in these groups who have become
life-long friends.
BAM: That’s great how you maintained such friendships
through your writing. So, tell me, then, what got you into the craft initially?
Nick: As a boy, I used to go to the public library
and read all the science fiction and fantasy anthologies I could get my hands
on. I loved the shocking new worlds and ideas they introduced me to. It’s hard
to explain the rush I felt when a story captured my imagination and kidnapped
me from the real world. It was magic to me back then, and it made me want to be
a magician.
BAM: Never thought about writers as magicians of
words. Great way to think about the craft. You must come from a creative
family. Any of them writers, too?
Nick: Funny thing. I’m the only one in my family who
became a writer. I don’t think anyone else ever wanted to be one or even
thought about it. When I say family, I mean everyone, not just my immediate
family, but aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc., in the three
generations known to me. I like to think that an ancestor in my distant past
was a storyteller and passed it on to me. I also like to think that I’ll do the
same for some unsuspecting soul in the future. I’ve carried the torch for my
family for a long time. I hope to pass it on someday.
BAM: Hope you get to fulfill such a goal soon and
indeed pass it on. Too many people rely on machines to do everything, even
writing. So, we need more dedicated writers such as yourself in the world. With
this in mind, could you tell me about how you organize writing in your life?
BAM: Well said. I’m sure you could inspire others, why
don’t you tell me 42 words to motivate other writers?
Nick: Unplug your television set. Stop streaming. Give
up social media. Spend that time reading, writing, and talking to people. See
if that improves your health and your life. You’ll be amazed at how clean and bright
you’ll feel. How open. How free.
You can watch Nick read his award-winning story here and on my YouTube channel here.
Social Media
nickdichario.com
