Interview Q&A with James Nelli
We present our first exclusive Q&A Interview with James Nelli whose literary works have graced our Spillwords pages and earned him the title of June’s 2025 Author of the Month.
- What does it mean to be selected as Author of The Month?
It’s an incredible feeling to be chosen as Author of the Month, especially by a community like Spillwords, which celebrates such a diverse range of voices. I feel this recognition isn’t just about one person’s writing. it’s about the power of community, encouragement, and shared creative energy. I feel appreciated, supported, and inspired to keep growing alongside other talented writers. I’m deeply grateful to the editors, the community, and especially the readers who found something of value in what I’ve shared. This acknowledgment strengthens my commitment to storytelling and encourages me to keep exploring new creative ideas.
- How have your friends and/or family influenced your writing?
I’m fortunate to have family and friends who believe in my writing even when I question it myself. Much of my inspiration comes from observing the people closest to me. Their lives, resilience, quirks, struggles, and the emotional weight of shared experiences often subtly find their way into the stories and characters I create. Their encouragement, constructive criticism and support have been invaluable. Sometimes it’s a simple “Keep going,” other times it’s an honest critique or a conversation that sparks a new idea. They keep me grounded and remind me that writing is not only creating a good plot, but also about making an emotional connection with the reader.
- What inspires and motivates you to write?
Storytelling has always been a kind of therapy for me. I love transforming memories, emotions, and imagination into something unique. I’m inspired by the idea that one well-crafted sentence can change the way someone sees the world or themselves. The possibility of generating a specific emotion and reaching someone quietly and unexpectedly is enough to keep me writing. I don’t always know what I’m looking for when I start writing, but something in me needs to discover that special character or situation that draws a reader deeper into the story. That’s what keeps me going. Even when it’s hard, that potential makes it worth the effort.
- Can you tell us about the catalyst that sparked your writing journey?
I didn’t set out to become a writer. It happened slowly, accidentally through journal entries, late-night thoughts, and scribbled ideas that wouldn’t let go. I started writing for publication late in life after I had completed a forty year business career. The catalyst wasn’t one big moment, but a quiet accumulation of small ones after I retired. Eventually, I realized writing wasn’t just something I did. It was how I processed life, how I remembered certain events, how I faced personal challenges, and how I interacted with people in unique and emotionally driven ways. Once I gained readership for my stories, there was no turning back. I was hooked!
- Please share a glimpse into your writing process.
Honestly, my writing process is more chaos than control. Ideas hit at all hours, during a round of golf, in the shower, while half-asleep, and I jot them down wherever I can. Drafting my stories is always messy, nonlinear, and full of random ideas. But when these ideas, characters and themes finally begin to come together, I’m relentless when it comes to revision. The shaping of sentences, the balance of rhythm and meaning, that’s where the real writing happens for me. I love the challenge of making something precise and beautiful out of chaos. I enjoy crafting sentences that strike just the right tone and emotion. The first draft is survival, and everything after that is craft. When the words finally land the way I intended, it’s like solving a puzzle that only I knew existed. I feel like I’m getting better at the craft everyday.
- What do you find most fulfilling about the act of writing?
What I find most fulfilling about writing is the clarity it brings. It allows me to name what I’m feeling, to untangle memory and emotion, and to discover meaning I didn’t know was there. When someone reads it and says, “I’ve felt that too,” there’s nothing more rewarding. It means I’ve bridged the invisible gap between reader and author. Writing is also where I feel most free. It’s the one place where I can explore ideas, voices, and emotions without boundaries. That sense of creative discovery is endlessly addictive. It’s adrenaline for my soul.
- How does the use of imagery contribute to conveying your story?
Imagery is what allows me to create a unique emotional atmosphere for my stories. Imagery anchors the reader in a specific moment and helps create what a character sees and feels, even when they don’t say it out loud. A snow covered street, the way light hits an empty chair, the sound of creaking floorboards, the smell of burnt coffee. These sensory details do the quiet work of storytelling. I like to believe that what the character sees becomes what the reader remembers. These details invite the reader not just to know what’s happening, but to feel it too. Ultimately, I believe imagery brings a story to life and keeps it breathing.
- What is your favorite reading genre?
My favorite reading genre falls somewhere between classic American literature and realist fiction. These stories are grounded in grit, longing, and the human condition. I’m drawn to writers like Hemingway, London, Fitzgerald, and Steinbeck because they don’t just tell stories. They reveal what it means to survive, to dream, to lose, and to endure. Their prose range from lean and muscular to lyrical and raw, but all of it is emotionally honest. I return to their writing not just for the plots, but for the voice, the atmosphere, and the truth in every line. That’s the kind of writing that stays with me and the kind I strive to create. I’m drawn to stories that explore the quiet complexities of human emotion, relationships, and memory. I love how literary fiction lingers in the gray areas of life, asking more questions than it answers. It slows me down in the best way, reminding me of the beauty and difficulty of being alive. This genre is never superficial, and rarely predictable.
- What human being has inspired you the most?
The person who has inspired me most is my father. He was a depression baby and didn’t have an easy life. He was someone who never asked to be noticed. He faced life with resolve, worked hard without complaint, loved his family, and faced life’s difficulties with a kind of strength that didn’t need to be loud. Like the characters in a Hemingway or Steinbeck story, he believed in showing up, staying honest, and doing the best you could with what you had. His example still guides me not only in life, but in the kind of stories I try to tell.
- What message would you have for the Spillwords Press community that voted for you?
I want to thank the entire Spillwords Press community for your support and belief in my work. Being chosen by readers and fellow writers is one of the greatest honors a writer can receive because it means my words resonated beyond the page. Your votes are a reminder that storytelling is a shared experience built on connection, empathy, and trust. I’m inspired to keep writing, exploring, and growing because of you. This community’s passion for authentic voices and meaningful stories is what makes Spillwords so special, and I’m truly grateful to be a part of it.
- What would you like your legacy as a writer to be?
I’d like my legacy to be that of a writer who told honest stories that captured the complexities of life with empathy, emotion and truth. If my writing continues to resonate, to offer comfort, and evoke emotion long after I’m gone, then I will have done my part.
- Is there anything else you would like to add?
I just want to express my sincere gratitude once again to the Spillwords Press community for this incredible opportunity. Writing can sometimes feel like a solitary pursuit, but being part of this vibrant, supportive group reminds me how much connection matters. I look forward to continuing this journey alongside fellow writers and readers who inspire me every day.
- Interview Q&A With James Nelli - July 17, 2025
- Taps on The Ceiling - June 15, 2025
- Finding Refuge - January 28, 2025
