Q&A with Nathan Yacos, Novelist
Please welcome Nathan Yacos to our Featured Author Q&A series at Writer’s Fun Zone. Enjoy!
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About Nathan Yacos
Nathan Yacos has a Masters in Special Education, a Undergraduate Degree in Political Science, and over 25 years of teaching experience. He is a satiric screenwriter and self-professed political junkie.
Colette Freedman is a screenwriter, novelist and playwright. She is an internationally produced playwright with over 50 produced plays and musicals including Mozart: Her Story the Musical which played at Carnegie Hall and on London’s West End. Her play Sister Cities has been produced around the country and internationally over 100 times, including Paris (Une Ville, UneSoeur), Rome (Le Quattro Sorelle), England and Australia. She also wrote the novel and the film adaptations, which stars Jacki Weaver and Alfred Molina. She has produced and written several films including And Then There Was Eve, Miles Underwater and 7,000 Miles starring Wendie Malick about Amelia Earhart. A professor who has authored ten books, she is thrilled to dip her toe into transgressive fiction. www.colettefreedman.com
Editor’s note: While this post is co-authored by Colette Freedman and Nathan Yacos, Nathan is the one who has provided the answers in this interview.
On to Our Interview with Nathan Yacos and Colette Freedman!
Q. Nathan Yacos, Tell us who you are and what inspires you to write.
A. I am a proud husband and father. My family and I love vacationing by the ocean, where we can appreciate its peaceful serenity. I enjoy watching classic movies and staying informed about current political events.
As a veteran special educator with over 25 years of experience, I passionately advocate for the unrepresented, underprivileged, and underserved.
I actively engage in cultural discussions through writing, using satirical comedy as my powerful tool.
I boldly challenge societal norms and values, aiming to inspire my readers to reflect on their beliefs through storytelling.
Q. Nathan Yacos, How did you get to this place in your life?
A. My professional journey began as a direct care staff member at an Albany, New York, residential group home. I admire individuals with disabilities and the dedicated professionals in this field.
This experience led me to become a job coach for adults with autism, fueling my passion and inspiring me to pursue a master’s degree in special education.
Today, while still serving as a special educator, I am focused on writing satirical screenplays and exploring various storytelling mediums, including stage plays and film.
I believe that stories can inspire and connect us, and I strive to achieve that goal.
Q. What are you most passionate about?
A. I am passionate about equality, education, and civic duty. These are fundamental principles that define a just society.
The rights of all individuals, especially those with disabilities or special needs, have often been marginalized due to a widespread perception of an individual’s worth.
I firmly believe that a nation’s actual value is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and marginalized communities.
Each of us should have a civic responsibility for advocating for equality and supporting those who cannot advocate for themselves.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, routine, and/or rituals around your writing?
A. My writing process is flexible and intuitive, allowing the story and characters to unfold gradually. Instead of adhering to a strict routine or timeline, my best ideas emerge when I am relaxed and free in my thoughts, often late at night or early in the morning.
Each story begins with a unique idea, usually featuring a main character facing a personal or societal challenge. I create a rough outline consisting of three acts and around 40 scenes, taking time to reflect on it. It serves as an art canvas that I fill in over time.
Getting to know my main characters is crucial; I focus on understanding their values, voices, and interactions with others. I prioritize writing the scenes that come naturally to me, mainly those rich in dialogue and conflict, as they help bring the characters to life.
Music is essential to my writing environment, as it helps me connect with the characters’ moods, thoughts, and emotions. I enjoy various genres, including R&B, jazz, classic rock, Latin rock, and 1970s oldies, which inspire my creativity.
I’ve also discovered that yard work is an excellent time to think through and process story ideas while mowing the lawn, or gardening.
Q. What are a few challenges you faced in creating, marketing, or publishing your creative work? And your solutions to them.
A. Embracing quirky and humorous dialogue ideas can sometimes be a challenge. Still, I’ve realized the importance of letting go and jotting down all concepts to consider later rather than dismissing them based on the current storyline draft.
Achieving a relaxed mindset is essential before I start writing scenes and dialogue. In this state, my thoughts and imagination flow more freely, allowing the characters to engage in improvisational dialogue as if performing a comedy routine.
The dialogue may come out raw, crude, or rude, but it must be genuinely funny and accurate to the character. I must avoid obsessing over how my writing sounds or how the public might perceive its message.
Additionally, letting go means recognizing when the story feels complete. It involves knowing when the characters and plot have been fully developed and their narratives effectively communicated. Ultimately, it’s about saying goodbye to the characters once the story concludes.
Q. What do you wish you had known before you started writing fiction?
A. Refrain from being swayed by the misconceptions surrounding writing. It’s important to understand that writing is not an impossible challenge reserved for those with innate talent. Rather, it is a skill that can be developed and refined over time, just like any other profession.
To become a successful writer, one must possess a genuine passion for writing and dedicate substantial time to learning and mastering the craft with unbridled enthusiasm. This means immersing yourself in various writing styles, understanding your audience, and actively seeking feedback to improve your work. Never stop learning.
It’s essential to grasp the fundamental principles that define excellent writing, such as structure, character development, and the art of storytelling. Studying these elements and adhering to a consistent writing practice will strengthen your abilities.
Remember, like any skill, writing is acquired through practice and perseverance. You’ll discover that the more you write, the better you understand your unique voice and style. Embrace the learning journey by doing, and your writing will flourish over time.
Q. What’s next for you in your creative work?
A. I’m currently developing a dark social satire titled “Daisy.” The story centers around a once-famous child star whose rise to fame mirrors the energy and nostalgia of classic yearly telethon productions, much like those hosted by Jerry Lewis. Daisy captivates audiences as the telethon’s shining star, effortlessly charming viewers with her endearing “Bicycle Built for Two” act.
However, as time passes and she grows older, Daisy finds herself in a challenging transition. No longer able to portray the adorable “cute girl” that audiences adore, she faces the harsh reality of aging out of the persona that brought her fame.
At this stage in her life, she is far too mature to continue riding a tricycle, but she reveals a more chaotic and rebellious nature behind the scenes, living up to her reputation as quite a handful.
The narrative delves deeply into the theme of corporate greed, exposing the sinister underbelly of the entertainment industry and how it exploits young talent. Through Daisy’s journey, the story critiques the relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of genuine artistry and the lives of the performers. This project is still in the works, and I look forward to refining it further.
Q. Is there anything else you wished I’d asked?
A. What keeps me awake at night?
What keeps me awake at night is the profoundly unsettling outcome of an election that resulted in the ascension of a narcissistic, male chauvinist sociopath — a convicted felon — to the highest office in the land. This troubling decision poses a significant threat to our fundamental rights and freedoms, notably the essential principle of free expression, which is the cornerstone of a democratic society.
I am equally alarmed by the potential consequences of this leadership on educational funding, which could severely limit the resources and opportunities available to individuals with special needs. The prospect of increased government interference in a woman’s right to make choices about her own body is also a grave concern.
Moreover, I worry about the ongoing marginalization and discrimination faced by minority groups, especially within the LGBTQ+ community, who continue to be vilified and dehumanized. We must passionately advocate for a society that protects and uplifts everyone, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.
As Ted Tugnutt — a militant optimist — embarks on an unexpected journey of self-discovery, he meets an eclectic cast of characters who catapult his life into chaos. From a coked-up nun to a duck-obsessed billionaire, Ted’s mediocre existence metamorphoses into a butterfly effect of subversive events, upending societal norms in ways he never could have imagined.
With sardonic humor and sharp-witted satire, this book serves as a love letter to women’s rights, LGBQT+ rights, animal rights, and freedom of speech in an increasingly polarized world. Ted’s transformation proves that weird is infinitely better than mediocre, and sometimes, to get to heaven, you’ve got to spend a long time in hell.
Connect with the authors, Nathan Yacos and Colette Freedman
Site Link https://colettefreedman.com/writing/books/tugnutts-creek/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tugnuttscreek
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tugnuttscreek/
