Published in the NEW LITERARY SOCIETY by Julia Kalman, on February 10. 2024.
Motto: Writing, showing the world something intimate, and unique, is an act of courage.
1. That Special Moment
One fine day, you started writing stories. How did it happen exactly?
N.C.I.: In 1996, I established a charitable organization called Real People, aiming to provide material assistance to underprivileged people, particularly children with AIDS, physical or mental disability, and street children.
Two years later, I created a weekly social newspaper with the same name, hoping to bridge the gap between the fortunate and the less fortunate.
As director of the newspaper, I began writing, starting with the lead piece, and progressing to short essays and stories about Constanța and its people.
This activity enthralled me.
In 2005, I released my first book, Letters with the Scent of Waves.
Today, I’m the author of 18 books, including three series (5 books in total) now available in English.
2. Art Is Work
What does your work as a writer consist of?
N.C.I.: Yes, exactly! If you’re not rigorous in your work and put off a project you’ve set out to do, if you get caught up in the commonplace and can’t evoke emotion when you write, then it’s best to do something else…
3. Without Projects, There Is No Future
What are your representative projects? What projects are you working on?
N.C.I.: A plan is created before any work begins. In all of my works, I have endeavored to be alive, to speak directly to the souls of those who read them.
A collection of stories or a novel requires thorough research work structured in space and time, followed by the author’s ability to build tensions between the book’s characters, so giving life to the project.
I am currently working on another personal challenge — the book I Believe in Angels.
4. The Scent of Creation
Describe a scent that immediately transports you to a moment of inspiration or creativity. What emotions does it evoke, and how does it influence your creative process?
N.C.I.: I have spent my entire life on the Black Sea shore, at Constanța…
This is where I first learned about the world, fell in love for the first time, experienced loss, and celebrated success.
The scent of waves, seaweed, shells, salty and deep water, shores, rocks, sand, fish and mystery, hope, white seagulls in flight, and innocent kisses of lovers on the seashore accompanies everyone who lives here, including me.
In my books, the sea is a distinguishing aspect that I will never abandon.
It’s like a charming spell that stimulates and calms my soul.
5. Ink and Intimacy
If your writing style were a tactile experience, what texture would it be?
N.C.I.: How does the act of putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard make you feel on a deeply personal level?
How does the act of putting the pen on paper or fingers on the keyboard make you feel, at a deeply personal level?
I don’t think I’m any more special than others in this regard… yet 7 years ago, when I was in Manchester, England, my younger son Robert got me a cherry wood pen and a bag of refills, which I still have.
I begin the planning and research for a new book with a pen, always prompted by an emotion… then, when I start working on the laptop, my fingers know exactly what to do, inspiration being as natural as breathing.
6. The Harmony of Silence
Think about a moment when silence spoke louder than words in your creative journey. What were the circumstances, and how did it shape your understanding of your craft?
N.C.I.: Yes, of course. It happened when I wrote a large collection of stories titled Seventeen. Why seventeen? Because I share 17 stories about 17 young individuals, both boys and girls, who have reached the age of 17.
When I only had six more pieces to write, based on what I had previously written, I just blocked for the first time… I couldn’t write any more lines, not even one letter.
Later, I discovered by chance that it would be about the “marathon wall”.
The marathon is unquestionably the queen of high-level athletic competitions, a 42.195 km long-distance running event named after the legend of the Greek soldier Philippides, a messenger of the Greek city-states who brought news of victory over the Persians to Athens in the Battle of Marathon.
“We have won!” he exclaimed at the end of his continuous run, before collapsing breathless…
Today, the marathon, a significant endurance athletic event, is far from accessible to everyone.
Even the greatest athletes can be hit by the mythical marathon wall.
Simply put, when they still have to run 7 or 10 kilometers to the finish line, they collapse to the ground, unable to move even a centimeter, due to exhaustion, both physical and mental.
This is exactly what happened to me.
For the first time since I began writing, I became blocked, as if I would never be able to recover.
Then I left the house to witness the people and the sea that surrounds Constanța from three sides, including the waves, coastlines, breakwaters, and seagulls gliding in flight.
Silence spoke to me…
As a high-performance athlete in my youth, I was taught to win every time.
I learned never to give up and to fight till the end.
7. The Palette of Dreams
Imagine your creative mind as a painter’s palette. What colors dominate your artistic spectrum, and how do they represent the different facets of your imagination?
N.C.I.: My color palette is simple.
I prefer bright, vibrant hues that appear to have something to say…
But when I write, I am carried away by waves of pastel imagery that speak of peace, optimism, and love.
8. The Quill of Vulnerability
If your creative expression were a handwritten letter to your inner self, what truths and vulnerabilities would it unveil? How does the act of exposing your innermost thoughts contribute to your artistic identity?
N.C.I.: Even if the world has changed dramatically in recent years, crossing the threshold into reality and realities in all human realms of knowledge, including love between girls and boys and the connection of respect between children and parents, I have remained an incurable romantic…
For me, love is about the heart and soul; for others, particularly young people, this lovely sensation is associated with sex.
That is why, when I write, my characters understand the difference between a night of sex and everlasting love.
9. Symphony of Shadows
Consider a character or theme in your work that embodies the shadows of your own psyche. What does this shadow teach you about your fears, desires, or unexplored dimensions of your creativity?
Is that the case?
N.C.I.: Yes, such characters exist, but I have always punished them exemplarily, thus I have never allowed such evil beings to evolve.
About anxieties, I learned from infancy… there was a moment when I had no one to defend me, but over time, I learned to overcome my fears and handle my own problems via experiences that were sometimes impossible to avoid.
10. Echoes of Childhood Whispers
Recall a childhood memory that resonates with you as a writer. How do the echoes of your early experiences manifest in your work today?
N.C.I.: My father orphaned me when I was four years old.
My mother would go to work at 4 a.m. and not return until around six p.m.
For years, I remember my mother grieving for my father and chanting, “Costică, Costicăă, you died and left me with two boys!”
Then, immobilized and attached to my younger brother, George, I reminded myself not to damage a female, never…
In my books, girls and moms are loved, respected, and safe from abuse.
11. Melodies of Memory
If your memories were composed as a musical score, what instrument would represent your most cherished creative recollections? How does the melody of your past influence the composition of your present work?
N.C.I.: At first, I preferred simple songs that were easy to sing and remember.
I played the guitar and even practiced singing for a bit.
Then I found the violin and piano…
This has fascinated me my entire life; I am a devoted music enthusiast.
Listening to old classical music helped me develop the ability to construct mental images that I was able to put on paper.
Five years ago, I created a two-volume novel named An American Story of Love, War, and Revenge, which was mostly inspired by “ADAGIO” — a musical composition composed by Albinoni about 200 years ago.
12. The Dance of Syntax
If your writing style were a dance, what would be the rhythm and tempo? How does the cadence of your sentences mirror the beating of your creative heart?
N.C.I.: Since 2000, I’ve stated unequivocally that I’m a romantic lost in today’s society and the past.
But, to be entirely honest, I’ve never enjoyed loud, metallic, screaming music.
Slow music with soul-stirring words has always quietly transported me to the most intimate aspects of our existence…
My musical preferences have remained consistent until today, whether at home, in my personal automobile, or at public concerts.
In this regard, I was relieved to learn that I am not alone and that others, both men and women, share my sentiments.
When I write, this type of music inspires my imagination, transporting me to a world, typically better than the one I live in, where my characters value truth, honor, and the courage to never give up.
13. Admiration Exercises
Which writers do you admire? What are your favorite books?
N.C.I.: I’ve been reading my entire life…
I trembled, sobbed, laughed, and then trembled again.
Many authors have found their way into my heart and will never be forgotten.
Ernest Hemingway, Michael Ondaatje, Alexandre Dumas, Albert Camus, Victor Hugo, Honore de Balzac, Jane Austen, Emile Zola, Lev Tolstoy, Homer, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Daniel Defoe, Theodore Dreiser, Emily Bronte, and countless others…
Like everybody who reads, I have my favorites: “The English Patient”, “Wuthering Heights”, “The Count of Monte Cristo”, “Les Misérables”, “Pride and Prejudice”, “The Iliad”, and “Odyssey”, among many more…
14. An Indiscreet Question
With which influential author or inspirational figure from life, past or present, would you most like to share a cup of tea and a captivating conversation?
N.C.I.: Without thinking, I’ll say this: Ernest Hemingway!
15. A Story in Ten Words
N.C.I.: Maria, my eternal love, I loved and forever love you.
16. A Favorite Fragment from Your Works
N.C.I.: This is an excerpt from the novel: “A Gentle Spring Wind Was Blowing.”
— How do you feel right now? Is your blood still flowing?
— No, Marița bandaged me up, and he pointed to a lovely gypsy girl.
— So, what is your name?
— Alain Delon…
— What, really?…
— Yes, that is his name, the gypsy girl promptly responded; have you heard of this name before? Look, the one in the corner is called Belmondo, the one on the edge, she pointed out, Jacky Chan, the one next to him, Florin Persic… can’t we have these names?
— Okay, okay, I understand, Maxi responded sincerely, suppressing a laugh as much as he could. Let us go on; I don’t have time for bullshit.
— Have you checked what’s in the bag?
— No, we are not authorized…
— Do not make me mad, okay? What did you see when you opened his bag containing “dough”?
— A little brown ladies’ purse containing around ten wallets, five wristwatches, necklaces, bracelets, money, and two rings…
17. Contact Information
How can you be contacted?
N.C.I.: naniulian48@gmail.com
18. Blog/Author Page/Social Media Profile
Where can we read your works?
N.C.I.: For Romanian and English editions of my books, please contact the bookstore Prăvălia cu Cărți, on Ştefan cel Mare Street in Constanța, or me directly.
19. What exactly would you like to convey to a fellow writer/editor/screenwriter/film producer?
N.C.I.: Three of my novels are available in English. I am open to collaborating. Reach out.
Present your works in a few words.
N.C.I.: “Don’t Shed No Tears, Brother” is a romance drama inspired by the 1950s tuberculosis pandemic, depicting the separation of families, hospitalized patients, and orphaned children.
The plot alternates between an adult love tale and a teenage love story, depicting the drama produced by illness, family alienation, and difficult conditions ranging from a shortage of food to cruel punishments faced by youngsters locked in boxes and attacked by rats.
N.C.I.: Born on the Dark Side is also a romance drama but draws inspiration from the Romanian Revolution of 1990 and incorporates historical aspects.
N.C.I.: American Story of Love, War, and Revenge is a two-volume military romantic drama inspired by the Vietnam War. It contains aspects of horror.
20. Embers of Endings
Envision the conclusion of a significant project. How do you feel as you pen the final words or brush the last strokes? What is the emotional resonance of completion, and how does it influence your anticipation for the next artistic endeavor?
N.C.I.: Happy, emotional, yet tormented by the dread that I had forgotten to add something… I believe I feel the same terror as a woman who has given birth and is counting the digits of her child…
Julia Kalman 
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