Natasha Rocca Devine is some woman for one woman.
She has a Masters in Journalism and Media Communications as well as a Masters in Interior Architecture. She also set up online company NRD Production and put together a self-awareness book entitled Awareness; Creating Your Own Balance in Life.
But that’s enough about what Natasha has done in the past, we caught up with her to find out all about her first fiction novel, The Industry, which she describes as “energetic, exciting and emotional.”
Natasha on…
The Industry
It’s based on a young girl who is 20 and has gone to London. She’s in a dance studio so it touches on the life of a performer and the pressures that come with that but it’s intertwined with love stories as well. She has a blog which is what you follow throughout the book and she’s just trying to break it really. It covers the highs and lows of her careers. I wanted to use social media as well because I feel nobody has done that and it’s very current and I really wanted to bring the contemporary world into the book along with the challenges people are facing.
It is a trilogy. In fact, I’m already on the next book and have started the first few chapters. It’s the same characters and I started writing the book so that it was a journey. I always knew that was going to happen. In the first book, I’m only getting into the characters so there’s still a lot more to come for these characters!
Her Audience
I wrote my first book Awareness and it’s like an A-Z life guide for balance. It’s got lots of different people in it and quotes which I can turn to but it’s not just about me. I want this book to also relate to people and affect people. I don’t want to cut off anyone. I want everyone to understand this book. It could be anyone, breaking into the office or breaking into Hollywood, it’s the same dynamic. This book is very broad and it can affect anyone.
There are layers to it but it’s also very light-hearted. There’s also a lot of humour in it. I’m not funny, just to be clear. I’ve a very dry humour but I’m hoping the characters, which I’ve developed, are funny. I think it’s important to pick up a book and escape from reality, just to sit down and laugh and get caught up in something. That’s what I want.
Fame
I’m just fascinated by how everyone wants to be famous now and I love the fact that everyone has a voice on Twitter but there’s also this element of where does your private life stop and where does your public life start? I’m just fascinated by fame and I’m fascinated by media, in which I’ve worked for years and know, and the industry. I think this novel is a mirror on the whole world. It’s a microcosm of what’s happening all around us.
Writing the Book
I was working full-time while I was writing which was a major challenge. I had no choice and because I’m very creative, I would just pick it up and write when inspiration came, no matter what time it was. But getting up in the morning and writing, that’s the ideal for me. I think everyone, at some point in their lives, has to juggle things and when this idea came to me, I knew I just had to do it.
My tip for aspiring authors would be to be authentic and be yourself. Draw on what you have. I don’t mean to use personal experiences but drawing on what you have makes it easier to write. Don’t write something because it’s on the market, write what’s authentic to you. Once you have the connection, you’ll want to write late at night and I think it’s also important to study. You have to be open to that side of things. You have to constantly challenge yourself.
Awareness; Creating Your Own Balance in Life
It’s a self-improvement book. I was in a coma when I was 19 after a really bad car accident so over the years I would keep journals and photographs. In a sense it’s like a diary of things that help me but it’s much more structured and I did a lot of research. It has photographs, positive quotes, those sorts of things. It’s about getting through bad times and keeping things in balance. It’s a bit of a hybrid book and it was a very creative project which I just wanted to do.
Her Next Project
I’m designing a set of children’s books because I do graphics and painting and I have an idea for that. I also have a lot of children in my family so I’m going to move onto that this year. I would prefer to keep my graphics up because I like designing and children’s books suit my skills but I’ll stay open to everything, whatever happens, and keep the fiction up as well.
Her Favourite Books
I love old school. My favourite book ever is Pride and Prejudice because I think it’s so current but I loved One Day and Life of Pi. Because I love people, I love psychology books and spiritual readings too. I like Cecelia Ahern and Marian Keyes. I think she’s really funny and is brilliant on Twitter. I like Steinbeck too. I literally will read anything and everything. I’m also fascinated by autobiographies because they’re a different style.
The Industry is available to buy now and can be ordered from all good bookshops and online retailers. To find out more about Natasha Rocca Devine and her work, check out her website here.
