In this conversation with Cami Nihipali, a teacher at Kamehameha schools and author who writes under the pen name CL Walters, and I chat about deep things. I didn’t even do an intro on this one. I didn’t have time to. We get right into race relations and what’s going on in the world today. It’s not an easy conversation, but I admire her courage and willingness to go there. She didn’t have to, but she did. You won’t want to miss this one especially if you’re writing about cultures different from your own. I attribute the ease of our talk with Cami’s candidness and vulnerability. Plus we’re both INFJ’s and I love an INFJ. We’re so rare and needed in the world.
I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation which was relevant and insightful, lighthearted, and genuine. She shares the good stuff-all the fears we face as writers and the courageous call we have to confront it. Here’s our conversation. I hope you recognize yourself and your own stories in Cami’s words. I know I did.
The Breakdown
1:50 What it’s like to be a white woman experiencing racial violence and tragedies that make up our American culture, today and historically.
4:15 I share my own personal history and why I’m speaking up now and forever.
9:40 Cami shares what experiences she brings to her stories with Native Hawaiian characters.
11:30 Here’s what you should do if you’re considering writing about characters with a race different from your own.
13:40 What personal challenge pushed Cami to finally become the writer she always dreamed of becoming.
15:00 Cami talks about her first books and describes her writing trajectory.
17:48 “Fear of facing the truth in writing.” Cami makes my heart sing when says this. Yes! This is the difficulty many writers face when deciding to put words on a page.
22:00 What gave Cami the courage to write about a personally difficult topic. For anyone who is writing about their life confronting old skeletons in the closet or talking about biggies like religion, Cami shares all the tools she used to write about it.
24:27 Which books Cami wrote that felt like a calling and why she loves to write YA.
26:00 Is Cami a pantser or plotter? She gives several great resources on how to fill in gaps in your story.
30:00 The fear that doesn’t go away even after you published one book. And her writing routine that can help you complete your own manuscript.
31:42 I ask Cami about freelance editors and beta readers including the interesting way she discovered someone to edit her work.
32:52 She shares why she decided to self-publish her books. I bet we all can relate.
34:20 Cami’s cover won an award and she shares how she found the artist who created it.
35:30 Cami gives great 3 great tips for Indie authors. Plus, a great resource for storytelling, which is one of my favorites as well.
If you’ve fallen in love with Cami as much as I have, you’ll want to find out more about her and her gorgeous books on her website. Or follow her on Instagram with me.
