Better Know An Author – Ville Nummenpää
Our weekly spotlight series on authors from around the world. This week we sat down with Ville Nummenpää!
Please give a brief introduction, including your name and where you are based
My name is Ville Nummenpää, a novelist and a screenwriter from Finland. A family guy with a a cat and a dog. A somewhat guitar player with a passion for metal music.
What book or books have you published or are working on at the moment?
I have four books out now. Two gritty crime novels and two books of goofy bedtime stories. These two worlds could not be further apart from each other. The kids’ books are illustrated by an old school buddy, Hende Nieminen. A third installment in that series will be out in October -22, and a third crime novel is in the works too. Most likely out in spring -23.
What drives you to write?
At the risk of sounding like a real cliche, it is an actual need. I’m only happy when creating. While it’s not always easy, it’s still the best feeling in the world to fill blank pages with something that didn’t exist a moment ago. Regardless of the format or the genre, I spend a huge amount of my time in fictional worlds. To learn later, that a piece of fiction I wrote touched somebody’s nerve is unbelievably gratifying. Achieving in comedy is particularily satisfying. (You can call that overcompensation, since I’m not funny in real life.)
Where can folks find you online and on social media?
I’m dreadfully allergic to Facebook etc. I know they are all useful promoting yourself, but…
LinkedIn has been good to me and doesn’t feel so toxic and egocentric. Happy to connect with like-minded creative folks there, just hit me up. Stage32 is a wonderful service. Script Revolution is a fantastic service and community for aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers. I’m easy to connect with there too.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-nummenp%C3%A4%C3%A4-6019065b/
https://www.scriptrevolution.com/profiles/ville-nummenp%C3%A4%C3%A4
https://www.stage32.com/profile/653759
What is one piece of advice you would give to another author out there who might be struggling?
If you’re struggling with rejection, I hear you. Just remember, we have chosen this path. This path is 99% rejection and we all get used to it in no time. If you send your story to fifty places, get 49 no’s, but number 50 is a yes, guess which weights more.
If you’re struggling financially, oh boy do I hear you. I’ve had a couple of ok paydays in my short career, but mainly it’s a struggle. On a couple of occasions things have almost looked good. A project in the works, many more in the pipeline almost greenlit (TV, theater)… But then they all fall down like dominoes. That’s just how it is, get used to it. Hmm, this is supposed to be uplifting, but sounds awful? The point is: Start over and always be working. It’s good to have a lot material in your back pocket.
What are some of your five-year goals with writing?
There’s a lot of stuff in the drawer, it hasn’t closed in a long time. I’m really optimistic and driven in getting more of my scripts read internationally. I’ve learned it’s not completely impossible, only really, really difficult. That means possible. I’m hoping to continue as a novelist too. My books have found an audience, but on a marginal level. Hopefully each published book comes out with a slightly bigger bang. Working in audio-format is also exciting. Having scratched the surface in that field, I’m hoping to scratch some more in the future.
Final Thoughts?
Every now and again someone introduces you to another ‘hard rule’ in writing. They are all worth considering, and considering them is a way to consider your motives as a writer. If you’re enjoying your work, you’ll end up breaking a lot of them (and it feels good). But there’s one hard rule I do my best to never break: Don’t be boring.
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