September Issue - On Writing

INK DRIFT MAGAZINE
Oksana Marafioti: It was really a fun project!
The book is a collection of short stories inspired
by vintage Las Vegas photographs. All of the
contributing writers, including myself, are or
were Las Vegas residents. My story was about a
gambling man who faces the devil in the form
of a beautiful woman. I loved writing for the
collection, especially because I got to meet the
amazing writers who also contributed to it. It
also helped me see Las Vegas beyond all the stereotypes
attached to it.
Nikita D’Monte: Does the blend of being in
America and being of Armenian and Romani
descent find a way into your work in the form of
varied perspectives etc.?
Oksana Marafioti: Absolutely. I don’t believe in
trying to escape one’s heritage. In fact, I think
it’s something precious and what makes us truly
unique. I’m all of the nationalities inside me,
and no one can change that or say otherwise.
Every language opens a door into a new culture
and gives a multi layered perspective on the
world. These various perspectives help guide me
in my writing by keeping my mind open to the
stunningly complex reality we live in.
Nikita D’Monte: How difficult or easy is it to
publish a book in a technology governed world?
Oksana Marafioti: Nowadays, self-publishing
has become much easier, although traditional
publishing is still just as challenging as it was
before. It’s still about the quality of the book. If
you took time to work on it, making it the best
possible book, you will probably be successful
regardless of the platform.
Nikita D’Monte: Would you like to talk about
any dream writing projects or any projects you
are currently working on?
Oksana Marafioti: Presently, I am working on
a short story collection of anthropomorphic
translations of animal behavior into human
situations. My purpose is to show how similar
we are to the rest of the living creatures on this
planet, and to possibly bring a better understanding
of our place among them.
Nikita D’Monte: What’s your mantra for tough
times?
Oksana Marafioti: For the past year, I’ve been
listening to lectures by Sadhguru, a yogi mystic.
In one of his talks, he mentioned how much
easier it would be if during unhappy times we
could remember that we are all mortal. It resonated
with me. “I am mortal” has become my
mantra ever since.
Nikita D’Monte: Any word of advice for our
young and budding writers in the world?
Oksana Marafioti: Create space in your life
for writing. It will never happen by itself. There
will never be the perfect time to write. Life will
always get in the way. If you wait, you might
never get the chance to write at all. You need to
physically make writing a part of your routine.
This is the hardest step, and what differentiates
amateur writers from professionals. Once you’ve
done this, don’t feel guilty about hanging out in
that space.
Nikita D’Monte: What is your take on Writers
Block?
Oksana Marafioti: It’s an interesting idea, but
I don’t think it exists. If a piece of writing isn’t
working, it’s usually because there’s an internal
problem we choose to ignore. That feeling of a
writer’s block, is our mind’s way of telling us to
go back and revise or restructure.
Nikita D’Monte: What according to you is the
most difficult part of writing fiction of any form?
Oksana Marafioti: Consistency, for sure. It
takes real commitment and patience to work on
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