I am thrilled to have interviewed author Vanessa Nitsche, who shared with us details of her writing life, her book ‘Cocoa the Cat‘, which was released on 31st January 2022, and answered a few fun questions. This post contains affiliate links.

Vanessa Nitsche is a writer and actress born in London. After attending school in Germany, she returned to the United Kingdom in 1991 to attend university, where she obtained a PhD in viral oncology. Since then, she has worked as a science writer, scriptwriter and as an actress. ‘Cocoa the Cat’ is her first book title.

Suddenly my life became very small and what was happening in my garden became the centre of my world. ‘Cocoa the Cat’ is the story of an unlikely friendship between a stray cat and a lonely, anxious woman.

With good old-fashioned pen and paper.

Right at the end. In the first draft of the book the feline character had a different name, but it didn’t quite work, so I changed the name to Cocoa at proof stage. That decision came from me, not from my publisher – in fact, I probably made my publisher’s life more difficult by making such a last-minute change!

The name Cocoa has a universal ring to it – and the story is a universal story that, I hope, will resonate with many people.

I observed what was happening in my garden and put it into words.

I did not choose it, to be honest – my publisher did. I did not decide to write a children’s book. I tell stories that I connect with emotionally and that I feel compelled to write down – that’s all I do. I don’t write with the intention of targeting a particular audience. ‘Cocoa the Cat’ is a book that will appeal to people of all ages.

‘Cocoa the Cat’ was written in the spring of 2020. It was published in January 2022. It was important to me to have illustrations that were atmospheric rather than cartoon-ish, so getting that right was a time-consuming process.

Uplifting, heart-warming, honest

Finding something that you feel inspired enough to write about. A story that you feel just needs to be told. Everything else just flows from there.

It is an uplifting book that may resonate with anyone who feels isolated or anxious. It is a gentle reminder that friends can be found in the unlikeliest of places, whatever the situation, if you take a moment to see what is right in front of you.

I do – a domestic short hair whose name I cannot reveal because he values his privacy. Suffice to say, without him ‘Cocoa the Cat’ would not have been possible. Pets are the best writing buddies in the world, particularly cats. Writing is a quiet, solitary activity and cats don’t like noise, so writers and cats can happily co-exist.

As I have mentioned already, I tend to do my writing on paper rather than on a laptop. When I am happy with what I have written on paper I transfer everything over to my laptop. Time-consuming, I know, but that way I feel I can give every word the attention it deserves.

At home, in no particular location – I can write on the sofa, in bed or at my desk. I just need it to be quiet.

The real question is: Who would play Cocoa the Cat? There are animal talent agencies, of course, but I am not entirely convinced that they’d be able to provide a feline actor able to deliver Cocoa’s unique blend of aggressiveness and vulnerability. I think an animated film may be our only option.

‘Three birds, one frog and an assortment of slugs? Too-wit too-woo, so good to see the little fellow has finally found a home – he was cramping my style!’

A big thank you to Vanessa Nitsche for sharing her writing life with us and for a wonderful interview.