Anne Smith-Nochasak’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Anne Smith-Nochasak. Check out our conversation below.

Anne, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day typically begins between six and seven am with coffee and oatmeal while giving social media a quick glance. After a walk with the dog, I usually catch up on outdoor chores around my woodland home, but by noon I like to be at my desk updating posts and ads, checking the status of my books online, studying the trends for placement time and content online, and designing materials for online and physical markets. Sometimes, though, my dog and I spend the entire morning rambling, as we gather photos of various settings used in my books or simply experience the settings, to better present these in my novels. I like to spend at least three hours an afternoon actively writing and editing while developing a new book, and once the momentum builds, this time slot can extend well into the evening! And initially, a good portion of that writing time is for research. Most Saturdays, I attend physical markets, and some time must be given to preparing for these. In addition, when a new book comes out, I will drive around the region checking in with bookstores. I usually substitute teach two days a week during the school year, at which point the day routine is compressed into the evening. Typically, evenings are for reading, relaxing, and decompressing, but when I am writing, it is hard to stop.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a retired teacher turned independent author. I write fiction set in my home region of Nova Scotia, Canada, and although the settings reflect local geography, they are not truly “local reads.” I strive to represent universal themes and values that I am passionate about, grounded in the settings that I know best. I am currently working on a dystopian trilogy set in the Maritime provinces of Canada in a near future in which there is environmental, social, political, and economic collapse, and an oppressive regime rules the Maritimes and New England (parts of which have survived the cataclysmic events that have shaken the world.) Some readers say it is fast becoming historical fiction. Writing is my focus, but I also spend many hours traveling to and attending book fairs and markets in the region, seeking to connect with readers. Then, of course, there is also the online advertising attached to promoting markets and online sales with an international goal.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child I knew I was a writer. I would start stories that I believed were truly amazing. I imitated the writers I heard in bedtime stories; I also loved dogs and planned and discarded several beginnings involving different breeds, according to my latest interest. The key word is “began.” Each was set aside and then discarded. My parents might smile to see me playing writer, but they instilled early the service roles: nurse or teacher. I wrote stories in school, but I no longer believed in myself as a writer. I was a hard-working student who got good marks in writing.

Strangely, I became a teacher, and it was in writing class that I connected with my students. They loved to write, and so did I. But I was a teacher who conducted good writing classes.

Now, I know better. I am a writer who has suppressed writing all my life, and if I don’t do it now, I never will. I am busy to the point of exhaustion as I also work part-time to meet those continuing expenses as I grow, but first and always, I am a writer. Only now, I am a writer who follows and finishes the story.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wounds of my life centre around emotional abuse. A counselor once described the process of subtle putdowns I received as a child as a gradual erasing of eyes, of mouth, of mind. A gradual erasing of self. I learned that I was very lucky, very loved, and very much in need of guidance. I became very dependent on approval while at the same time harbouring increasing resentment. I doubted everything that seemed good about myself, and depended on others for decisions. Later, this transferred to my marriage, and when I was subjected to extreme emotional abuse, I believed I had caused it, and was encouraged in this belief even by those I was close to. And I knew that those who told me I did not deserve this were wrong. It was only after years of counseling and disciplining myself to ignore the accusing inner voice that I began to surface. I explore these feelings now through my characters as I write, and as I feel compassion for them, I begin to feel it for myself, and believe that I have worth, after all. I believe in them; I believe in me. I witness their healing, and I find mine.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I had an aunt that I was not close to in my early years, but as I began to surface from my own troubles, I learned to appreciate her more and more. I have described her as a “battle axe with a heart of gold”—defiant, outspoken, sometimes intimidating, but always passionate in her love for humanity. She became my mentor and my role model. She was not easy to get along with, but she was always honest, and if you were honest, she respected that. She was the model for the character of the rebel grandmother Flo Hardy in my dystopian trilogy, and I believe she would relish Flo’s defiant spirit.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think some people will believe that I have had a patchwork career as a contract teacher and dabbled in many things in between, and that my writing journey is a disappointing “hobby,” which has produced solid stories but no blockbusters or best sellers. They will see these things and decide that I have done my best, and it is too bad I just couldn’t get it together. Those whose opinions I value, though, will know that I may have missed many things, but I have embraced my dream at last. I am creating stories I believe in and sending them into the world in the best packaging I can provide. Those who like them, like them on their merit. They are the ones who inspire me in this writing journey, and it is for them that I write.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.acanoerofshorelines.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithnochasak/
• Twitter: https://x.com/SmithNochasak
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmithNochasak
• Other: SUBSTACK:

  https://smithnochasak.substack.com/

Image Credits
Photo credit for introductory photo and photo of book display to Leo, fellow vendor, used with permission.

All other photos by me.