On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, Kathryn Rossati discusses her heartwarming new middle-grade novel, Naturally Nick—a captivating time-travel adventure where a neurodivergent girl rediscovers her passion for magic while teaming up with a Victorian boy to solve a thrilling mystery of vanished children at the historic Thames Tunnel Fancy Fair.
Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed Kathryn Rossati about her life and career, the inspiration behind her new novel, Naturally Nic/K, and her creative writing process.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
I’m a neurodivergent and disabled novelist and poet, with most of my novels aimed at middle grade and young adult readers. I love writing all types of fantasy, along with speculative and historical fiction. My poetry is suitable for readers of all ages, and themes vary from exploring my neurodiversity to appreciating the wonders of nature. Recently, I was commissioned to write a piece about part of the Isle of Wight National Landscape, and I chose to do so with poetry, which was a lovely experience.
I love reading, exploring nature (even though my body complains a lot when I do so), playing most titles in The Legend of Zelda series, painting with watercolours and gouache (and digitally), and drinking various types of tea. I live on the Isle of Wight with my husband, parrot, and budgie, all of whom make me laugh on a daily basis.
When did you first WANT to write a book?
I’ve always loved reading and listening to stories, and spent much of my childhood daydreaming and coming up with my own fantastical ideas, often writing them down. My desire to be an author appeared when I first understood that authors existed and books didn’t simply appear fully formed. I was still fairly young at that time, and it was such a mind-blowing realisation that I immediately knew that was what I wanted to do with my life: be an author and write all kinds of books.
When did you take a step to start writing?
I got serious about writing when I was in college when my tutor took my class to an open day at Portsmouth University and I listened to a talk by the English Literature lecturer. I was actually studying performing arts at the time, and for various reasons, had put writing aside for a few years, but that day completely reawakened my childhood dream. When my college course ended, I took two modules on creative writing with The Open University, which helped me hone my craft and gave me more of an understanding of different aspects of writing. Throughout those courses, I drafted three books, but the first wouldn’t be released until many years later after plenty of rewrites (becoming the YA paranormal adventure, The Origin Stone), and the second, which was a sequel, has never been released due to how much the first book ended up changing. The third became my first published book.
How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?
My first published book, Half-Wizard Thordric: Unofficial Detective (written under the pen name Kathryn Wells), was drafted in November 2012 during National Novel Writing Month, and published in late 2017. Only about a year or two of that time was spent actively working on it; the rest was spent seeking a publisher and drafting about four other books in the process. Finding the right publisher is a lot of work in itself!
How long did it take you to complete your latest book from the first idea to release?
For Naturally Nic/k, my middle grade time travel mystery which came out at the end of February 2025, it took about six months to draft, then a further year to get it how I wanted it, plus a bit more polishing in between other projects. Again, it took me a number of years to find the right publisher, and I wrote more books within that time. In all, from draft to publication, Naturally Nic/k took just under six years to complete.
Focusing on your latest release. What made you want to write Naturally Nic/K?
I’m actually going to talk about my two most recent releases here, as they’re both very different yet still linked. My most recently published work is a poetry collection called Roar/Raw, which came about as a way for me to process my autism and ADHD diagnoses as an adult. I started writing it in 2019, not long after my autism diagnosis, and reworked it when I also got my ADHD diagnosis in 2021.
Naturally Nic/k, which is my latest published novel, was also written in 2019, and it’s the first book where I’ve had a character identify as autistic on the page (one of my other books, The Curse of Earthias, written before my diagnosis and set in a fantasy world, has an autistic coded character).
The inspiration for Naturally Nic/k was comprised of three things: wanting an authentic autistic character that young readers (and those young at heart) could relate to, finding out about an underground fair that used to be held in the Thames Tunnel in London, and my husband’s love of magic tricks. All of these ideas were circling about in my head until they merged, and that’s when I knew I had to write that story.
What were your biggest challenges with writing Naturally Nic/K?
I was in autistic burnout at the time, having just had to quit work due to exhaustion and poor mental health, and as I’ve mentioned, I’d also not long received my autism diagnosis, so I was processing that too.
It took a lot of work to show up and commit to writing Naturally Nic/k, and I did it by giving myself much more leeway with daily word counts than I’d done previously – if I only managed a few hundred, then that was fine. It felt slow and draining, but also kept me going on my lowest days, and I absolutely loved the story and characters.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Protagonist?
In Naturally Nic/k, there are two main protagonists from very different time periods. Nicoletta (Nic for short) is a modern-day autistic girl who has a love of magic tricks and figuring out how they work. She’s smart but bullied a lot, and so doesn’t have much confidence in herself.
Nikolai, on the other hand, is a magician’s son and lives in London in 1852. He and his pa work at the Thames Tunnel Fancy Fair, and he’s completely confident in his abilities.
My husband’s love of magic and cardistry technically inspired both characters, as originally there was just one. When I adjusted the story, however, I ended up splitting that character in two and adding in the time travel element. Nikolai embodies all the technical magic skills that the original character had, while Nicoletta channels the uncertainty and lack of confidence (which my husband and I both experience). Yet while writing, both really become their own thing, and I’m not sure where some of their personality traits came from. I do know that Nicoletta’s autistic traits are heavily based off my own traits, as it meant I could really dive deep into her internal experience of the world.
Who or what inspired you when creating your Antagonist?
Honestly, I’m not sure. Without giving too much away, there are two antagonists who work together. One’s a sort of failed performer, and the other is more of an inventor. I think I just wanted to write baddies that could be believable within the setting and time period, daunting and dangerous, but with plenty of flaws that the protagonists could make use of.
What is the inciting incident of Naturally Nic/K?
When Nicoletta ends up accidentally knocking her two bullies through a hole between two parts of the Thames Tunnel and follows them, only to find herself back in time where they’re nowhere to be seen.
What is the main conflict of Naturally Nic/K?
In terms of plot, I think I’d consider the main conflict to be Nicoletta and Nikolai getting threatened by the antagonists for being on the trail of all the kids who have mysteriously disappeared.
Thematically, however, it’s fighting self-doubt and accepting that with the right support, a person can do anything they wish to.
Did you plot Naturally Nic/K in advance, or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?
I’m actually somewhere in the middle when it comes to drafting a book. I don’t plot extensively, but sketch out enough that I have a decent idea who my characters are and what needs to happen in the opening chapters, and I’ll have a rough idea of where I want the story to go, but nothing concrete. Every time I’ve tried detailed plotting, I’ve always ended up veering off course and loving it.
Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did Naturally Nic/K need?
There are many types of editing, the first of which is self-editing, done by the author themselves. I usually revise my manuscripts 2-3 times. Once I’m happy with the book, then I’ll submit it to a publisher (either one of my current ones if it fits with what they’re seeking, or I’ll approach somewhere new and hope it gets accepted).
If the book gets taken on, then the publisher arranges edits. My books have only required line editing and proofreading so far, which focus on the more technical side of writing, such as grammar, sentence structure, continuity, and flow (as opposed to structural editing, which focuses on pacing, plot, and the overall shape of the story).
With some of my older books, I did get family members to beta read for me to point out any structural issues, but the more experience I’ve gained, the more I’m able to figure these things out for myself. There are times when I do still struggle, however, and a book just doesn’t feel quite right yet. In those cases, I’ll often discuss it with my husband. Usually, simply talking things through allows me to identify what’s wrong and figure out how I can fix it.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?
Go ahead and write it. Write for you, and you alone, and don’t let anyone try to put you off. Be prepared for it to be much harder work than you might expect, but know that it will also be deeply fulfilling.
Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?
The next books I’m hoping to get published are a paranormal YA about a girl who finds a bottle containing the haunted skull of a young witch, a loose urban-fantasy Maleficent retelling with neurodivergent characters, and a middle grade book about a vampyr boy who sets out to free his parents from imprisonment after they’ve been falsely accused of ending a young girl’s life, while he’s simultaneously haunted by the girl’s ghost and has an assassin on his trail.
I’ve recently finished self-editing a middle grade ghost story that plays with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but is set in modern times, and I’m currently drafting a high fantasy book featuring automatons, conspiracies, and magic.
And, finally, are your proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?
Absolutely. Being a neurodivergent writer who also has chronic pain and gets fatigued easily is extremely challenging, and there really are plenty of days where I struggle so much to get the words down that I feel like giving up. But being a writer is so much a part of who I am that if I go through a period of not writing, it actually takes a toll on my mental health. I have to create, and though I also adore art and love painting, my very being calls for the written word.
In terms of having my work published and hearing from readers who have enjoyed my stories and poetry, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. To know that my words have had the same effect on them as some of my favourite authors had on me is simply magical.
Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
Apple Book: https://apple.co/454YaoQ
Kindle: https://amzn.to/4j5Qybt
Paperback: https://amzn.to/494JJCt
https://linktr.ee/kathrynrossatiwrites
http://www.kathrynrossati.co.uk/
https://substack.com/@dragonink?
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