An Interview with Sofia Pires Baquedano

Sofia Pires Baquedano is a Brazilian-Spanish writer and filmmaker. She currently is a film student in university in Brazil, and holds a certificate from the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. She is passionate about the importance of imagery and beauty in a scene, both on-screen and on-paper. She grew up between Brazil and Spain. this is my worst nightmare please be nice to me is her first novel.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

this is my worst nightmare please be nice to me is quite a mouthful of a title, and the story behind it is simple but, in retrospect, a little funny. I wrote the first draft of this book back in 2020, and after much deliberation, I decided to send it over to a friend to read. I was very nervous, because no one had ever read my writing before, at least not any “serious” writing, something I was truly passionate about. I didn’t have a title for my book yet, but I didn’t want to leave the first page empty, so I typed in a little nervous message for my friend: “this is my worst nightmare please be nice to me.” It was, indeed, my worst nightmare, having someone else read my work like that, and I really wanted her to be nice to me.

From then on, I had a couple other friends, family, and my boyfriend read the book and I always kept that message in. When I decided the manuscript was good enough to send to a publisher, I knew I had to decide on a title, and it took me only a day to decide I should keep the original message as the title. It felt right, authentic, and like it went well with the characters and story I had written.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

The cover for the book is my absolute dream come true. Writing this book, I had no idea what the cover would look like, and I went through a few ideas with Atmosphere Press, but as soon as I saw this one, I knew it was right. It’s cute, fun, a little sarcastic, and the handwritten font for the title works well with the intent of the book, like it’s something the main character Sunny might be writing for a friend. Now, holding the book in my hands for the first time was such a heartfelt moment, I couldn’t help but cry. I was lucky enough my father, one of my biggest supporters, was visiting me when I first got my copy in the mail, so that he could also hold it and see it. It was unforgettable. Even now, months later, I still feel a sense of pride and joy whenever I hold the book in my hands.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

Aside from being a writer, I’m also a filmmaker, getting through my senior year of film school. I’ve directed a couple of short films so far, and I will be directing another two next year, which are currently in pre-production. I love film just about the same as I love literature, because they’re both distinctive ways to tell a story but have much to learn from each other. I sincerely believe that in these last four years of film school I have learned a lot that will help me improve as a writer, and being a writer has also shaped the way I write screenplays and direct films.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

I definitely believe the most rewarding part of publishing is to be able to share my work with others. I was always a very shy and quiet person growing up, and even now, but I find it so rewarding to be able to connect to people through my words. My favorite part has been reading the reviews and getting to see people’s thoughts, how they’ve connected with the characters. I love this power that literature has, to connect people through words on a page. It’s truly beautiful.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

Currently, I’m working on two short films that will be filmed next year. One is about a famous myth in Brazil, and will be a horror film. This would be my first time directing a horror story, so I’m excited to see how it turns out. The other one is a musical, which I’m thrilled to be working on, because I’ve loved musicals ever since I was a kid, and getting to direct one is a dream come true. I’ve also started writing a new screenplay recently which I hope I can also turn into a novel someday. It’s a heartfelt story about a local family restaurant. I love cooking, I love the history of food, and I’m excited to be able to explore the details and beauty of cooking on screen. However, I do hope to turn it into a novel because I have many ideas to expand the story, and food writing is a new challenge I’m meaning to take on! I find it very descriptive and intimate, which is exactly the way I like to write.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Working with Atmosphere Press has been nothing short of a dream. I’m so glad that I published my first novel with Atmosphere, and I can say that from the bottom of my heart. The endless support and help navigating through the publication process, which was entirely foreign to me, was incredible. To any other writers who are looking to publish, I would say go for it, and it will pay off. Atmosphere will be there for you every step of the way!

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.