While most 24-year-olds are either finishing up college, getting a career or trying to figure out what to do with themselves, author Nick Orsini knew even before all of this that “Two Wrongs Make a Vice” was a book he needed to write. It was the novel that he wanted to write for years, but he never had the time to focus solely on it.

The summers going into sophomore year and junior year of college, Orsini found himself wanting to pursue the piece more, but college duties called and then he graduated from college. With a bachelor’s degree in film and a book he started two years before, he dedicated the summer after graduating to not only moving and landing a career for himself, but also to writing the book. He threw out previous writings from the summers before, and in summer 2008, he started fresh on what would eventually become “Two Wrongs Make a Vice.”

“Two Wrongs Make a Vice” is Orsini’s first published fictional piece that follows the life of a recent college graduate looking back on his past to re-examine his present life and essentially his future. Not giving the leading character a name allows the novel to become personable as the situations are not heavily biased and leave much of the assumptions up to readers.

The book is set in the suburbs of New Jersey and the streets of New York, and the struggles are many that 20-somethings can relate to in one way or another. They are unique, though, because readers are told the situation, what the person did and as Orsini does consistently throughout the piece he allows his readers to examine and base their own opinion and voice to the piece.

What makes this book more intriguing is that it was published under Orisini’s very own company, Read at the Show, LLC. As a means to become more involved with his readers, Orsini stays in touch with them through many social media networks such as Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter, on which he always gives credit to his readers for supporting him.

Orsini also started a poetry blog where he wanted to share his works with others. Even now, readers demand more works from him as he continues to post a new piece every night.

“This is me and this is for real … I really wanted to start my blog to make that connection with people in my age range,” he said. “You’re expected to just go out there and make it on your own and make it in real life, and it’s a lot harder than that, you know?”

While it isn’t that easy for many, Orsini makes it seem quite opposite as he stays true to himself and his writings. In a society where it’s rare to find anyone so young publishing their first fiction piece through their own company, Orsini is shedding light on something that seems forgotten — writing is not only a craft, but the people who read it should be given just as much credit for perfecting it.

Recently, the young writer took time to talk about the release of his book and his future hopes as a writer.

Oracle: Who would you say your literary influences are? Any favorite authors?

Orsini:  It’s hard to say you who influenced my style of writing. My favorite author is Hunter S. Thompson. I think he is somebody who made me want to write. He shows how it can go beyond the writing. Everything he did he backed up by creating his own style. I would like to do that — to create my own style. I would like people to recognize a writer as a relatable human being, not just some set of fingers behind a computer.

Oracle: Who was the person, place or thing that initiated the thought of writing as something more than just high school, college classes? When did you really feel like you actually do more outside of the class work?

Orsini: Well, I never took writing classes. I was a film student and I didn’t get to take creative writing classes. All my classes were film production or film history. I guess the moment was probably when I was packing up my college apartment because I had this complete meltdown of what I was supposed to do. I had no idea what I wanted to do. The week after I graduated from college I just started writing.

Oracle: What do you think pushed you to finally write the book? Do you think it was because you had graduated and finally had the time to pursue?

Orsini: The summer going into my sophomore year and the summer going into my junior year I had sat down and written at least 50 to 60 pages of this book, and every time I would end up at the end of the summer hating it. I was like ‘man this story is not what I’m trying to say and not the way I want to say it.’ I think it was about being in the right situation in my life to finish it. I think that’s what really pushed me. I felt like it was time for me to go out there and do something beyond what job I had.

Oracle: How do you think the publishing of your book impacted you? This was your baby, you’ve seen it from the first stages to now getting it published.

Orsini: To have people in other countries read my book and say, ‘Hey, I loved it.’ I’m simply blown away. I’ve responded to positive aspects and also criticism of the book, so I don’t want everybody to think that ‘Oh, I nursed this thing into reality, and now everyone loves it.’ It makes me insanely happy to know that people enjoy the book ‘cause I still have to go to work every day and not write and do something else to make money and live. The fact that I get to go home and read everything that people write to me … that really makes me happy. The fact that I get to write creatively every night and have people respond to it — that’s the most humbling thing in the world. I can’t think of anything else I love doing more, and I hope one day I can make (writing) my living.

Oracle: Your book is published through your own publishing company, isn’t it? How do you even start something like that?  

Orsini: The company started in November of 2009. I started it basically as a necessity. I started working in my field, film, but like a lot of people I got laid off. I took the money I’d earned there and I said you know if I’m going to do this thing, I’m going to do it. The purpose of the company to is find young authors who are doing the same thing as me, and who want to start this process before they’re 30 and are very confused about it, like I was. We do offer a lot of guidance to young writers. We have really good people in New Jersey and New York helping out, and we’ve gotten a lot of poetry and other works.

Oracle: So, it’s safe to say that you would like to publish another book in the future?

Orsini: I’ll tell you this, I’ve actually already started something new and I’m not sure what it will turn into. I would like to publish another book sooner than later. This next thing I’m doing is much more reflective of my age group. I’ve been working on it whenever I get a chance.

For more information:

twowrongsmakeavice.com