Author Interview with Dina Varvi of The Great Nacho Blackout

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When did you become a children’s author?
I actually published an earlier version of the book in May but later refined it and republished it again in June as the Great Nacho Blackout. All this editing and republishing is part of my journey as an author.
 
Do you have a writing background?
Writing has been a part of my life for a long time. I actually started writing short stories in junior high school because I loved creating funny or interesting situations that could make people laugh or see things differently.
 
That interest eventually led me to study English Literature at UIC, where I specialized in writing. During university, I had the opportunity to interview a wide range of people while interning and working as a reporter for the university newspaper, which taught me how to listen to people’s stories and turn them into something engaging for readers.
 
After graduating, I continued writing professionally for my local newspaper in Chicago and later worked abroad for a major shipping magazine. Those experiences helped me develop different styles of writing and showed me how storytelling can connect with very different audiences. Alongside that, as a teacher I helped junior high school students create a yearbook, which reminded me how much I enjoy encouraging creativity and helping young people tell their own stories.
 
How did you come up with the story?
It actually started one summer night in Chicago when my younger brother won a big blue, furry, googly-eyed monster at an amusement park. I remember expecting him to be excited, but instead he was completely disappointed and kept saying, “I hate this ugly monster.” He ended up crying all the way home, sitting in the back seat, refusing to look at the monster.
 
While we were driving, I tried to cheer him up by giving the monster a voice and turning it into something funny, but that didn’t work either. Then I had the idea of making the monster “feel bad” for being called ugly, so suddenly both my brother and the monster were “crying.” That shifted everything. My brother started to empathize with it and eventually grew to love the character.
 
We named the monster Scruff-Nut and from there we began creating little improvised stories and shows together. Over time, I added more characters, other stuffed animals and puppets, who formed a small “world” of friends going through different experiences.
Those early stories were very playful, but they always had simple lessons about honesty, friendship, and consequences. My brother loved them and always asked for “one more story,” which pushed my imagination even further. Looking back, that’s really where Scruff-Nut and his world began.
 
How did you come up with the characters?
The characters actually came from that same amusement park moment I mentioned earlier, and from playing around with that idea afterward.
 
Scruff-Nut began as the “ugly monster” my brother was disappointed with. Over time, he became the main character, mischievous, funny, and a little obsessed with nachos, almost mirroring my brother’s personality in a playful way. I also gave Scruff-Nut a distinctive voice, speaking in broken English, which reflects his immigrant Greek background which makes him unique and adds both humour and heart to his character.
 
Then I created Teddy, a calm and kind stuffed bear who is the complete opposite of Scruff-Nut, patient, polite, and always trying to do the right thing. Lily came next, a porcelain doll with blonde hair who is gentle and thoughtful but also brave enough to speak her mind, even though she looks fragile.
 
Co-Jack, a kangaroo puppet I loved, became a small detective character, observant, a bit like a classic noir figure, always watching Scruff-Nut’s behaviour and calling him out when something didn’t feel right.
 
Later, my father brought home a giant lion plush from the bank where he worked, which inspired Mrs. Harris. She became a firm but fair authority figure in the story.
 
Finally, there was Yaya, Scruff-Nut’s beloved Greek grandmother who looks a bit like him and speaks with a strong Greek accent. Yaya has that unmistakable presence, loving, but also able to stop Scruff-Nut in his tracks with one look when needed.
 
Together, these characters formed the backbone of the story world. They could be placed in any situation and still create humour, conflict, and meaningful lessons for children.
 
Did you use an illustrator or do the illustrations yourself?
I created the illustrations myself using digital design tools and spent a lot of time editing and refining them to bring the story to life the way that I wanted it to appear. To be honest, creating the illustrations took me longer than writing the actual book.
 
Because the characters already existed in my imagination for years, I wanted each one to feel recognizable and expressive. I wanted the artwork to feel warm, playful, and immersive, like stepping into a cozy world at bedtime.
 
I kept Scruff-Nut’s distinctive features with his golden horns and olive wreath, giving him a small mythological twist while still keeping him soft and approachable. Mrs. Harris remained tall and slightly intimidating to reflect how teachers can sometimes seem larger than life from a child’s perspective, while occasional more cartoon-like scenes helped emphasize humour and break up the quieter moments. “I sometimes made Teddy appear visually stronger or larger in emotional moments to reflect courage rather than physical size.”
 
I treated illustration and writing as one creative process, with each supporting the other to bring Scruff-Nut’s world to life.
 
Are you self-published or published through a publishing company?
I self-published the book through Amazon KDP. As a first-time children’s book author, I really enjoyed being involved in every stage of the process, from writing and illustrating to formatting and publishing. It gave me the opportunity to bring Scruff-Nut’s world to life exactly as I imagined it.
 
From the day you came up with the idea for the story until you were holding the book in your hands, how long did it take you to complete this book?
 
Well, from the moment I decided to turn the idea into a book until I was actually holding the printed copy in my hands, it took about four months. The writing itself came fairly quickly because the characters had already existed in my imagination as a child and I had a lot of story ideas in my head. The illustrations, however, as I mentioned earlier took much longer since I spent a lot of time creating and editing and experimenting with different layouts. I wanted everything to look perfect from Scruff-Nut’s appearance to Mrs Harris’s stern expression.
 
There was also a revision process along the way. I revisited the book several times, refined parts of the story and presentation, and released the version that readers see today. Looking back, it felt less like making a book and more like bringing a world that had already existed in my head for a long time into print. I didn’t want to waste anymore time keeping Scruff-Nut and his group of friends in the closet. It was time for them all to come out!
 
What made you want to publish a children’s book?
My brother is the real reason behind it all. When I think back to our childhood, I remember the moment Scruff-Nut first came to life, his funny face and all the laughter, endless cries for one more show, and stories we created together.
 
Those memories became something bigger than just entertainment, they became a way for us to connect, imagine, and create our own little world. It became a way of life. Publishing this book felt like a way of preserving those happy moments and sharing that same sense of fun, warmth, and imagination with other children and families.
 
In many ways, this book is both a story and a tribute to those childhood memories we shared.
 
What is one thing you wish you knew before publishing a book?
I thought writing would be the most challenging part and everything afterward would be straightforward. But I was wrong. Instead, I discovered that bringing a children’s book into the world meant building it page by page literally. The illustrations ended up taking far more time than I had anticipated. I spent hours and a few sleepless nights editing scenes, adjusting layouts, keeping the characters visually recognizable, choosing dimensions, resizing and making sure the final files worked properly for publication. It turned into a much bigger creative project than I had ever imagined, requiring a lot of trial and error, patience, and persistence to bring everything together.
 
You also have to think beyond writing and consider how readers will discover your book. Marketing becomes an important part of the journey as well, whether that is through social media platforms, YouTube, connecting with teachers and parents, or finding communities that enjoy children’s books.
 
Getting your book reviewed is also incredibly valuable. Don’t be afraid to reach out to professional review websites and ask them to take a closer look at your work. You never know where an opportunity might lead.
 
I’ve been grateful for the support I’ve received so far, and I especially appreciate the thoughtful review from Kids Picture Book Review. I want to personally thank the website for taking the time to read my book and give me the opportunity to share Scruff-Nut and his stuffed animal world with a wider audience. Its support and feedback has been incredibly encouraging to me as a new author. I also want to thank Kids Picture Book Review for giving me an opportunity to be interviewed on its author platform and to share something that began as such a special childhood memory. I truly appreciate its support and thoughtful space it has created to celebrate children’s books!
 
Any tips to future children’s book authors?
If you have a story idea you want to share with children, go for it, don’t wait the way I did. Don’t feel overwhelmed; just start and take it one step at a time. There is a real sense of pride and reward in seeing your idea slowly come to life.
 
And don’t let the idea of expensive illustrations stop you. There are many affordable graphic design platforms and accessible ways to bring a children’s book to life today. With tools like self-publishing through KDP and the wide range of resources available online, it’s possible to learn as you go.
 
Do your research, use the tools and advice available, and trust the process. You learn a lot along the way.
 
What is the best reaction from a reader so far?
One of the best reactions I’ve had so far was from my brother. I sent him the book as a gift, and when he read the dedication page, he was really moved. It brought back a lot of our childhood memories and the early moments that inspired Scruff-Nut.
 
We ended up talking about the characters and laughing about how Scruff-Nut turned out, as well as the personalities of Teddy, Yaya, Lily, Mrs. Harris and Co-Jack. He even read parts of the book aloud, and hearing the story come to life in his voice was incredibly special. I was so happy hearing him read it that I wanted him to keep reading it over and over again!
 
At the end, he told me he would keep it for his future grandchildren. That moment meant a lot to me. It made me feel like I had truly brought something meaningful and lasting into the world.
 
Do you have any other books in the works?
I am so glad you asked me this question. This book is actually planned as a series. I’m currently working on ideas for the next Scruff-Nut book, which I hope to develop further when time allows.
 
The next story will continue Scruff-Nut’s world, and one idea I’m exploring is Scruff-Nut Faces the North Side Robot, where Scruff-Nut’s life in the southwest side of Chicago contrasts with the more polished, high-tech world of the North Side. It allows me to explore themes of difference, confidence, and identity in a humorous way.
 
At the moment, my teaching schedule takes up most of my time, but I continue to develop ideas whenever I can, and I hope to bring the next book to life later this year or in the near future.
 
What does literary success look like to you?
For me, literary success starts with the impact on children. If a book can make kids laugh, if they remember the characters and talk about them afterwards, and if it helps them learn simple but important lessons about friendship, honesty, inclusion, and kindness, then that already feels like success to me.
 
Beyond that, I would love for the book to reach more families and gain a wider audience, where both children and parents connect with Scruff-Nut and his world. If it continues to grow in popularity, it would be a dream to see the story shared more widely, read aloud on children’s programs or featured on television shows where kids can experience it together.
 
It would be amazing to see it become a best seller and possibly expand into other formats one day, like an animated series or even plush characters that children can bring into their own homes.
 
Ultimately, I’m a big dreamer, but for me it always begins with children enjoying the story and feeling something from it.
 
Do you read all the book reviews you receive?
Yes, I do. My book is still fairly new, so I haven’t received many reviews yet, but I read each one carefully and appreciate them all.
 
The positive reviews mean a lot to me. They make me feel so proud of my work and remind me why I created the story. The more critical feedback is just as valuable in its own way, because it helps me reflect, learn, and think about how I can improve my writing and storytelling in the future.
 
What is your favourite children’s book of all time?
One of my favourite children’s books of all time is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I’ve always loved the sense of freedom, mischief, and childhood imagination in it, even when the characters get into trouble.
 
I also really enjoy Dr. Seuss books because of the creativity, rhythm, and the way he uses simple language to create such powerful and memorable stories for children.
 
I’ve been inspired by classic children’s storytelling in general, books that mix humour with life lessons and create characters that stay with you long after you’ve finished reading them. That’s something I’ve tried to bring into my own writing with Scruff-Nut and his world.