Navigating Ambition and Lies in Creative Industries
The Writing Habits Behind Dominic Amerena’s Rise
Season 5. Episode 12. Listen to full episodes of the Podcast, here.
Writing isn’t magic. It’s muscle. It lives in the tension between ambition and anxiety, solitude and company.
For author Dominic Amerena, whose debut novel I Want Everything is out April 30th, the work begins not with inspiration, but with time... set aside, again and again.
“You don’t need to hit 2,000 words a day. You just need to stay in conversation with the work.”
In this episode of the Cleopatra’s Bling podcast, host Olivia Cummings speaks with Dominic from Athens, where he’s built a life around his writing, community, and questions that won’t leave him alone.
Together, they explore the myth of originality, the quiet cost of self-censorship, and why ambition shouldn’t be a secret.
Here are Dom’s distilled tips for a lasting writing practice:
1. Write What Haunts You
Follow the heat. “What brings you joy, terror, shame. Go there!” he says. Forget what the market wants. The best work starts with honesty.
2. Write Every Day
A few lines are enough. “It’s like building a muscle,” Dom says. Small, consistent effort keeps the creative thread alive.
3. Be Honest About Wanting Success
“Ambition is like a dirty word,” he says, especially in Australia. But wanting to be read is healthy. “When you’re ambitious and pretend you're not, it makes you do weird stuff.”
Writing is private. Being a writer today is public. Dom shares how he navigates that paradox, working in shared studios, hosting readings, and staying grounded in community.
Listen to the full episode to uncover more about the secrets and intrigue of creative industries both in the world of jewellery and the literary sphere.
or simply search The Cleopatra's Bling Podcast in your app.
Dominic's book I Want Everything is available for pre-order, here. It is out April 30.
All images courtesy Dominic Amerena and Simon & Schuster.