I am back with another author interview. This time the author is Riley Rian, author of I Love You Just the Way You Are, More Beautiful than the Stars, and their upcoming book I've Been Waiting All Along. (Note: Title may change when published.) I have read the first book in the Rock Canyon series and I thorougly enjoyed the experience. I'm currently eagerly awaiting the release of the third book! It sounds like something I will really enjoy!
So join me and Riley Rian on this experience as we discuss what drives them to write, what their writing process looks like, and their favorite parts of each of the 3 books. At the end of the post you can find a link to Riley Rian's Amazon page if you're interested in picking up a copy of their books for yourself.
⚜
⚜
⚜
⚜
⚜
⚜
How/when did you first start writing?
I started writing in September of 2021. I’d never attempted to write anything prior. I had just
turned 33, I was extremely depressed, my career was stalling and my soul might as well have been
ordering its own gravestone. And somehow, I honestly don’t remember the exact sequence of events, I started writing. This was before I knew I was trans.
I had had a kernel of an idea for this special place that two young lovers would go for some time. The first time I ever had it was back in 2017. I am huge trance/electronic music fan, and I was listening to Armin Van Buuren’s “A State of Trance” weekly show. A track called “Wherever You Are” by Ferry Corsten & Haliene played, and my imagination filled with these teens traveling to this remote clearing. Here they would stand, with all the warm and fuzzies of young love, under a Bortles Class I sky, the spread of stars and primordial silence the backdrop for a subdued, yet intimate love story. This would become “More Beautiful Than the Stars,” the second book in my 3-book stand-alone Rock Canyon series.
“I Love You Just the Way You Are,” the first book in the series, was actually written second. I began the night I discovered I was transgender. I had found a transgender book in the banned books section at my local library earlier that day. Everything hit me in that moment – and my character Maddie appeared in my head as I was pouring buckets onto my mattress. A very intense experience began in which I held on and her story came flying out of me over a period of a couple of months. I had to polish A LOT after that initial rough draft… and honestly I’d still love to take another swipe at it and clean some things up, but the essence of her story is there.
I had had a kernel of an idea for this special place that two young lovers would go for some time. The first time I ever had it was back in 2017. I am huge trance/electronic music fan, and I was listening to Armin Van Buuren’s “A State of Trance” weekly show. A track called “Wherever You Are” by Ferry Corsten & Haliene played, and my imagination filled with these teens traveling to this remote clearing. Here they would stand, with all the warm and fuzzies of young love, under a Bortles Class I sky, the spread of stars and primordial silence the backdrop for a subdued, yet intimate love story. This would become “More Beautiful Than the Stars,” the second book in my 3-book stand-alone Rock Canyon series.
“I Love You Just the Way You Are,” the first book in the series, was actually written second. I began the night I discovered I was transgender. I had found a transgender book in the banned books section at my local library earlier that day. Everything hit me in that moment – and my character Maddie appeared in my head as I was pouring buckets onto my mattress. A very intense experience began in which I held on and her story came flying out of me over a period of a couple of months. I had to polish A LOT after that initial rough draft… and honestly I’d still love to take another swipe at it and clean some things up, but the essence of her story is there.
What does your writing process look like?
It’s not consistent yet. I’d like to say it is, but it’s not. The one thing that is consistent is that I value early morning the most. I like to get up and go right for the laptop, going as long and as far as I can. I don’t regard word counts as an arbiter of success or failure. I write from the heart–sometimes that’s 10,000 words in a day where it looks from the outside like I’m on uppers, running around like a mad person, cursing the slightest distraction, subsisting on 600 calories and Ava Max remixes.
Then there’s other days… maybe even a week here and there… where there’s nothing. Absolutely, eff all nothing. I sit, I think, I try, but my heart isn’t in it.
Thankfully that’s becoming less and less of an occurrence as I find and release the barriers to consistent, quality writing. A lot of it is psychological – like can you handle a garbage first draft? I couldn’t at first. And that really screwed me up. Then I developed my own flexible model of what a first draft should be, and then I learned that I wanted to edit things in a certain order over a certain number of editing rounds. I’m still refining this but I’m becoming more solid in my understanding of what this is going to look like for me.
It took three books, so if you’re a writer reading this and you’re just getting started you might as well take a deep breath my love–it’s a process.
I’m also an extremely emotionally person and a lot of the intense scenes I write I have to feel or they come up stale. So I have my stash of music, writings, quotes, and inspirations that help me quickly connect with myself and my characters and express their emotions on the page in a way that I hope is compelling.
Then there’s other days… maybe even a week here and there… where there’s nothing. Absolutely, eff all nothing. I sit, I think, I try, but my heart isn’t in it.
Thankfully that’s becoming less and less of an occurrence as I find and release the barriers to consistent, quality writing. A lot of it is psychological – like can you handle a garbage first draft? I couldn’t at first. And that really screwed me up. Then I developed my own flexible model of what a first draft should be, and then I learned that I wanted to edit things in a certain order over a certain number of editing rounds. I’m still refining this but I’m becoming more solid in my understanding of what this is going to look like for me.
It took three books, so if you’re a writer reading this and you’re just getting started you might as well take a deep breath my love–it’s a process.
I’m also an extremely emotionally person and a lot of the intense scenes I write I have to feel or they come up stale. So I have my stash of music, writings, quotes, and inspirations that help me quickly connect with myself and my characters and express their emotions on the page in a way that I hope is compelling.
What drives you to write?
There are multiple answers here but they dovetail. First off-just like anybody else publishing a book, I want to shout into the void and be heard. I want my words to resonate and find meaning in the hearts of my readers. I want to bring joy to someone who may otherwise be having a really rough time.
But the biggest reason is my son. If I succeed as a full-time author, what does that say to him, subconsciously? It says you can make a living creating content from your soul, that you don't have to sell a part of yourself to put a roof over your head and food in your belly. That's what I want him to see. Not for me, but for his own life, his own future.
But the biggest reason is my son. If I succeed as a full-time author, what does that say to him, subconsciously? It says you can make a living creating content from your soul, that you don't have to sell a part of yourself to put a roof over your head and food in your belly. That's what I want him to see. Not for me, but for his own life, his own future.
What's the most difficult part of writing or publishing for you?
I would like to be represented by an agent and traditionally published. However, I also want to
keep publishing frequently and not have my attention diverted. So striking that balance between, do I want begin querying my next project? Or do I want to focus on marketing and keep self-publishing for now? It’s a question.
The writing part itself is all about learning to be patient. When you’re wet behind the ears, you’re gonna shit bricks on those days when you write twenty lousy words you can keep. You have to learn to take those days with the ones where you’ve got a draft email going to Stephen King, letting him know he can retire, that you’ve got the bestsellers list from here.
You’ll have both kinds of days and in the end it all evens out and you’ll sorta kinda hit your deadlines.
The writing part itself is all about learning to be patient. When you’re wet behind the ears, you’re gonna shit bricks on those days when you write twenty lousy words you can keep. You have to learn to take those days with the ones where you’ve got a draft email going to Stephen King, letting him know he can retire, that you’ve got the bestsellers list from here.
You’ll have both kinds of days and in the end it all evens out and you’ll sorta kinda hit your deadlines.
You've published 2 books now and another one is coming up soon. If you can, without spoilers hopefully, what are your favorite parts/scenes from each book?
My favorite scene I’ve ever written is in Book 3, which as of now is titled “I’ve Been Waiting All Along.” It’s not really a spoiler to say that one of my favorite things is to see the honesty in another person’s eyes. When we look into another human’s eyes we see a lot of things, but unless their children or neurodivergent, the openness, the earnestness… the aliveness… it’s often times just not there. It’s a shame how much we mask because we believe we need to for survival.
Charlie is a character that doesn’t mask – and on the rare occasion that they try, they fail. It’s a subtle characterization in this particular scene where Charlie looks at their love interest and we hear in his words how he notices what no one else notices and how that makes him feel. It’s the small stuff like this in a love story that makes it special. It’s what separates love stories from romance novels.
For “I Love You Just the Way You Are,” it’s the scene in which they make love. I was determined to bring a beautiful first-time transgender experience to the pages of this book. I believe that I did.
“More Beautiful Than the Stars,” has a lot of cute scenes. My favorite is the climax at Nate’s apartment. Can’t talk about it without spoiling the rest of the book!
Charlie is a character that doesn’t mask – and on the rare occasion that they try, they fail. It’s a subtle characterization in this particular scene where Charlie looks at their love interest and we hear in his words how he notices what no one else notices and how that makes him feel. It’s the small stuff like this in a love story that makes it special. It’s what separates love stories from romance novels.
For “I Love You Just the Way You Are,” it’s the scene in which they make love. I was determined to bring a beautiful first-time transgender experience to the pages of this book. I believe that I did.
“More Beautiful Than the Stars,” has a lot of cute scenes. My favorite is the climax at Nate’s apartment. Can’t talk about it without spoiling the rest of the book!
Did you originally plan for there to be 3 books in the Rock Canyon series? Will there be more?
I don’t have any active plans for more. I’d LOVE to write Hugh and Daisy’s love story but that’s
probably just my own interest. I’m not sure that’d be interesting for readers. Prequels often feel like self-service for authors and their backlists… but I’m not above it so I might explore that at some point.
But the main reason for no more Rock Canyon books is because I have a continuous 3-book series planned that I’m itching to begin. I’ll give you a short preview. By no means is this a spiffed up blurb, just an early look.
Alyx is a 18-year-old nonbinary demigirl with a week to go until they graduate from their rural highschool and head back to civilization, out of rural Maryland and back to DC where they grew up, and where they never should have left. There’s just one minor problem–a solar flare more powerful and stronger than the one that devastated telegraph lines in 1859 is headed straight for earth. NASA and other space agencies are only able to supply the minimum twelve-hour warning (*note: this will change sometime around the end of the decade if planned satellites are launched by ESA and NASA -nerd moment over-).
In Alyx’s case, this doesn’t mean certain death. They live unknowingly in a community of conservative Christian preppers–survivalists. And, of course, there are a thousand and one skeletons in this little rural community. Oh, and Sam is across the street. Sam with her angry brown eyes and transphobia. But at least they’ll have their best friend Marissa with them… that is, when she’s not ditching Alyx to try to bed Sam’s older brother, Maverick.
But Alyx’s biggest concern? They’ve got 30 days left of estrogen. And then it’s gone. Forever. So yeah – while that’s a horrible attempt at a first blurb-like description, I’m pretty excited to get into this series. I have some horror and murder mystery side arcs planned and… yeah that’s all I want to say about it right now. I’m still outlining :]
But the main reason for no more Rock Canyon books is because I have a continuous 3-book series planned that I’m itching to begin. I’ll give you a short preview. By no means is this a spiffed up blurb, just an early look.
Alyx is a 18-year-old nonbinary demigirl with a week to go until they graduate from their rural highschool and head back to civilization, out of rural Maryland and back to DC where they grew up, and where they never should have left. There’s just one minor problem–a solar flare more powerful and stronger than the one that devastated telegraph lines in 1859 is headed straight for earth. NASA and other space agencies are only able to supply the minimum twelve-hour warning (*note: this will change sometime around the end of the decade if planned satellites are launched by ESA and NASA -nerd moment over-).
In Alyx’s case, this doesn’t mean certain death. They live unknowingly in a community of conservative Christian preppers–survivalists. And, of course, there are a thousand and one skeletons in this little rural community. Oh, and Sam is across the street. Sam with her angry brown eyes and transphobia. But at least they’ll have their best friend Marissa with them… that is, when she’s not ditching Alyx to try to bed Sam’s older brother, Maverick.
But Alyx’s biggest concern? They’ve got 30 days left of estrogen. And then it’s gone. Forever. So yeah – while that’s a horrible attempt at a first blurb-like description, I’m pretty excited to get into this series. I have some horror and murder mystery side arcs planned and… yeah that’s all I want to say about it right now. I’m still outlining :]
Do you do anything while you're writing or when you hit blocks in your writing? Like listening to music, going for a hike, playing shows in the background, anything like that.
I love nature, so hiking is always an option unless it’s ridiculously hot. You’re never too cold as a human, only poorly dressed. But you can only get so naked, so in the summer I miss my hiking lol.
My ten-year-old son and I are into various Minecraft YouTubers, such as TheCaptainsTv and Forgelabs so we enjoy a lot of that content. I listen to a ton of music while I write and I plan to create author playlists soon. I’m working with Kate Rock and Sawyer Cole (@katerockbooktours and @colesbooknook) to start a new podcast. I’ll be starting TikTok tomorrow (09/21) and I’d love to stream on Twitch longer-term. This is my free-time right now in a nutshell.
My ten-year-old son and I are into various Minecraft YouTubers, such as TheCaptainsTv and Forgelabs so we enjoy a lot of that content. I listen to a ton of music while I write and I plan to create author playlists soon. I’m working with Kate Rock and Sawyer Cole (@katerockbooktours and @colesbooknook) to start a new podcast. I’ll be starting TikTok tomorrow (09/21) and I’d love to stream on Twitch longer-term. This is my free-time right now in a nutshell.
Is it hard to find the voice of your characters or does it come easily to you?
The voice of my characters comes easily to me. That’s the easiest part of writing for me. I’ve got so many different voices in my head it’s insane (probably literally is). But they speak coherently and let me get to know them, so all I have to do is come with hellacious stuff to put them through and help them self-actualize. Sort of weird to say it that way but that’s what it feels like –like I grow along with my characters as I write them and I get to free another little part of myself.
Are there any authors or books that you love or that inspired you to write?
Hands down, Dan Simmons. Hyperion, Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, Rise of Endymion. That 4-
book stretch stands as an example of what literary excellence can be. If you have eyes, you’ll want to treat yourself to this. Warner Brothers has the film rights, with Bradley Cooper active on the project as a potential producer and director, and after the success of Dune I think we’ll see this finally brought to the big screen. There is no story that has ever been told as good as this. It’s just that good. Simmons’ idea of a messiah… his character Aenea… I think I’ll always long for her. She’s my fictional girlfriend. She’s hot in that best way – she’s a mind and soul on fire; a girl that cannot be led only followed.
Other favorite authors include Emma Lord and John Green for fiction, Steven Pressfield for non- fiction.
Other favorite authors include Emma Lord and John Green for fiction, Steven Pressfield for non- fiction.
Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for aspiring writers?
Begin. Feel like you fail. Begin again. Feel like you fail and this isn’t for you, and THEN actually start. Keep telling yourself to get bent and keep grinding. Can you feel? Do you like living through exciting situations? Do you like analyzing how these experiences feel and asking yourself how someone else might experience it differently? If you do, you’re going to like writing. It’s a chance to take the things from the wildest corners of your imagination and tame them, understand them, present them in a form that is understandable and meaningful – and then share them with others. Hopefully at a profit. So don’t quit if this is you! If you put your heart in it and check your ego at the door, you can do this.
⚜
⚜
⚜
⚜
⚜
⚜
Riley Rian can be found on Instagram, TikTok, and on their website.
You can purchase all of Riley's books from Amazon in both digital and physical form.
No comments:
Post a Comment