Interview with Ryder O’Malley
Today, I’m talking with Ryder O’Malley, who writes superhero and supervillain fiction, including some on the gay and steamy part of the spectrum! Read on to learn more!
DV: Tell me a little about yourself and your writing.
RO: Howdy! Most people know me as Ryder O’Malley, the author of gay steamy superheroes. My origin story is less than uncanny. As a kid, I refused to read. It got to where my parents thought I might have a learning disorder. But on a trip to visit my grandmother, my mom bought a stack of comics to keep me occupied. When I started using words like “snikt” and “bamf” my folks realized the problem was with the material. I grew into a comic book geek. In fact, I keep a copy of my first comic book on a shelf as a reminder of why I got into this. X-Men Classics #69 for those who are curious.
I went to school for art. I had this dream of being a comic book creator. Unfortunately, I learned I can only draw stick figures. Not good ones. My hopes of working for Marvel fell away. I wound up getting a job as an art teacher and focused on graphic design. I did some gallery exhibits and freelanced now and then. None of it scratched my creative itch.
While teaching a horrible class of teens, I decided I need a constructive way to get out my pent-up rage. My first novel was about zombies unleashed in a high school. Was it a bit of wishful thinking? Nobody will ever know. But I finished the book in a couple of months and realized that writing could serve as therapy. This is where I pushed all my angst and my characters had to deal with the fallout. It got me through some rough times.
But what do writers who are living the dream write about? I was out of anger, and my angst meter hit empty. Remember that scene in Chasing Amy where Jason Lee asks Stan Lee if Mr. Fantastic can stretch everything? We never got the answer. I decided it was time to get that sorted. Needing to work on a new project, I went with “superheroes in love.” It was a new challenge and required learning a different skill set. Who doesn’t want a little romance in their lives? Especially when the other person can bench press a car. *swoon*
DV: What are your rituals or routines around your writing process?
RO: I live by the motto: Butts in Seats & Words on the Page. For a long time, I was a casual writer, getting to projects when the mood struck me. But while at a conference in Chicago, I overheard an author say, “Any time I’m not writing is an excuse keeping me from my goal.” She didn’t realize I was eavesdropping, and years later I thanked her for that pearl of wisdom.
I stopped treating my writing like a hobby and more like a job. That meant showing up to work and giving every day my best effort. I spend anywhere from two to six hours working on my writing (or writing adjacent efforts). I have some intense goals and produce anywhere from four to six books a year. For some, this isn’t a big number, but I’m not as fast at producing words these days. I have accountability buddies who frequently push me until I reach my goal. And of course, I’m learning to celebrate the victories.
DV: Your previous Vanguard books have involved the heroes, but your latest novel features a villain as the lead. What inspired you to write this villain’s story?
RO: Honestly, a fan put the idea in my head. One of my first reviews said something along the lines, “The villain sounds sexy. When does he get a novel?” I decided right then, the bad guys would have their chance to shine. Of course, this happened when I had three more books of heroes to write.
I’m a big, mushy teddy bear. I cherish the idea of falling hopelessly in love. I got the chance to explore that with my heroes. But sometimes, happily ever after can be raw and not so tidy. Maybe I’m just drawn to the bad boys, but I like my men rough and tumble. The things that get my motor running don’t always require sweet gestures. The villain series gets to explore that. Their relationships are grittier, and instead of having good vs. evil, we get to explore morally gray areas. And oh, the sex is so much more fun to write.
It helps that both the hero and villain stories happen in the same universe. Some of our heroes will pop into the story line. The third book in the villain series features the bad guy from the hero novels. A reader asked for it, and I’m going to make sure she gets the sexiest bad guy I can write!
DV: Do you have more fun writing heroes or villains, and why?
RO: Heroes are fun because they’re predictable. You understand that at the end of the day, they’re always going to do the right thing. I think of them as a comfortable blanket and my favorite coffee mug. Sometimes you want that story that follows the rules and gives you the warm and fuzzy feelings by the end. I like to think of them as my Hallmark type novels. And who doesn’t love a good Hallmark movie where the most unpredictable thing is where the first kiss will take place.
Then we have villains. They take the rule book and throw it out the window. In my story, they refer to the rule book a lot and how they like to set it on fire. They’re going to get you to the happily ever after, but you’re going to have to follow the twists and turns to get there. They also get to blow up plenty of buildings along the way.
Which do I prefer? I’m going to cheat. I like writing when the villain pursues a hero. It just so happens that’s the backstory of the first villain book, Corrupted Desire. (See, I even cheat like a villain.)
DV: What’s next for the Vanguard world?
RO: The Villain Trilogy will get wrapped in late spring of 2024. But there is a lot going on around the main series. My Newsletter subscribers are getting to choose their own sexy adventure with a charming bouncer from an earlier book. I wanted a way to let the readers decide the fate of the story and so far it’s been a blast to write.
When the Villain series ends, I have some choices to make. Do I go Sidekicks? Monsters? Maybe a prequel series? I have them all mapped out and ready to write, but I’ll have to see what mindset I’m in when I get there. If worse comes to worse, I’ll let my readers do the picking for me. But regardless, there will be more comical superhero and super villain antics and, of course, books filled with heartfelt happily-ever-afters.
DV: Where can folks find you online?
RO: Website: https://authorryderomalley.com/
Corrupted Desire (out September 14!)
DV: Thanks for stopping by, Ryder!
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