Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2021, are given five questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know Ryan Douglass and can offer your support.
Describe yourself in five words, then expound on one of them.
Creative, self-reliant, offbeat, direct, open-minded.
I say self-reliant because I spend a lot of time alone. This may be a natural product of not having many friends growing up, but it’s formed me into an independent adult. I’m very introverted and enjoy my own company. Spending nights at home, cooking, listening to music, watching movies, or dancing brings me as much joy as going out to bars or clubs.
Explain your book’s journey—how long did it take—from idea to publication?
It’s been about five years from idea to publication. It started as a short story about a boy who being followed by a spirit with malevolent intentions. The idea of being stalked by something you couldn’t touch or understand spoke to me. It took me about two years to plug in experiences and themes that were familiar to me and to form them into an extended narrative. This was my fourth book (the first three were practice), and it took me about three months to get an agent for it. After that, I revised it for another two months, and then it took us nine months to sell it. My editorial process took two and a half years.
Balance is the key to successful living. How do you balance the act of writing with other priorities, such as your job, family or fun activities, and self-care?
My friends and family will tell you there are periods where I’m very unresponsive, which can be a source of frustration for them. I sacrifice social interaction for work a lot of the time, and it’s been that way since middle school. I usually write in the wee hours of the morning because it’s when I have time, but I also like the quiet. I work long hours, but I make sure to keep my house clean because a clean space gives me clarity of mind amid stress. I also keep a balanced diet of protein, greens, and fats and hit the gym three days a week. It’s therapeutic for me to stay healthy, and if I didn’t do those things, work would consume me. I do a skin and hair care routine almost every day and frequently spend time outside to feel connected to nature.
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
I know I write books I want to read. The Taking of Jake Livingston is about a queer Black teenage boy, and as a result, I think it will feel accessible to queer Black teenage boys. I want to give Black readers stories to enjoy that aren’t over-politicized or focused on pain and suffering. Beyond that, I wouldn’t say I set out to write to an audience except for people who happen to share my tastes in stories. If I thought too much about the audience, I’d police myself while writing and not make the choices that feel intuitive to me. I’d like to believe my stories could be read and enjoyed by anyone.
Tell us about your book.
The Taking of Jake Livingston is about sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston who has the power to see the dead. He’s navigating being one of the few Black students at a prestigious prep school, which makes life hard enough. Then his neighbor is murdered, and he thinks the ghost of a local school shooter, Sawyer Doon, may have been responsible. Sawyer sets a target on Jake in what seems like a mission to possess him, so Jake must confront the dead world he’s been hiding from and learn how to use his powers as a medium to banish the spirit. The book is an amalgam of horror conventions. There’s a lot of supernatural elements, with some slasher influence and body horror. There are also short diary entries from Sawyer from when he was alive, which infuse the book with psychological horror. It deals with bullying, toxic masculinity, isolation from family and peers, and overcoming toxic cycles of abuse.
Ryan Douglass was born and raised in Atlanta, where he currently resides, cooking pasta and playing records. He enjoys wooden wick candles, falling asleep on airplanes, and advocating for stronger media representation for queer Black people.
The Taking of Jake Livingston
G.P. Putnam’s Sons BYR | July 13, 2021 | YA | 256 Pages | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Connect with Ryan Douglass
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