What inspires you to write?
I am driven by a compulsive desire to inflict my emotions on others. So much of my writing is based on what I find intriguing or compelling about the world and the human experience and the fun thing about writing is that if you do it well enough, people are forced to engage with what you find interesting. They can’t help it. Being a good writer is a good replacement for charisma in that way. I’m also just a deep lover of stories. I think stories are fundamental to how human beings understand ourselves in the broader context of the universe. Everyone is a storyteller in that sense. So I think studying stories and creating stories helps me better understand myself and others.
Why did you choose to write in your genre?
I’m heavily inspired by Ellen Hopkins. She writes these incredibly provocative poetry-style YA novels that just wreck me every time. Also, at the time I started this story, I was a young adult trying to make sense of my own arrested development so writing about queer adolescence was really formative and in a way healing for me. Writing is a big part of how I make sense of my experiences and to this day, the biggest bundle of knots I’m untangling is my teen years, which is why I continue to write a lot about characters in that age group.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer, and how does that affect your writing?
Right now, I’m a part-time writer dreaming of going full-time. Practically, that means I have little free time as I try to pursue my dream career every single day. I’m always looking for or actively working on a freelance gig or some project to add to my portfolio. It unfortunately means I don’t have a ton of time to focus on passion projects as I have to prioritize profitability/ marketability. That doesn’t mean there isn’t passion. I still write quite a bit for pleasure. It just means it can’t be the priority, though I’m hoping that won’t always be the case. The dream is for my writing to pay all my bills instead of just my fun money.
Can you share a little bit about your latest book?
My latest book is my debut novel Crown of Blooms. It’s a queer YA coming-of-age story and is the first in a projected trilogy. It follows the story of Kayden, a 15-year-old pastor’s son who falls for the new boy in youth group, Alex. Where Kayden is sheltered and innocent, Alex is worldly and open-minded and he starts challenging Kayden’s views, all the things he’s taken for granted about the world outside his conservative, sheltered bubble. At the same time, Kayden is still desperate for his father’s approval, being constantly compared to his pious, spiritual, well-behaved twin sister Delilah. It’s heavily influenced by my experiences growing up queer in the Bible Belt and was definitely a labor of love and healing.
What made you decide to sit down and start writing this book?
Crown of Blooms was actually based on a short story I wrote in which a boy protesting a pride event sees his ex-lover on the opposite side of the fence. That conflict resonated with me so much that I decided to expand on it and I just kept expanding until a full story emerged.
Tell us more about your main character. What inspired you to develop this character?
So Kayden was originally not the main character. Originally, he was a side character and we met him much later in his story. However, as I continued to write I was drawn more and more to him, this sensitive, sweet, queer black boy with a complex relationship to his identity and spirituality so I decided to explore his story more. Eventually, I realized his was the story I really wanted to tell so I combined his existing story with that of the previous main character. With Kayden, I wanted to depict a black boy who defied a lot of the stereotypes and flattening that happens with black masculinity in media. Kayden is vulnerable. He’s gentle. His struggle to be traditionally masculine is a big part of his conflict and one of the many things we have in common.
What is your next project?
I’m working on the sequel to Crown of Blooms, called Crown of Thorns. I’m actually looking for beta readers so if Crown of Blooms captured your attention and you’d like to be a part of bringing the rest of the story to life, please check out my linktree. I’m looking for readers of all backgrounds.
Who is your favorite fictional character and why?
Easily Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Zuko was my first love, my first time experiencing a profound connection to a fictional character. To this day, I still think he is one of the best characters in modern fiction. If you watch any animated serialized show that came after ATLA, you can clearly see he’s one of the most influential characters of our time. The redemption arc has never been the same.
Tell us something unique about you.
I once pulled a diva cup out of my coworker, told the story on a podcast, and won a Webby Award for it. The episode is called “Bring Gloves with Snap Judgement.” Highly suggest you check it out. It’s a riot.
Want to learn more about R.C. Dickens and the book?
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