I met self-published author Kerenza Ryan at the Michigan Writer’s Workshop in the spring. She’s recently published her debut novel, The Romance of Psychosis. It looks unflinchingly at the realities of mental illness. With raw, moving language, it serves as a testament to the power of love. I sat down to have a conversation with Kerenza about all things writing.
Q: When did you start writing?
A: I’ve always been a writer. I would open up the same book again and again to tell different stories to go with the pictures. I don’t know that I always thought I would publish, but I knew I would never stop writing.
Q: What authors or artists serve as an inspiration for you?
A: Neal Schusterman, the author of Challenger Deep, gave me the courage to write honestly about my illness. I have a dash of Stephen King grittiness, but not to the extent of being explicit. I also feel like I’m deeply inspired by Josh Ritter and Kimya Dawson, both musicians.
Q: What’s your approach to dealing with writer’s block?
Writing. Which is a stupid answer, but I’m serious. Write about how you have writers block and you hate it. Write a book review. Write a poem about your cat. Just write something.
Q: If you had one piece of advice for new writers, what would it be?
Write often. Don’t worry about word count, or reading writing advice, or anything else if it’s at the expense of writing. As my old Orchestra teacher used to say, practice makes better.
Q: Tell me a little about The Romance of Psychosis.
A: The Romance of Psychosis is a suspense novel with romantic elements. It follows Hugo Sousa through his first psychotic break. He experiences drastic mood changes and also has delusions, or confusion about what is and isn’t real. He begins to believe his fiance is the Virgin Mary, and Julia, his fiance, struggles to get him help. This novel shows that, though love cannot cure, love can go a long way towards helping someone heal.
Q: What has the process of self-publishing looked like for you?
I spent a lot of time doing research, a heck of a lot of time, and things still didn’t come out exactly how I wanted. I mainly listened to podcasts like The Self-Publishing Show and went on Facebook groups like 20to50k. One answered questions I didn’t know I had, and the other one answered questions I was dumb enough to think of. All in all, it’s honestly been pretty great, but I’m sure there are people who would disagree.
An Ink-Stained Scribe 