Wicked Ink Publishing is excited to introduce Patrick Bryce Wright, a compelling new voice in supernatural horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Known for his vibrant personality, Patrick brings an unconventional style to both his life and his writing—a blend of academic insight, tattoos, and piercings combined with an undying passion for storytelling. As an English professor and successful author of novels like Facing the Curse, The Summoning, and Conjure Hill, Patrick captures readers with narratives that transcend genres while exploring the rich, often uncharted depths of the human experience.

Patrick’s commitment to diversity and authentic representation shines through his work. As a proud advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community and a voice for marginalized identities, he infuses his stories with characters that resonate deeply. His personal journey as a neurodivergent, third-gender individual, and trauma survivor allows him to bring unique perspectives to his storytelling, where themes of identity and resilience take center stage. With degrees in English and Psychology, Patrick seamlessly intertwines his expertise into his writing, portraying nuanced characters from the queer and d/Deaf communities, as well as those with dissociative identity disorder, with remarkable sensitivity and realism.

We’re thrilled to welcome Patrick Bryce Wright to Wicked Ink Publishing and can’t wait for readers to experience his latest novel, The Truth of a Kaleidoscope Mind. With his unique voice and commitment to diversity, Patrick is sure to make a lasting impact in the literary world, and we look forward to sharing his journey with you. As part of our ongoing effort to connect readers with their favorite authors, we're thrilled to announce that Patrick will be taking part in our exclusive author spotlight interview series.

Keep reading as we delve deeper into Patrick's inspirations, experiences, and creative process, allowing readers to get to know the author behind “The Truth Of A Kaleidoscope Mind”.

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as a writer?

Starting in sixth grade, I writing became my number one pastime, and I began writing a novel. I carried a notebook dedicated to my novel to school every day, and I wrote in it if I finished my in-class work early. I did this all the way through middle school, high school, and college. In fact, in ninth grade, my English teacher gave me a certificate on the last day of class that rewarded me for keeping an A average while writing “a billion words on a novel.” She was using hyperbole, of course, but she was genuinely impressed. It bolstered my passion for writing.
I also discovered fan fiction in college. It was fun, and I built a readership right away. It motivated me to write without worrying so much about being perfect, and I got instant feedback on my writing, some of which was genuinely helpful. Plus, by writing so much fan fiction, I gained the ability to write up to 2,000 words an hour.
For almost a decade during and after graduate school, I wrote next to no original fiction, and I worried that my dream of publishing my original fiction would die. However, I wrote a new novel in 2014 and began querying in 2015. Sadly, a significant life upheaval and tragedy derailed me in 2017-2018. My life partner, Keith, almost died due to a previously undiagnosed immune system disorder. By the time I got back on my feet, Covid-19 hit, and I contracted it twice. Despite this, Keith recovered, and so did I. I continued writing new novels and decided to query publishers directly instead of the agents, who kept telling me they loved my ideas but didn’t know who to sell them to. Wicked Ink loved The Truth of a Kaleidoscope Mind, so I got a happy ending.

2. What inspired you to start writing, and how did you discover your passion for storytelling?

When I was in elementary school, my mom started writing a novel. I was under the impression that only famous, ritzy people did that—I think I was six years old—so I was really impressed. I decided if she could write a novel, then I could, too. One genre I read as a child was detective fiction, so at age eight, I decided to write my first book: a detective novel. I think I wrote it in thirty minutes, so it was actually a short story.
Years later, in sixth grade, was when the true passion hit. I began a novel in August and finished it in May, and I wrote it all by hand. However, twice during the process, I reread my work and realized I’d grown so much as a writer that the early chapters weren’t up to my current level. Of my own volition, I tore them out of my notebook and started over, making my novel stronger. Then, once I finished, I began a sequel and plotted a trilogy that I worked on during seventh grade.
From August of sixth grade until now, I’ve never once looked back. My one life goal became, and remained, to become a published novelist.

3. Could you share some insights into your creative process? Do you have any rituals or habits that help you write?

Fun fact: I chew an obscene amount of gum while I write.
I pick a band to listen to, one whose albums match the mood of what I’m writing, and I play them while I work. I write a lot of horror, and I listen to Birthday Massacre for that. For high fantasy, I’ve listened to Enya, Within Temptation, and Nightwish.
Most of my prewriting is usually rough drafting. Outlines choke me. Too much “writing advice” paralyzes me. I just select my genre, identify the external problem my characters will face, and set up my main character and my villain. Then I jump in and write, write, write. My life partner reads each chapter after I finish it, and then we discuss it and where my novel is headed. If I see a problem, I course-correct it. Otherwise, I hammer out a rough draft without stopping to revise or second-guess myself into oblivion.

4. What themes or messages do you often explore in your writing, and why are they important to you?

Found family, recovering from trauma, and being your authentic self are probably my top three themes, and that’s entirely the result of my own experiences in life. There’s always a personal component to what I write, even when it’s paranormal horror and high fantasy. If I can’t identify with some part of the main character’s struggle, then I can’t write the story.

5. Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style or storytelling approach?

To be honest, the people who have influenced me most don’t have any obvious connection in style or genre: Madeline L’Engle and R. A. Salvatore.
In college, I read Madeline L’Engle’s A Live Coal in the Sea for one of my courses and was awed. She handles her high drama and interesting characters with a level of artistry that makes what would be a soap opera into something believable. I didn’t know how to do that, so I paid attention to how she wove the story. She also taught me that people will read family dramas. Family drama drives A Live Coal in the Sea. People read her sprawling story of family dysfunction and loved it.
When I was in grad school, my boyfriend at the time introduced me to R. A. Salvatore. That was when I finally realized: Hey, authors don’t have to be perfect. What authors really need are great characters. Reading Salvatore’s works showed me that many readers want an epic drama that happens to interesting people with relatable desires.
In addition to American novels, I read a growing number of Japanese manga beginning in grad school. I’ve read and/or watched over 200 titles, including Rurouni Kenshin, Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, YuYu Hakusho, and InuYasha. As a result, I studied Japanese storytelling, researched Japanese history and culture, and even learned a little bit of the Japanese language.
As for books that are about story craft, I have two that have impacted me: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody and Writing Archetypal Character Arcs by K. M. Weiland. Both of them helped me to see at the conscious, explicit level what I’d been doing unconsciously as I wrote. They also gave me checklists or beat sheets to use to make sure I didn’t go off course or miss a step along the way.

6. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who are just starting their journey?

Love telling stories and love your characters. Get to know your characters before you start writing the story itself. Write some off-the-cuff scenes with them and fully flesh them out first. The more “alive” the characters are, the easier it will be to write. If you’re a “pantser” like I am, then let your characters lead you through their experiences and check a beat sheet after you’re done. Learn about common plot structures and character arcs so that you don’t end up with a tangled mess or failed ending. If you’re a “plotter,” don’t cling to your outline and force your characters to do whatever the outline says. Your writing will sound forced and wooden. Allow your characters to drag you away from the outline with their life-like responses to what’s happening in your story. This way, your story will sound more realistic and organic.
As for publishing, I’ll pass on the advice given to me: The only person who doesn’t get published is the person who gives up on querying. It took me eight years, especially with life interruptions involved, and it’s not unusual to get fifty to a hundred rejections. Some people get more than two hundred. Many famous novelists like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Stephen King, and J. K. Rowling reported struggling to get their first novels published. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. Don’t give up.

7. How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, such as work, family, and personal interests?

I don’t. Between my day job, writing, and promoting, I probably work 60-90 hours a week. However, I do force myself to hike for at least an hour three times a week so I can get outside in nature. I also set aside every Friday night to watch a movie with my life partner, Keith. The only thing saving me is that we don’t have kids, so I’m not an absentee dad.
However, I can say this much: I’m working on learning how to take more breaks and rest, and Keith is incredibly involved in my writing process. He’s my soundboard, my beta reader, and my initial editor. (He’s a freelance editor, actually.) We work together literally every single day, and Keith has played a major role in my success. Having a life partner who is a fellow writer and freelance editor means that writing is woven into our life together.

8. How do you stay motivated and overcome writer's block when faced with challenges in your writing process?

In my experience, writer’s block occurs for one of two reasons: 1) You don’t know enough about story structure, so you don’t understand what would naturally come next; and 2) you knocked your plot off course, perhaps by introducing too many characters or too many subplots, and have confused yourself. When I was a teenager, I also had a third potential block: Not knowing your characters well enough or not letting their actions and reactions unfold naturally from the people they were created to be.
Overcoming writer’s block, then, means consulting a beat sheet to see what naturally comes next or cutting extra characters or subplots that have pushed the novel off course. I’ve also asked Keith, as my beta reader, what he can imagine would happen next as a result of the events of my current chapter.
I never actually lack motivation. I yearn to tell stories, so I always want to fix the problem and continue. If you don’t feel passionate about the story you’re telling—passionate enough to fight through a writer’s block—then you need to ask yourself why you haven’t given yourself permission to write the story that you really, truly want to write. I faced this moment myself. I had been told as a child that being LGBTQIA+ meant going to hell, so I was too scared to either be myself or write LGBTQIA+ characters. After I accepted myself and pushed past the fear of hellfire and damnation, I finally gave myself permission to write LGBTQIA+ characters. I went from fearing that I could produce maybe three to five novels over the course of my entire lifetime to having so many story ideas I don’t have enough hours in the day to write them. Writing what makes you passionate makes writing easier.

9. How do you manage your time and set goals to ensure consistent progress in your writing projects?

When I’m writing, I set the goal of writing a minimum of one scene a day. When I’m editing, my minimum goal is one chapter a day. This is inevitably in the evening after I’ve come home from work.
Everyone must make the decision in life about what to prioritize. For example, I haven’t had either cable or satellite for about a decade, and I haven’t had a streaming service in two years. I don’t watch TV, and I barely keep up with my favorite genres of movies anymore, either. I’ve missed entire series that other people consider cultural touchstones. However, I had to make the decision about what I wanted to be: a watcher or a writer. So I made it. I don’t regret it.

10. How do you handle moments of doubt or uncertainty in your writing process, and what strategies do you use to persevere through challenges?

Over time, I learned to trust the process. If I have a pressing doubt, I will discuss it with Keith. If I’m sure the plot is still on course, then I just keep writing and remind myself I can revise later. If I’m interrupted by life circumstances, then I trust that when I sit down to write again, I can resume. All it takes is rereading the previous scene so I can remind myself where I was in the story. If I’m gone for longer than a week or two, then I reread the entire document and then resume. Writing happens when your love of stories and storytelling meets up with your sheer will. If you will it, then you will finish your novel. The only thing that can stop you is giving up.

11. What role do emotions and empathy play in your writing, and how do you strive to evoke emotional responses from your readers?

Emotions and empathy are everything. I was assigned to read some painfully dry, emotionless books in school, books that lacked any and all empathy. Those novels evoked no emotions in me as a reader, and I resented being assigned them. I resented that they were considered “classics” or “high literature.” Human beings are inherently emotion-driven creatures, even when they’re clinging to logic. Without emotion, without a heart, a story is dead. Perfect precision in story craft can’t save a novel or movie with no heart. Imperfect story craft paired with a powerful heart, however, can make a novel or movie a hit.
That said, I don’t worry about evoking emotional responses from my readers. I give my characters wounds, problems, or traumas that I can personally understand and empathize with. Then I include the characters’ thoughts and feelings using deep P.O.V. I take my characters on a growth journey, perhaps the hero’s journey, and I include what is at stake. Readers who share similar wounds, problems, and traumas will understand and engage. Readers with extremely different lives may not, but then again, not every novel is for everyone. And that’s okay.

12. Can you share any insights into the importance of a strong opening hook or first chapter in capturing readers' attention and setting the tone for the rest of the book?

I actually hate this topic. While I was in high school and college, one of my mentors terrorized me with it, saying, “If you don’t have a strong opening book, the agent will stop reading on the first page! If you don’t have a strong first chapter, then you’ll never be published, and even if you are, readers won’t read your book. You have to catch their attention instantly or you’re doomed!” This person then handed me multiple articles from writing experts about opening hooks and first chapters. By the time I graduated from college, I was so terrified of opening hooks and first chapters that I over-revised my first chapters into the dust. I became convinced that both agents and readers alike didn’t want me to take the time to establish the status quo before breaking it—a common first step in a novel—and I tried to fire my readers out of a cannon. I honestly didn’t fully overcome this until after I was accepted for publication.
So my advice is this: Don’t worry about. Write your story. Then, when it’s time to revise, ask yourself three questions: 1) When does the status quo change? 2) What event kicks off the main plot? 3) What emotional wound is complicating my main character’s life? In a perfect world, a chapter one will address those three questions. A story begins when the status quo changes, and it should change because the main plot (the A plot) has begun. However, action alone is not the point. Your character also has an emotional need that should be addressed—an emotional problem that must be solved. We need at least a hint of that, too, so we can engage with your character and care about their fate.
Frankly, I now write my beginnings last. I revise them in. They don’t come about “naturally” in the process of writing my drafts.

13. Can you discuss any experiences of writer's block or creative burnout, and how do you rejuvenate your creativity during those times?

Many people get writer’s block when they are stuffed full of too many rules, such as “You must have an exciting opening hook,” “You must catch the readers’ and agents’ attention with a powerful first chapter,” or “You must have a romantic subplot if you want your book to sell.” Rules aren’t absolutes; they’re supposed to be guidelines. Treating them like absolutes can get in your way. Ditch the rules. For example, I once had to drag myself through the entire first third of a novel kicking and screaming because it was boring and mostly off-topic. (I was on a plane and had nothing better to do.) I finished the book, but I was frustrated. I could have torn out the entire first third of the book, and it would have been a stronger and more interesting novel.
That novel was a best seller that won an award and had a major motion picture made of it.
You can break rules, so don’t let them choke you up.
As for creative burnout, I’ve got three things I do: go hiking or swimming, listen to fast music, or in the case of severe burnout, watch a series of movies or the first season of a brand new TV show. I have to get my brain to rest, and I have to take in energy—energy from nature, music, or a show. Intellectual exhaustion is a real thing. Writing takes energy and brain cells. You have to put energy back into yourself. Most often, I make myself spend an afternoon at the lake, eat enough food, and get enough sleep.

14. Are there any upcoming projects or future plans that you're excited to share with your readers?

Next year, my second novel with Wicked Ink, The God Slayers, will be released in July. It’s near-future science fiction/fantasy. Arthur C. Clarke is much-quoted as saying that advanced enough science is indistinguishable from magic. I ran with that. What if we discover that human beings can manipulate physics in various ways, but instead of calling such people superheroes, we call them magicians? Society would want to build research institutes and colleges and universities, and governments would weaponize such abilities. Also, there would almost certainly be people who protest that we don’t have a right to manipulate physics. Many arguments in the United States boil down to religion. Weaponized “magic” would, too. The God Slayers explores that conflict between scientific advancement and religion. When mysterious beings appear on the campus of a magic-focused university, are they gods or something else? And when those beings wreak havoc using the power associated with God, how can anyone stop them? That’s what my unlucky group of college students have to deal with. They all have different religious beliefs. Can they overcome their differences and agree on what to do? In addition, a dangerous mega-church evangelist leader takes an interest and muddies the waters, seemingly intent on causing public hysteria. The result is a dangerous showdown that could alter the fate of an entire country.