Author Ryan Uytdewilligen Discusses His Books & Writing Life

Ryan Uytdewilligen is a Canadian screenwriter, historian, author, editor, and journalist.

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I grew up on a farm in southern Alberta. It was a swine farm, so I was actively involved in 4-H. Spent a lot of time in the tractor (we grew sugar beets and pinto beans too) with my dad. My mom was more of the creative mind. She loved movies and read to be often. I’m more like her in terms of interests and seeing her love of Hollywood and entertainment at a young age pushed me into this direction.

I wanted to be actor growing up. I was going to move to Hollywood, be the next Jim Carrey, and live in a house build on top of the Hollywood sign. Most people might not know that I took a lot of acting camps and lessons every summer. I performed in plays and wanted to move to California until reality settled in at about high school when I understood how tough that road was going to be.

I was always attracted to goofballs as far as role models went.

When teachers asked what I wanted to be when I graduate, I would say Will Ferrell. I wrote a letter to Matt Leblanc, saying I was going to replace him as Joey on Friends one day. I haven’t acted in years, but should the day come for a remake of that show, I ought to be first in line at the casting office.

What made you decide to become a writer?

I wanted to be a writer I think even before I could write. In fact, I remember getting my parents to type out stories on the computer that I told to them when I was just a tiny kid. I always enjoyed making stuff up. Now, I know I’m more inspired by classic film and comedy movies than anything else, but as a six-year-old, my life plan (before being bitten by the acting bug) was to open up my own bookstore and sell only books that I had written.

When I turned 19 and finished college, I got a job called Creative Writer for a radio station. I had sort of forgotten about my writing dream, but seeing those two words together made me think “that sounds like the most heavenly thing to be on this planet.” So, I started writing commercials, then news stories, then movie scrips, and eventually books!

What is a typical writing day like?

It all depends what I’m working on! I tend to work in bursts, but I am a morning person. No staying up until the wee hours of the night, strung out on coffee for me. I like editing and re-reading what I wrote the previous day in the morning, then I go about my day. Work. Walk. Chores. Once everything is out of the way, then I can write in peace. That usually consists of a few hours in the afternoon. I find that if it’s after seven in the evening, I am not committed or creative.

What was the first book you had published and what inspired it?

The first book I published was a non-fiction film history book called 101 Most Influential Coming of Age Movies. I watched a whole lot of “teen” films and decided to make a book that explores what makes the best ones the best ones. It was an experience I treasure. For about four or five months, I got into the rhythm of everything and how to write a book. I was 22 and never had gotten this far before. I got a few rejections when I first started sending it out and in fact learned a lot of lessons along the way as far as vanity publishers, rejections, and the process goes.

I wish I had waited or gone with a different publisher, ultimately, as it didn’t turn out the way I had hoped. But it kept me going and I emerged a whole lot wiser and more determined than before.

Tell me about your more recent books?

My most recent book (released June 2023) is called This is Not My Story. It’s a children’s picture book (my first) that follows the main character and author working together to try different types of genres in order to find the best story to tell. It’s very zany and colorful and meant to elicit laughs while teaching the concept of different storytelling genres.

I worked in a bookstore while I wrote it and was inspired by the kids section where many parents introduced me to what books were popular. I thought a book exploring all types of stories might be a good idea. Low and behold, KidsCan Press picked it up, introduced me to a wonderful illustrator name David Huyck, and now its on bookstore shelves!

What are your thoughts on the current state of the publishing industry, small press publishers and self-publishing?

I know people aren’t reading as much, and what is being read or published by bigger presses are celebrity memoirs. It’s hard to compete with that. I’ve done all three and had varying results. I self-published a hometown history book that sold like hotcakes, but I don’t see that model repeating that kind of success for other genres.

Small presses take away a lot of the heavy lifting, but the reach is smaller. The dream is to have a following (that is not online or on social media), but I suppose you can’t force that. All you can do is keep writing and publishing no matter the avenue.

Which writers do you most admire?

I discovered John Irving in my mid-twenties and thought “this is the writer I’ve been waiting for.” His long, meandering, character-driven stories have so much originality, depth, and truth, I always take something away from whatever I’ve read of his. I look up to the diverse career of Dave Eggers as he sort of seems to write in a dozen different genres. I love the country style of Larry McMurtry. I think no one had more talent and creativity than Dr. Seuss. It’s all over the place!

What are your future goals for your writing career and any upcoming books in the pipeline?

I have really turned my attention to children’s books. I wrote a middle grade story about a girl who loves classic film as I really wanted to introduce younger readers to older movies. I have penned a few more picture books too. It’s just a matter of seeing how this new one does and finding them right home for them. It’s an arduous journey, but I truly hope to get them out into the world!

What advice would you give to writers who are struggling to get published?

Keep submitting and do your research! There are a lot of vanity presses that are actively trying to take advantage of your discouragement, so always check and see what their track record is and speak with other authors that have worked with them to get a handle on how they operate. Ultimately, finding satisfaction of writing the book is got to be what feeds the soul.

Writing is not for the faint of heart. There is little to no money or success involved. But if writing a good story lights your fire, you’ll be richer in spirit than anyone else out there!

Connect with Ryan on Twitter.

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