Meet Rick Maloy

We were lucky to catch up with Rick Maloy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rick, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Like 99.9% of humanity, for years I believed there was at least one great story in me. A chrysalis packed with wisdom and entertainment waiting to amaze the world. I even had a good friend tell me – twenty years ago and perhaps after an unnecessary adult beverage – that my line of BS always had a beginning, middle, and end. The essence of any worthwhile story. “Ever try writing?” he said. “You might be good.”

I waved him off. “Thought about it, but no.”

“Tell you what. If you want to try, give it to me, and I’ll let you know. What could it hurt?”

Since this friend is a Princeton grad who majored in English, I was tempted. A couple of weeks at the keyboard produced some pages which I proudly handed over. I can’t be sure, but I suspect most new writers begin their journey with at least a kernel of autobiography. Reminiscences of basically irrelevant events they found hilarious, triumphant, maybe even embarrassing.

Anyway, he phoned the next day. “Do you ever read?” was how he opened the conversation.

“Uh, that doesn’t sound like it’s in my favor.”

“Rick, this stuff is…terrible. But I have a suggestion.”

“Give it up?”

“Maybe, but not yet. There are a number of excellent books on writing. As lazy as you are, I know you’ll probably stop after one, so make it Stephen King’s, On Writing. After that increase your reading, but not just for the story. Read critically. When you like a sentence or passage, re-read it and try to figure out what the writer did to grab you. Then do the same with stuff you don’t like.”

“Nothing to lose, I guess.” I felt like a non-swimmer who just got shoved off the dock. “Anything else, professor?”

“Yup. Don’t just have friends read your stuff.”

“Ex friends.”

“I’m serious. Find a writing workshop or two. Not critique groups. Those are useless. Keep getting your butt kicked while you’re progressing. Remember, writing is a craft. It’s not easy, but it is learnable.”

And so it began. Three years of full-contact workshops which focused on short fiction. Sort of the crawl, walk, run approach to creativity and story structure. These toughened my hide; squashed my face into plot, POV, mood, tone, conflict, tension, transitions, flashbacks, dialogue, story arc, character arc, satisfying endings, and more. Submission rejections and unsuccessful contest entries – sometimes with helpful commentary – piled up until winning first place with a story called The Sin in the Cemetery.

Fortified by this success, I left short fiction for the more challenging realm of novels. Only five years and maaaany drafts later, a small-ish publishing house released Replacement Children, followed by Evenings and Mournings. The second release was my first acceptance that I’d graduated from poser to writer. Whispers still visit now and then, but there’s been sufficient validation that they don’t derail what’s still to come.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Easily, the most rewarding part of writing is a favorable review from someone who discovered the book – however that miracle happens these days – and they were not only happy to have read it, but their comments show they grasped the intent, They recognized the characters. Understood their importance. Felt appropriate sorrow or anger. Saw plausibility in the story line and subplots. Found the ending satisfactory. And most important, wished for more from the author. That encouragement after Replacement Children is what spawned the sequel, Detour from Honor, coming out in October, 2025.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

First, I’ve been blessed with good health and an excellent memory, so my stockpile of experiences is large and growing. Unfortunately, neither of those can be acquired by effort.

Second, I’m the middle child of five, and my wife is the oldest of ten. If there’s a family trait I need to draw on for a book, firsthand example(s) are nearly endless. Again, that’s not something anyone can assimilate. That monkey house either exists or it doesn’t

Third, I have always worked hard, not because of poverty – or anything close to it – but because of competitiveness. Without a willingness to put in whatever effort is required, any success will have to come from pure, dumb luck. It’s like making lottery tickets your retirement plan.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

My wife. I was headed toward loser-hood as a beered up nineteen-year-old college sophomore, and then Serendipity paired us. Pregnant early in our relationship, we agreed to marry and raise the baby. She’s been my North Star ever since. I have often been a challenge, but when a grownup was called for in our life, she stepped up. Still does.

Aside from the icky sentimentality in the preceding paragraph, she’s also responsible for my business successes and subsequent writing career. My life has always been better when my days are based on: “Do what you have to do before you do what you want to do.” I believe success germinates best when goals are worthwhile, high but attainable, and the success is shared by those who contributed to it. She nurtured that environment without complaint or even any perceived effort. In my first novel, Replacement Children, the protagonist’s late grandmother once told him he’d know when he loved a woman if he couldn’t imagine hurting or disappointing her. Bingo.

Image Credits

Chris Holmes