An Interview with Rory North

Rory North is a sci-fi/fantasy author who has been writing for as long as she can remember, from scribbling in notebooks after school to filling up Word documents between classes in university. Her main goal in life is to get all of the stories floating around in her head out into the world.

Rory’s published books include the superhero romance Villain Complex, YA dystopian Plague Saint, and the first two books in the outer space sci-fi series Van Terra. Her next release is an urban fantasy titled A Drop of Haunted Blood.

Rory loves blending humor, action, and angst in her stories, whether they be set on a futuristic city on another planet or an alternate world brimming with magic. When she’s not writing, she enjoys art and photography, learning about cool bugs, and daydreaming about her future garden.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

This book is partially inspired by one of my favorite movies, Megamind! On one of my many rewatches, I found myself wondering how the story would have played out if Roxanne had been the one to accidentally get the superpowers instead. I thought there was a lot of potential in a story where a villain has to get close to a new hero for his plans only to fall for her instead, so I started writing Villain Complex the next day and pretty much didn’t stop until the first draft was done! (To this day, I think this book has the record for the one I’ve finished the fastest.)

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I think it came to me pretty early in the writing process. I’ve definitely had stories where I agonized over the title, but in this case, “Villain Complex” clicked so well with the story I knew I wanted to tell!

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I love making playlists for my books! (Like many writers, I dream of movie adaptations and love to think about what songs would be used, haha). Some of my favorite picks for Villain Complex are “Kill Your Heroes” by AWOLNATION, “Power” by Bastille, “Everybody Knows” by Wild Fire, “I’m Gonna Win” by Rob Cantor, “Skyfall” by Adele, and “Robbing Banks” by Autoheart.

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

I’ve been hooked on Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere lately! As someone who writes a lot of series set in the same universe, it’s interesting seeing how other authors handle the same thing. I don’t plan on connecting my series beyond a few hints here and there and some crossover characters, for the most part, but I love guessing at what Sanderson’s books are building toward and seeing how it all comes together.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I actually have a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology! I’ve done a little bit of lab work with that, and I was an intern at an aquarium for a while. I have a huge passion for both writing and science, and maybe some day I’ll find a way to combine them a little more. My writing desires are firmly in the fiction realm rather than non-fiction, but I find a lot of inspiration in real-life biology when I’m building my sci-fi and fantasy worlds.

Where is your favorite place to write?

Cozy in bed, ideally with a coffee by my side. I do try to be diligent about only working at my desk, but sometimes it’s nice to mix things up. I’ve also found working at a coffee shop helps me stay focused, but I’m trying to cut down on my coffee budget.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

The characters! I love finishing a book and feeling so strongly about the characters that I find myself imagining what happened to them after the last page, or how they might act in different scenarios or even other worlds!

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