Author Christen Randall - The Writer Story
Meet Christen, USA Today Bestselling Author of Debut novel The No-Girlfriend Rule, a queer YA coming-of-age romance
If you are in the mood for fun and feels, with a dollop of queerness, and a warm hug of fat-positivity, you have to read The No-Girlfriend Rule.
For people who don’t know Christen, here’s the official bio.
Christen Randall (she/they) is a queer, fat, neurodivergent author of queer, fat, neurodiverse books. When they’re not writing joyful stories for the next generation of geeky gay kids, you can find them working at their local library branch or at home planning all the D&D campaigns they’ll run one day, they swear. Christen lives in Covington, Kentucky. You can find her on most social media @bycrandall. The No-Girlfriend Rule is her debut novel.
Here’s the Writer Story chat with the wonderful Christen.
Why did you start writing and what inspired you?
Stories have always been the way I process the world. It started with reading, then making up stories for myself in my head when I didn’t see people like myself in media that I consumed. When I started writing them down, that’s when I knew I found my Thing.
When was the first time you felt that writing is something you want to do professionally?
I always knew I wanted to be an author, but it was never something I allowed myself to think seriously about until I was in my early 30’s. I talked myself out of it for so long!
Could you please share with us your publishing journey so far?
No-Girlfriend Rule is the first novel I really wrote from start to finish with revision and all that good stuff. I’ve had to learn how to do this all as I go, from revision methods to writing query letters to navigating publishing. Luckily, authors are truly the best people and I have made some wonderful friends along the way who have reached back down the ladder to help pull me up. Now that I have a book on the shelf, I am excited to get to do that for the next cohort of authors.
Tell us about your book – The No-Girlfriend Rule?
The No-Girlfriend Rule is a queer YA coming-of-age romance that follow Hollis Beckwith, a fat, anxious artist, as she tries to prove to her boyfriend that she’s worth keeping around after senior year by playing Secrets and Sorcery, his favorite tabletop roleplaying game. But his group’s game comes with one rule before any in the rulebook: The No-Girlfriend Rule, which bars Hollis specifically (and any other girlfriends, theoretically) from playing with the boys. Hollis finds her way to her own all-girl, LGBTQ+-inclusive gaming group where she meets a group of wild, wonderful girls to play with. As the game progresses, Hollis steps into character and starts to step into her own confidence. But when an in-game flirtation with the party’s bard becomes a real-world crush on the cute girl who plays him, Hollis must decide if she’s content to keep playing pretend or if she’ll roll the dice on a change for real, swoon-worthy love.
That sounds so fun. When did you first get the idea for this story? What connected you to this idea that made you think it could be a book?
I’m a big roleplaying nerd (imagine that!), and what I love about tabletop roleplaying games is the safe space it creates to explore your identity. Telling a love story (both romantic love and self-love) in the setting felt like a natural connection to me.
Did you do any research before you started writing or did you do it as you went along?
I lucked out with this book and didn’t have to do much research before, unless you count being a life-long fat geek with anxiety as research! Anything I did have to research I did as I went.
What do you want readers to take away from the book?
I want people to walk away with a feeling that they’re enough exactly as we are. Often, folks who are fat, or queer, or neurodivergent, or like Hollis (and myself) all three at once, aretold we’re not. I hope Hollis’s story allows people to believe for themselves that they’re worthy of love, experiencing joy, and being the heroes of their own stories.
What is your writing routine, if you have one?
My routine is flexible and depends on what phase of the process I am in, but when I am actively working, it always just looks like sitting down at the desk and doing the thing. Sometimes that looks like pounding out 5,000 words in a couple hours. Sometimes that looks like anguishing over the same important email all day. Such is the nature of being a neurodivergent creative! Having a dedicated space for writing helps trick my brain into actually working, so I almost always do my work at my desk in my office. The when and how changes sometimes, but that’s my constant.
Do you plot? Or discover while writing?
I’m a plotter! I have ADHD, so sitting down and brain dumpingmy ideas beforehand so I can organize them helps keep me on track when I am drafting. Literally I will just have a document titled “BRAIN DUMP!!!!” where I throw all my ideas and character snippets and scenes I want to write, and then later organize them into a more traditional outline.
What software do you use for writing?
In my heart I am forever a Google Docs person (it’s free! It’s accessible!), but now that I am a working author, I regrettably have to use Word sometimes.
What advice do you have for other writers?
Have the audacity to keep going. There are so many points in this journey where it’s easier to quit. Know that your stories are needed and bet on yourself. You are so, so worth it.
What is your favorite book that you’d recommend to anyone and everyone? Why?
Literally anything ever written by Jonny Garza Villa, because their writing is lush and vibrant and hits every emotional beat I need. Ander and Santi Were Here is out now, and Canto Contigois out on April 9, 2024.
Is there anything else in the works that you could share with us?
Yes! I am working on my second contracted novel. It’s still secret for now, but it’s going to be queer, fat, and nerdy, too!
Ooh, exciting. So finally, where do we find you? Please plug your link, socials etc.
You can find me online at bychristenrandall.com, and on most socials like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at ByCRandall.
