Meet Riley Chance | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Riley Chance and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Riley, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?

How do you make a positive difference to the world around you? That was the question I used to ask my university students – how can we, as citizens, change the world?

I wasn’t talking about world peace. How do you stop cars speeding in your neighbourhood? How do make sure there are enough mental health services for teenagers? The world doesn’t often radically change, it is usually a myriad of small changes that add up to a better (or worse) society.

It was an uncomfortable question for my students, but it was equally an uncomfortable question for me. Yes, I was helping educate the future generation but I wanted to do more. As a percentage of young people, those lucky enough to sit in my class was a low number.

I turned my passion for reading into one of writing. I write fiction thrillers that entertain as well as educate. My first novel, Surveillance, was written with the rise of surveillance cameras and technology as the backdrop.

Creating something from thin air, a book from my swirling thoughts – nothing is more satisfying.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

My writing career is in its infancy, and that’s exciting. The challenges in front of me are huge, as they are for any writer. Getting noticed is incredibly hard in a society with a short attention span.

Persistence and enjoying the journey, those are two lessons I have learnt. The persistence to keep going when it’s easier to stop and enjoying each step. If I only enjoy the moment when I have a book published, that’s one happy day a year!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Palmerston North – a small city in New Zealand’s North Island – is not New York. If my best friends were visiting, they’re my two now adult children, I would lash out and book one of the many lodges nestled in New Zealand’s bush and countryside nearby and enjoy the relaxed lifestyle New Zealand can offer – tramping, bush walks, swimming or just hanging out. Then, in the evening, great food and a few stories.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I sent the first draft of my first book to Geoff Walker, who I picked out of a list of literary advisors – I was so lucky. As it was my first attempt at writing a book (it was a memoir), it was rough. Had Geoff given me that feedback, I may have abandoned the pursuit of writing. What he did say was, ‘There is some great stuff here, though it’s a bit clumsy.’

All I heard was ‘great stuff’.

Sometimes all it takes is a kind word, or encouragement, rather than brutal honesty. Geoff Walker, who has had a long and distinguished career in publishing, is still my editor, advisor and sounding board.

Website: https://www.rileychance.com

Image Credits
Warwick Smith