Check Out Riley Odell’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Odell.

Hi Riley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m an autistic writer and neurodiversity advocate. I knew I wanted to be a writer from a young age, and I wrote my first complete work of prose fiction when I was twelve. However, I only started self-publishing my work three years ago, when I was thirty-two, as life and health issues had previously gotten in the way. Since then, I’ve published three short story collections, two anthologies, and two novellas (one of which, My Weird Nightmare Baby, is currently out of print and will be republished in 2026 by Madness Heart Press).

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been. I hoped to get my writing career off the ground sooner, but college and my subsequent years working at my parents’ brewery (Odell Brewing Company) both provided significant challenges for me as a person with autism and ADHD (a combination sometimes referred to as “AuDHD”), so I didn’t accomplish much in the way of writing during those years. In 2017, thanks to the generosity of my parents, I was able to quit working at the brewery to focus solely on my dream. I’d like to say it’s been smooth sailing since then, but in 2019, I developed chronic brain fog and haven’t discovered any means to treat it. The brain fog fluctuates in severity, but is at times so dense that I can barely write a paragraph or comprehend a book. I’m sure I don’t need to explain how severely this affects my writing, something that’s all about using my brain. That said, despite the difficulty, I do my best to write for four hours a day, six days a week. It’s slow and at times agonizing, and my sales aren’t great, but it’s still meaningful to me. I’ve always loved writing for the sake of writing, and that hasn’t changed even now that it’s harder for me than ever before.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Most of my work is in the horror and bizarro genres, bizarro being an underground literary movement that’s all about writing the weirdest stuff you possibly can. I discovered this genre in 2020 and have been trying to make a name for myself in the scene since then. I guess I’m doing pretty well since one of my horror/bizarro collections, Vile Visions Volume 2, was nominated for the 2025 Wonderland Award, the highest award in the genre. I didn’t win, but I’m sure I’ll be nominated again in the future.

As I said, I also do work related to neurodiversity. I’ve spoken on stage at the Fort Collins autism fair about my experiences living with the condition, and I edited/published Divergent Realms: Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories About Neurodivergence, an anthology of fourteen stories about neurodivergent characters written by neurodivergent writers. I’ve always wanted to see more neurodivergent representation in fiction, and I’m happy to have been a part of making that happen. I think that’s probably the work I’m proudest of.

Any big plans?
I’m going to keep writing and publishing my work. I plan to release four books in 2026–two novelettes (work that’s too long to be considered a short story but too short to be considered a novella), one novella, and a short story collection. That will make it my best year yet in terms of release quantity. I hope to be able to match that pace going forward, but that’s dependent on a number of factors.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rileyodellwriter.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/rileyodellwriter
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/rileyodellauthor

Image Credits
Vile Visions Volume 1 and 2 cover by Joshua Dartez
Odd Ordeals cover by Jim Agpalza
Shit, Love, and Burgers cover by Ash Ericmore
Bizarro Circus of Madness cover by Adrian Medina