Patrick O'Dell

Baton Rouge fantasy writer and MFA graduate preparing his debut novel, Gods and Monsters, with a boutique small press.

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A debut is not the finish line; it is the first time the imagined world has to stand on its own for a reader.

Patrick O'Dell writes urban and dark fantasy from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His forthcoming debut, Gods and Monsters, opens the planned Godfire series and is scheduled for publication with boutique press Rowan Prose Publishing.

O'Dell holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska Omaha. His early catalog is still taking shape, with Watchers in the Dark and The Dream Eater's Bargain planned as follow-up titles. That combination of a first novel, a developing series, and the small-press route makes his career one to watch.

Official website · Media kit

The standard questions

We ask every featured author the same set, so the archive is comparable.

How did you start writing?: I started by rewriting the kinds of myths and monster stories I loved, then learned to make the characters—not the lore—the reason each scene had to exist.
Which publishing path did you take, and why?: I chose a small press because I wanted an editorial partnership and a team that understood a series still building its audience.
What was the hardest lesson?: Atmosphere cannot replace momentum. A beautifully imagined chapter still has to change something for the character.
What does your working setup look like?: I draft on a laptop, keep a lean series bible, and use index cards when the plot becomes too tangled to understand on a screen.
What marketing actually worked?: Talking specifically about the questions behind the story has worked better than broad promotion. Readers respond to genuine curiosity.
What would you tell a first-timer?: Finish the whole book before trying to perfect its opening. You learn what chapter one needs only after reaching the end.

Bibliography

Cover
Gods and Monsters
Jan 2027
Rowan Prose Publishing
paperback · ebook