Written by contributor Amy Jane Lehan
Hello, my fellow readers. I was so excited to not only have the pure joy of reading Be Dazzled before its general release, but also the opportunity to ask author Ryan La Sala some questions about the upcoming release!
Be Dazzled is a dual timeline YA romance about the wonderfully sweet Raffy and his determination to win a massive cosplay competition, and ultimately secure his future. What he didn’t plan on was his biggest competition being his ex-boyfriend Luca or how it would feel to see him again. This is the queer cosplay romance you didn’t know you needed in your life, but you all need it on your TBR, yesterday.
Hi Ryan! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
As a former theater kid, I’m always desperate to hear this exact question! I’m Ryan. I’m 29, I write books, and I love arts and crafts and attention. My favorite food is popcorn and I’m not like other girls in the way that I’m actually a queer man who lives in a subterranean cottage in Manhattan. And no matter where I am, I’m happy to just be invited.
And of course, tell us about your new novel, Be Dazzled, too!
Be Dazzled is about a young artist named Raffy trying to make a name for himself by winning his region’s biggest, most competitive cosplay championship. Raffy needs to win for a few reasons: to get discovered by art school recruiters, to win a sponsorship to fund his anime addiction, but most importantly to shut up his super-famous artist mother who doesn’t believe crafting is real art. But things go awry when Raffy’s ex-boyfriend shows up to compete against him. And that’s just the first chapter. Sparks fly! Seams rip! Hearts break and get put back together in new and different shapes! It’s a lot of fun and my personal love letter to cons, geek culture, fandoms, and of course the secret world of competitive arts and crafts.
Did writing your first novel impact that way you approached Be Dazzled?
Oh, gosh, yes. The experiences of writing Reverie versus Be Dazzled couldn’t have been more different. I started Reverie at 16. It turned into this ten-year journey of excavating my subconscious, and by the time that it was done it was more of an imaginary friend than a book. Meanwhile Be Dazzled was written in a few blissful, frantic months, with a lot more precision and intention. I was more organized writing Be Dazzled because I had to be, because I had a deadline suddenly, and also because the book itself is about the beauty of a precisely executed project. Plus, I had all the materials (the experience, the emotion, the project details) readily available.
When or where did you get the idea for Be Dazzled?
Well, a few years ago I was dating this really hot guy and we were at New York Comic Con, cosplaying (when you dress up in a costume). I was an exhausted and irritable mess because I did most of the costume building for both of us, but he was a shining, charismatic ball of boundless energy. The whole experience was fun yet stressful, oddly romantic yet nearly devastating to our relationship. It was such a strange, specific era of my life that I called my agent and said: I think I need to write a rom com about this, about ex boyfriends who actually break up due to cosplay. And then me and my boyfriend actually did break up. I’ve been running in circles with this plot ever since.
Was there anything that didn’t make the final version of Be Dazzled, or anything that majorly changed during editing?
All books change during edits but Be Dazzled has been strangely consistent from first draft to final. That said, I did have to cut out a lot of the gratuitous descriptions of costumes and crafting techniques. I was so eager to show all that I learned that I got a bit carried away and my editor had to reel me back in. There also used to be a big conspiracy reveal, and a few other odd resolutions towards the end, but ultimately, I decided to keep some things unknown. Endings are more realistic that way.
Out of all your characters, which do you relate to the most and why?
Raffy. We’re not the exact same person, but we share a LOT of the strengths and weaknesses. I’m intensely creative and if I want something, I make it myself. That’s how I got into writing books. Raffy meanwhile transforms himself with costumes. I also blessed Raffy with my anxiety and self-sabotaging dread. Sorry, kiddo!
That said, I want to state here that even though I related to Raffy, my mother is nothing like his mother. My mom is the freaking best. I feel so bad that people may think otherwise because of Raffy’s clear connection to myself, so I make sure to mention this as often as I can. Mom, I love you!
The timeline shifts are incredibly smooth. Was writing a dual timeline challenging?
No, because I knew it was going to do it from the start. While outlining Be Dazzled, I kept in mind a zipper–two separate yet complementary strands being locked together by the readers’ progress through the story. And that’s also how heartbreak works, you know. The book’s structure zips together the past and present as a means of evoking the disorienting nostalgia of a tender, recently broken heart. Heartbreak bounces us back and forth between the present and the past, along these mysterious and powerful parallels. If there was a challenge writing this book, it was figuring out those guiding parallels.
What is the weirdest thing you had to research?
Oh easily: how many spaceships does Captain Marvel fly through with her body between her own movie, and her appearance in Avengers: Endgame? I’m still not sure.
How do you think Raffy and Luca would get on in Reverie?
Oh, it would be a mess. Raffy would likely get sidetracked by the opportunity to explore infinite worlds and start scavenging materials for future costumes. Very Poesy-like, if you ask me. And Luca would be unstoppable. He’s classic hero material. The reveries would have an absolute ball throwing him into different arenas. Probably he wouldn’t want to leave.
In follow up to the above question, what would their ability be within Reverie?
In Reverie, a character’s powers are informed by their fears and nightmares, so Raffy would likely have a corrosive magic able to tease things into their unconstructed materials. A little like Kane, but applied to matter, not dreams. Luca would have command over shadows, something that fully takes him out of the spotlight, and he would hate every minute of it.
What are you writing pet peeves?
Fear and needless restraint, or when I can sense that someone is holding back on the page. I want the drama. And preciousness. I’m forever at war with preciousness in all its permutations. It’s really easy as a writer to become insular and precious about kinda weak writing or artistic choices, and to then become threatened by all forms of feedback. Personally, I need to learn this lesson every single book I write, because I’m naturally prone to preciousness and delusion myself.
What would be your go to cosplay looks? Outside of Sailor Moon!
Sailor Mercury. I’m kidding. If I had to stray, I’d try Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter. Anime looks tend to be simple, so that they’re easier to animate, which means the cosplay is all about style, posing, and over-acting. Things I’m great at.
Who is an author you admire?
Julian Winters. I think it was Julian’s Running With Lions that showed me how much power there was to be found in joyful, queer love stories. I really admire his talent and just the scope of what he’s accomplished through his writing.
Any hints you can give on what you’re working on for future books?
I have tons of stuff I want to write eventually, but right now my only goal is to enjoy being cozy inside while I have the excuse of COVID to turn down plans so that I can watch even more anime and do even more arts and crafts.
Lastly, what 2021 releases should our readers keep an eye out for (besides Be Dazzled)?
As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper was incredible and emotional and everything. I’m reading Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee right now and it’s hilarious. I highly recommend both!
