Daryl Omar is from the small town of Maplewood, NJ and attended Kent State University studying English, Political Science, and Psychology. He is now an Amazon best-seller for paranormal urban romance, historical fiction, and an epic fantasy series, "Guardians of Gaia".
What genre do you write?
I write literary soul food. I try to feed the soul when I write whether it's paranormal urban fantasy, erotica with Christian morals, or literary fiction. I simply try to give a perspective, and a tell a story that speaks to the soul.
What got you into writing your own stories?
I was so nervous about this omg! I got started in the 3rd grade writing stories about Spyro the dragon. My teacher noted my word choice, and short story writing skills. It was amazing because the year prior in 2nd grade, I had reading issues. But my teacher refused to let me leave the 2nd grade without a love for literature. In the 4th grade, I was recognized for my poetry skills, likewise 5th grade. Starting in Middle School, I entered a racial jungle, where students were being segregated on income level, skin color, and standardized testing. And I felt like I had no voice. And no one to really talk to, because I couldn't articulate what I was experiencing. Writing music was my escape in middle school. During this time I also used Neopets in order to Roleplay Online with people waaay older than me lol.
Then in HS, I felt like I wasn't a real writer until I wrote a novel. So, at 13/14 I became obsessed with writing 50,000 words. And wrote some books that have never seen the light of day. But I was hooked, writing books on looseleaf paper, and having stacks of hundreds of pages. Then one day, there was a very bad rainstorm in NJ. All my writing got soaking wet because they were by the window. After laying out all the one hundred pages to dry. And trying to reassemble the book. I felt like I would quit. Instead, I began typing the books until college.
I was a triple major in college, on the dean's list, in honor society, and starting in the work force. I felt like I was basically doing what I would do the rest of my life, and I hated every bit of it. I hated working overnights, I hated sales, I hated politics (I was also a senator for undergraduate student government.), I hated secret societies, (I was a founding father of Pi Kappa Alpha Xeta Mu Chapter.), and I hated office work doing tech support. I was facing major depressive disorder, suicidal tendencies, began drinking, smoking, partying, anything to feel happy again.
My friends, girls I dated, and a guidance counselor all told me, "the only time I see you smile is when you talk about writing." Other than that, I was miserable. So, I dropped out of college to avoid a life that would kill me. My parents were really supportive of being a dropout author. So, I moved out of NJ back to Ohio for a couple years. And for two years I was homeless, couch surfing, trying to survive, taking up odd jobs. Anything to bring things to reality but it just made the vision seem so far. I had to do so much to simply survive. To just manage my mental health... It went from an obstacle to learn to read and write. Into a nice way to fit in, into a form of expression and communication online. Every time I wanted to quit or switch focus, God made it very clear, this is what he wants me to do.
How would you describe your writing style?
"I write like I speak", is what people have told me. I don't know if that means the writing is colloquial, natural, or bad lol
I rely heavily on dialogue, purple prose, and imagery to transmute the reader to whatever environment needed. I do not however enjoy giving too much description. I hated books like "The Scarlet Letter" that take too much pride in their prose, to a borderline self-obsessed degree. I like giving my reader enough to work with to enjoy the story, but to allow their imagination to fill in the gaps.
Some people love this style. Others say that, my characters have no faces. I challenge these people to spend a decade writing about faces for 5-10 paragraphs then tell me it's enjoyable. I wrote what I needed and wanted to read as a kid. Now, I write the stories I need as a man. I'm simply trying to be the hero that I needed.
What comes more easily, plot or characters?
The easiest part of writing is drinking coffee.
Most plots are pretty contrived, hackneyed, or repetitive. The characters give these stories new life. You can read Cinderella 100 different times simply by changing the ethnic background, social class, dynamic of step mother or a step father, making the story more adult, or even more over the top fantasy. Keep a narrow and shallow POV of the characters, or digging deep into the origin story of Cinderella, and The Prince up until their collision of their meetings. The plot is simply a medium for amazing people to meet real people.
How do you write your characters?
They're the bosses. All I can do is transfer their thoughts and actions to paper. I guess, for me... I have characters I have been writing about, fantasizing over, and thinking about... I'm not 30, for almost 15 years, a decade of mental character development. On the other hand, I have characters that I am meeting for the first time in their story. The characters I know better, I can dive deeper into the internal aspects of their development, and what makes them click. Like telling the biography for my best friend. For newer characters, they serve more so to drive the plot to its conclusion, similar to cool people you meet on vacation then may never meet again. But never forget.
Tell us about the setting your story take place in.
An alternative pangean landmass, called "Gaia", a living planet, wife of God, where human life has evolved. People have elemental abilities, and some have zero powers at all. There are 5 celestial-beings called Guardians meant to protect Gaia. Instead, they corrupt the humans and exploit Mother Earth. A messiah is born to bring an end to the corruption. Still a developing world I am building. I need to invest in having a map made. That or I write about stories taking place in my home state of New Jersey. Or perhaps NC or Florida. Primarily Gaia or NJ.
Have you written any animal characters? Tell us about one of them.
The aforementioned, "Guardians of Gaia", each take on an anthropomorphic appearance. Each is represented by a different animal. When the human vicar of the Guardian dies, then the animal spirit is unleashed but this isn't the main point of the stories.
Do you cross over genres or do you only stick to one?
I don't even feel like I have a genre, and it makes it incredible difficult because readers can be a little narrow minded to what they are used to, and already like to read. You can easily lose out on sales, or get bad reviews for your book being in the wrong genre. But it's difficult when you don't feel like you have a genre.
I suggest anyone looking to earn money. Write to market.
What is your "writer's den" like?
I have a home office inside my garage, with my workout equipment, desk, and lawncare equipment for my business. It's like a hyperbolic time chamber.
How do you get into the flow for writing? Do you have any rituals?
Discipline, grit, skill, and prayer. I believe there are four seasons to this game: a season for reading and gathering ideas, a season for writing and recording ideas, a season for refining and editing those ideas, and a season for sharing and promoting those ideas. I simply just stay in the flow of the season. If I feel like writing, I have no issue writing the entire book in a single week. If I don't feel like writing then it's usually because I'm not reading enough, or there is work that needs to be done elsewhere.
Do you have examples of minority representation in your writing?
I would like to argue my books are deeply anti-racist books giving brown people a handbook to psychologically survive a post-colonial world. All my books are either all brown casts of characters, or interracial romances exploring the nature of racism, race relations, and geopolitics.
What is your personally most significant achievement as a writer, and why?
Every book I publish, I learn more, get better, and feel like a complete fucking noob. When I first got started, I was arrogant, published quick, and fixed work slow. I am far more meticulous, deliberate, and mindful now. I used to laugh when hearing Jane Austin or George R.R. Martin took years to publish a book. Now, I see why it takes some people decades.
What would be the greatest achievement for you to aim for as a writer if anything were possible?
I want to earn a true living off my work. I want my full-time effort as an author to reflect full-time pay. However, it's an either or business. Either the book is absolute hit, or only your mama is gonna read it. And so far, I have no idea which books people are going to deeply resonate with and push to the moon, like "Horror Stories For Brown Folks", which is literally just a collection of stories I wrote in college or during the pandemic. But my main series hasn't gotten the same steam.
I simply want people to read my work and absolutely love it now. I used to care only about the money, but it poisons the relationship quite honestly. People are not going to want to pay for something I do care about more than anything, and took the time and effort to improve. Writing is very, very expensive, and it sometimes feel like everyone makes money off authors, but no one wants money for authors.
I would love to help authors earn more money, fix their books up, and be recognized as a respected, talented wealthy author.
What are you most grateful for as a writer?
The incredible people I've met from across the globe, and from all skill levels. Writing has taught me there is so much more to life with money. And aspects of life that money will never be able to buy you. Money can't buy respect, it can't buy manners, and it can't buy dignity. Writing has sent me free from being a descendent of slavery, or an American. I am a global citizen now, I am a free-thinker, and I exist within the legacy of humanity at large now.
If I die tomorrow, I am a legend. If I live to 100, I have an unstoppable legacy. I guess accepting with 7 Amazon best-sellers, and going on to publishing 20 books soon. I have arrived. But if I keep looking at it from only financial, i'll lose sight of the success. It sounds paradoxical, but the true wealth is in relationships.
Do you have a day job? What is it?
I run a lawncare business and would like to start a business doing a "Book Bootcamp" or helping people improve their work at affordable rates. The current pricing for book services is one-sided and parasitic. How do you consciously pay someone $1000 to $2000 to edit a book that might not earn $10!? And this is an almost mandatory predatory exchange including covers, formatting, promotions, and advertising. So doing lawncare keeps me afloat. But honestly, most people would call me unemployed. I am a stay-at-home dad, who has dedicated his entire life to his son and his writing.
Do you read the same genre you write? Why, or why not?
It has been a long time since I got to read for enjoyment. I primarily read books about marketing, publishing, advertising, business, and finance. If I am going to write a new book, or write a new genre, I will read the best-sellers in that genre. Or read a book from a friend in that genre. To get better at romance and fantasy, I read my colleagues Tabetha Waite, Diana Rose, and Astrid V.J.
I do understand the struggle of readers finding it difficult to read for fun. So, now I make audiobooks to make it more accessible. But the competition with youtube, movies, sports, and tv shows is real!!! Especially since most people became authors to turn their book into another medium, rather than have a successful book.
Is there an author who inspires you?
Eric Jerome Dickey made me want to become an author. Omar Tyree, George R.R. Martin, Walter Mosley, Robert Lipsyte. I read a lot of philosophy as well, Freud, Camus, Soren, Plato, Nietzche, Locke, Rosseau. Lewis Lapham, David Grueber, Aleksander Dugin, and many more.
I am the books I read.
Give us three fun facts about yourself.
I love prowrestling
I love being a father
I have above a genius IQ
What is something about you that few people know?
I prefer soft rock and ambient instrumentals.
What's your favorite holiday?
Father's Day because it's my greatest achievement
What's your favorite season?
I like Spring and Fall because the weather is perfect in NJ
What's your favorite book?
Eric Jerome Dickey's Giden Series and George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series Two juxtapositions of the best stories I've read. I devoured all these books regardless of how many pages. And it's an experience I want to give others.
What's your favorite movie?
Fantastic Mr. Fox, because the little guy goes against the biggest monopolies and wins.
Is there a cause that's important to you?
Free Palestine and Love All Jews. All violence is senseless, unnecessaries, and followers of God should live in peace. I wish I understood more on the topic. But I pray for an end to all human slavery, human exploitation, and people feeling as if they are burdened to father all of humanity while living in endless sin or vice in their personal life. Humans should solve their own issues and help each other. Not ignore their issues and exploit each other.
Do you have pets?
I used to have pets, I don't own animals anymore. I just hangout with random animals that are nice to me. I live a very disney princess-esqe life in nature.
Connect with Daryl Omar here.
Featured Book: Adult Bedtime Stories
I have been developing and creating audiobooks to reach a larger audience, save people time, and grow a youtube following. It's the best way to support me right now as I am transitioning away from using Amazon.
What was the most interesting random fact you researched?
The varied perspective women have over sharing a man. Some women do not care, some women do not care if he has resources, some women will be hurt but won't leave their man, and most women do not even want to you to find other women attractive!!!!! So writing a series and story about polyamory, and hearing women's perspectives of life has been very eye opening. Women have an amazing experience that most men ignore and it's sad.
What's the message you worked in?
Do not ever cheat ever!! Lmfao, don't do it bro, it'll feel good for a bit, and then you're bleeding to death.
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