GVN Interview With ‘When We Ride’ Author Rex Ogle

GVN sits down with award-winning memoirist and poet, Rex Ogle, to discuss his searing first novel-in-verse, When We Ride. Ogle discusses the book’s inspirations, his prolific career across various types of media, and his advice to struggling writers.

GVN: Rex! Thank you so much for stopping by Geek Vibes Nation. Could you start by telling our audience about yourself and your work?

Rex Ogle:  Who me?!  LOL.  I’ve wanted to be a writer all my life.  After dozens of novels rejections in college, I moved to NYC to learn from the “inside” of publishing.  I worked at Marvel, DC Comics, Scholastic, and LBYR for 15 years before deciding to quit, move to LA, and finally take a chance on myself.  I’ve been writing books, comics, graphic novels, and memoirs ever since.

GVN: Much of your work is autobiographical and draws from your own experiences. How were you able to draw from your own life for this novel?

Rex Ogle:  After taking the first 17 years of my childhood and purging all my trauma into three memoirs, I decided i need a break.  Then I recalled my senior year of high school (one of the best years of my teens), driving my best friend to his drugs deals while I did my homework in the car.  It seemed like a no-brainer to follow up my other books with.

GVN: When We Ride explores themes of loyalty, friendship, and the dangers of drugs and violence. What inspired you to write a story that delves so deeply into these themes, especially in the context of a young person’s experience?

Rex Ogle:  So many kids are dealing with these overwhelmingly heavy things, and I wanted to let them know I see them, and that there’s no judgment from me.  Sometimes, kids have to do bad things for good reasons—like selling drugs to pay their mother’s rent and feed their younger siblings.

GVN: The novel is written in verse. How did the decision to tell this story in this format come about? What do you feel verse offers that traditional prose wouldn’t?  Much of your work is autobiographical and draws from your own experiences. How were you able to draw from your own life for this novel?

Rex Ogle:  As a young kid, I loved writing poetry—up until I got beat up by bullies for “writing girly faggy sh*t.”  So I stopped for two decades.  Then when my abuela got dementia, I started writing down all my memoires of his and reading them to her.  But she couldn’t focus long enough for traditional prose.  So, I switched to verse.  When that book, Abuela Don’t Forget Me, was published, I had this immediately positive response from teachers and librarians who said reluctant readers were drawn to the format, because they could read and digest it so much easier.  Then after reading Jason Reynolds’ Long Way Down, I was like, “Wait, you can tell these immensely heavy stories in verse?”  I’ve been hooked ever since.

GVN: Diego’s relationship with Lawson is central to the story. How did you approach creating these characters, particularly the dynamic of their friendship? What do you hope readers take away from their relationship?

Rex Ogle:  Growing up, I had a handful of “ride or die” friends, and they made all the difference in making me feel seen and loved.  A lot of those were with guys who were less friends, and more brothers.  I’ve heard that COVID had a negative effect on a lot of youth, that they have problems making and keeping friends, and that a single fight can end a years-long friendship.  That shocked me, mainly because with my friends, nothing could drive us apart.  We disagreed and fought and even threw a few punches, but we always came back together.  I wanted to convey this kind of friendship to those who have never had it.

GVN: As a memoirist and poet, how does your experience with writing nonfiction and poetry influence your fiction work, especially in a novel like When We Ride?

Rex Ogle: Honestly, it makes it sooooooo much easier.  When you write a memoir, you’re dealing with truth.  I pride myself on being as honest as possible, meaning baring my soul and feeling exposed to the world.  So I try to bring that raw emotional tug to my fictional characters.  And honestly, I’ve realized that writing fiction is waaaaaaaaaay easier than non-fiction.  It’s a nice change of pace.

GVN: The novel seems to raise questions about the fine line between helping a friend and enabling destructive behavior. How do you think young people today might relate to Diego’s dilemma?

Rex Ogle:  I don’t know a single person who hasn’t had a toxic relationship in their life.  It’s part of growing up, part of being human.  When you have those partnerships, you have to decide where to draw the line.  You have to protect yourself, even if that means battling your best friend.  You have to take care of yourself first.  And I want readers to know that’s okay.  Actually, not only is is it okay, but it’s necessary.

GVN: Are there any authors or poets whose works influenced the style and tone of When We Ride?

Rex Ogle: I already mentioned Jason Reynolds, so if you haven’t checked out his work, do it now.  I also loved Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming, Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out & Back Again, and Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam.  And of course, my first fave: Walt Whitman.

GVN: You also have a new comic book that has recently come out. Peacemaker Presents: Vigilante/Eagly Double Feature. Could you talk about that?

Rex Ogle:  LOL.  Okay, so as Whitman once said, “I contain multitudes.”  That’s how I feel of late.  Because I love to play with formats (verse, prose, graphic novels) and play with multiple genres (contemporary, fantasy, superhero, horror).  So, while I feel propelled by the universe to write these hard-hitting, emotional, hopefully important stories about our society, I also need to take breaks and dabble in the Rated R category with stories like Peacemaker.  I adored James Gunn’s explorations in the superhero world, especially with John Cena’s Suicide Squad’s anti-hero.  So, when I got the chance to write the “Season 1.5” of the TV show, there was no hesitation.  I was like, “How foul and dirty and wild can I get?”  Turns out I could go pretty far.

GVN: Comic book characters come with a long history and established continuity. As a writer, how do you balance adding to the established canon while also honoring what has come before? Does it ever feel restricted playing in someone else’s world?

Rex Ogle:  I’m not gonna lie, it’s not easy.  As an editor at DC for five years, I didn’t envy the folks who had to create a new kind of Superman story.  He’s been around for decades and has thousands of stories, and there’s so much canon to deal with and refer to and to not step on.  And as an editor, I sometimes felt like I was drowning.  At the same time, I grew up with these characters and love the deep, massive mythologies that make them feel so huge.  That said, my favorite characters to write are always the ones overlooked or forgotten.  I’ve had the joy of writing stories with Traci 13, Snapper Car, and Catman and each one made my 6-year-old Rex freak out in excitement.

GVN: You’re a very prolific writer who writes across a variety of media.  Do you have any advice for writers with similar ambitions?

Rex Ogle:  Write every day.  I can’t emphasize that enough.  I’m not a natural born writer.  I had to learn by exploring structure and plot and dialogue and emotional arcs, and the best way to do that is to make yourself do it every day.  Marathon runners don’t wake up one day and say, “I’m gonna go run 26 miles.”  No, they have to work up to it.  And that’s what I did, by writing 30 minutes a day every day at the start.  Then I worked up to one hour a day, then two, then three, and eventually to now…. though if I hit ten hours straight, I force myself to stop before I lose my mind. ☺

GVN: You’ve mentioned online that you spent years desperately wanting to be a writer before breaking in. What’s your advice to writers who feel like their putting in the work with little sight of progress or success?

Rex Ogle:  Oof, that’s a hard one.  Because I’ve logged literally thousands of rejections.  And even with the advantage of working as an editor at some huge publishing houses, I was still passed over.  But I learn two things:  One, never take it personally.  Sometimes folks don’t even read what they reject.  They’ll read the first few lines of the cover letter, and if it doesn’t resonate, they’re done.  So, it’s not all about talent.  It’s also about luck, timing, and finding the right editor.  And two, rejections aren’t a bad thing.  Wear them as a badge of honor for putting yourself out there.  If you want to do anything in life, you have to prepare for people to say no.  Me?  I just thought of it as a statistics game: for every 800 “no’s”, there’s bound to be one “yes.”  And that’s all you need.

GVN: Can you tell us about what you’re working on next?

Rex Ogle:  Honestly?  A lot.  Haha.  I’m not bragging, because I still get rejected on a regular basis.  Just the other day, I got a “we’re going in a different direction”—which means they gave it to someone else—from this huge project that I was soooooooo excited about.  But that’s just part of the game.  Luckily, I go out with a lot, and I’ve sold some pretty amazing projects.  The ones I can tell you about include Dan in Green Gables, which comes out in June (under my pen name Rey Terciero).  Fruitcake is the third installment following Four Eyes and Pizza Face.  And then (I’m actually not sure if I can tell you about this one, but oh well, you deserve it for listening to me ramble), a middle grade graphic novel about five young witches, each with a specific power.  It’s basically my 12-year-old self’s version of the X-Men.

GVN: Where can readers connect with you online?

Rex Ogle:  They can check out my books at www.rexogle.com, hit me up on Instagram @thirdrex, or join my happy, fun, & 100% free newsletter: https://substack.com/@thirdrex

When We Ride is available for purchase everywhere books are sold. 

About The Book

Rex Ogle explores bonds of loyalty and friendship and how they’re tested by drugs and violence in this propulsive novel-in-verse.

Diego Benevides works hard. His single mother encourages him to stay focused on school, on getting into college, on getting out of their crumbling neighborhood. That’s why she gave him her car.

Diego’s best friend, Lawson, needs a ride—because Lawson is dealing. As long as Diego’s not carrying, not selling, it’s cool. It’s just weed.

But when Lawson starts carrying powder and pills and worse, their friendship is tested and their lives are threatened. As the lines between dealer and driver blur, everything Diego has worked for is jeopardized, and he faces a deadly reckoning with the choices he and his best friend have made.

Award-winning memoirist and poet Rex Ogle’s searing first novel-in-verse is an unforgettable story of the power and price of loyalty.

About The Author