Ryan ONeil's Blog: Ink Between The Lines - Posts Tagged "writing-life"

Hey there—

I know it’s been a little while. Life has a funny way of stepping in with a full calendar when you’re trying to finish a sentence. But the good news? I'm back—and I brought stories.

Over the past stretch of quiet, I’ve been working on a lot behind the scenes. Some of it was messy. Some of it was magic. Most of it was both.

You may know me from Plain Old Kirby Carson, and if you’ve ever found a little piece of yourself in Kirby’s story, you’ll be happy to know that he’s back in a brand-new summer adventure. Plain Old Kirby Carson: Summer Camp Chronicles takes him (and us) into the woods, where mystery, friendship, and a whole lot of growing up are waiting. It’s everything I love about being young in the summertime—awkward moments, unexpected friendships, and that one haunted corner of camp no one wants to admit they’re afraid of.

But Kirby isn’t the only one stepping into the spotlight again.

I’m also proud to share In the Shadows of Friendship, a very different kind of story told through fictional letters between two old friends. It’s raw, honest, sometimes heavy—but always hopeful. This one means a lot to me. It dives deep into mental health, memory, and the kind of connection that sticks with us even when time (and life) pull us apart.

And then there’s Holiday in the Jungle. Loud. Fast. Gritty. A love letter to rock and roll, pulp fiction, and every dreamer who ever chased fame only to find the shadows behind the spotlight. This one’s not for the faint of heart—but if you like your fiction with a power chord and a shot of danger, it’s got your name all over it.

Of course, I can’t forget A Journey Through Miles: 31 Poems on the Run. That book was born out of breath, sweat, and healing—poems written from the road, the trail, and the quiet places in between. If you’ve ever needed a reason to keep going, I hope that little collection offers you a few.

So yes—I've been away. But not idle. And now that I’m back between the lines, I hope you’ll walk (or run) with me again.

Stick around. There’s more to come.

—Ryan

When you think of camp stories, you probably think of campfires, ghost stories, canoe races, and the smell of marshmallows burning just a little too much over the fire.
But camp stories are more than just nostalgic snapshots. They matter—maybe now more than ever.

Camp stories remind us that life isn’t lived through screens.
They show us a world where friendships are made face-to-face, where courage is found not in virtual achievements, but in stepping outside your comfort zone.
They remind us what it's like to be vulnerable—and to grow because of it.

In writing Plain Old Kirby Carson: Summer Camp Chronicles, I wanted to capture that feeling.
The nerves of walking into a cabin full of strangers.
The excitement of late-night whispers when you’re supposed to be asleep.
The pride of standing up for yourself—or for someone else—for the very first time.
The simple joy of realizing you’re braver, stronger, and more yourself than you ever thought you could be.

Camp stories still matter because they show young readers (and maybe remind us as adults) that growing up isn’t about having everything figured out.
It’s about trying.
It’s about laughing after mistakes.
It’s about making memories so real you can still smell the pine needles decades later.

For Kirby, camp is a place where fears are faced, friendships are forged, and confidence is earned the hard way—through experience.
And that’s why I think we need these kinds of stories now, maybe more than we ever did before.

Because whether you’ve been to camp or not, we’ve all had moments when we needed to believe we could find our place, face our fears, and feel at home under the wide-open sky.

Thanks for coming along for the adventure.

—Ryan