Building a World From Scratch: Maps and Crap

You've seen worlds before.  We're in one shared reality with a whole lot of different views on what the hell it is we're seeing.  

Newbie world builders (and we've all been there) tend to fall back on their perception of the real world as a model then plus-one it. Often times, there is an obsession to correct some of the glaring flaws (again, completely subjective) of this world then add elves and kick the shit out of tropes.

Well, that's one way to do it...

After a few insightful posts in a writer support group, I've noticed a couple of things people were consistently overlooking: creative license.  We all love to run parallels with research and learn more about the world we live in.  By way of example, a few of the topics that came up were: masculine and feminine roles, the accuracy of maps, societal norms.  Some of the comments had come up as problem-solving you would apply in the real world and nothing wrong with that.  If you're writing urban fiction or want to accurately depict a mental illness, it makes sense to adhere to some research. However, let's not forget: it's YOUR story. While fantasy should follow some system of logic, it doesn't need to play by the same rules.

What is the logic of society?  Society is created so that ever-increasing numbers of people can work together. Small societies depend on roles even when they are small and isolated though-- people better at one job create better odds for survival.  Have you see the tribal societies where one woman is wet nurse for the whole village? Not only does she excel at milk production, but her job makes it so that women in the tribe better at farming or some other trade can recover quicker and do jobs they are better at. What keeps society going is necessity. In a seemingly perfect society, there might be a horrifying reality-- black market slave trade or a bloodthirsty god demanding sacrifice.  Similarly, a really flawed society might be on tenterhooks with only one powerful force keeping it from dissolving. Your society does not have to be matriarchal or patriarchal to make sense. I may have touched on this before, but my friend Liz has one alien race where the males and females have no societal advantage over the other and don't even use gender pronouns.  This has shit to do with punching you in the face with how society should be.  That society has PLENTY of problems.  The point is you CAN take other routes not modeled after the supposed patriarchal society first-world countries bitch about. There are supremely patriarchal societies in our world.  Supremely matriarchal ones too. However, there is nothing wrong with that in and of itself...

But I digress. We all know that men and women invent a lot of issues between them. Personally, I'm done humoring those arguments because they become accusatory and you're both right and wrong. I'm one of those people that despises small talk but I will take it any day over the shit-slinging war of the sexes. However, that makes a great lead-in for another bullet point-- masculine and feminine characters.

In my eyes, you need a societal structure first which is why that took top spot.  When I start to visualize the world my characters will inhabit, I like to have a good idea of whether they go with the flow, swim up stream, or fly into the sun. First off, does being male or female give them an advantage/disadvantage right away? If so, which do I need them to have? If I really want to skip over the details of society's influence, I pick the 'easy' way out or the road of least resistance.  Not all of us want to make every story an elaborate political construction.  By way of example, Dragon Age:Inquisition handles this beautifully.  Depending on your class and race, several instances in your interactions are immensely different. A human warrior might float through that section unscathed, but your elven mage is gonna have a bad time. 

Ah, so before I nudge too far off the tracks, this can be your concern to address from the get-go with gender roles. Some people worry about whether they are writing a male or female to be... male or female enough. My experience is that you are the one directing the narration, so that is something you have the burden of.  Don't make excuses for your characters!  If your he-man likes flouncing around in a tutu and your society doesn't give a crap, make that authentic to the reader. 

{Bystander:Uh, hey, Taco is bouncing around in a tutu again...

Other Bystander: Yeah, and?

Bystander: I think he's wearing it backwards.

Other Bystander: How can you tell?

Bystander: My daughter has one and the bow goes in the back.}

I'm not going to wax poetic about the virtues of defying gender roles.  That is missing the point of creative license.  Look, some people embrace the feminine and masculine gender roles in their society.  They are also perfectly capable of not giving a shit if someone else does or not. The assholes that make it their duty to oppose it? That's where you get your opposing forces and antagonistic scenes. Because any logical society has those people. Usually, they're also a gripey minority with no actual power, just bitching on the sidelines. I have in equal parts told to be more feminine, accepted for not being particularly feminine, embracing what is feminine about me, and not giving a shit if it's feminine or not. I've never needed permission. Bonus points for being that bitch.

The other one I had brought up is map accuracy. This is actually a subtopic that fits under 'things fantasy writers add to breathe more life into their work.' Other good examples I have seen include character art, music soundtracks (either a kind of assortment of chapter or character theme songs or just what people like to listen to while they write), side stories...  Some writers like to do a little or a lot of all of the above.

(Side note: Where I currently stand on this! Maps are a sometimes thing. I do have maps for my first series and my current work in progress. They need them or I get lost.  Yes, ME. A YA story I'm doing doesn't need them. It juggles between places on Earth and pockets with no actual physical location. Character art?  I love doing it, but I make it clear that even I am not locked in on what they actually look like.  I consider it fan art for my own stories. Music? Not a chance. I have music in my head.  Constantly. I can listen to songs with no words when I write, but no writing gets done when there are words being sung.  I am guaranteed to stop and karaoke. Side stories? Ehhhhh, it's probably going to end up being a full novel though. In fact, some of my early books were a collection of short stories.  This is why they started out... clunky and telling before I relaxed that tendency.)

MAP ACCURACY!  Damn it, girl, focus! One commenter had asked if people bothered with tectonic plates or natural formation of mountains. Phew.  Gotta say if this is important for your world or even for your knowledge hunt, more power to you, but ZRMGRFLFUCK (zer-mah-gurr-full-fuck for the phonetically inclined), that would give me a brain aneurysm. For one thing, I do often plot things like underground springs or caves or tunnels in the story itself but I form maps purely for directional navigation-- I don't even consider scale. You only need to look at Game of Thrones for a hilarious contradiction in its praise for 'historical' accuracy and... glaring inaccuracy at the speed of travel. Someone might care but it definitely isn't a deal breaker. My take on maps is that they serve a purpose. Do they enhance your experience, help your plot, motivate you? I'd say skip it altogether if there is nothing in it for you. 

I'm sure by comparison sometimes you might feel like the underachiever.  Personally, I don't operate on comparison.  Too many pitfalls there and none of it is something I gain productivity from. My dedication levels work for me.  Some writers are fully immersing themselves into a single world so of course their passion means a HUGE amount of companion media attached to the writing alone. For me, I tend to carefully plan which things are feasible because other ideas are at war for my time. Often my artwork is not my absolute best effort.  My absolute best can take days for one picture.  I pick and pick and pick if I have a mind to. But no, right now, it's a lot about letting my muse get some say.  Insofar, the productivity has been massive where it had been a trickle for a while there. This means world hopping and quick sketches and experimenting. Other than reading my friend's story, I've also offered to proofread a screenplay written by a native Italian in English. Yeah, curiosity piqued on that one.  I haven't proofread a screenplay before, but I used to write radio plays and I've done some stage acting, so it's not completely unknown.

So!  This week, back to the coloring process for the final book for The Truth about Heroes before a new tale begins in that world with the A World Reborn series. I know all three trilogies should probably get one big fancy name-- I've called them the Heroes, World and Universe trilogies, but they need an epic compilation name. Nothing seems to come to mind though. Right now, it's the only thing I'm publishing so until I need people to know they tie-in, it's not immediately important.

In closing, UnSung is in motion and I've poked at Dreampunk Chronicles a bit. Piscine hasn't gotten any love, but I'm thinking that one is getting shoved into next year.  Just so much to do for a while that I want that one to get more of a solitary focus.

And that's it for... my musings and updates.  Love my little writing group for all of its diplomacy and inspiring posts to talk about. I haven't seen anything I would call false, but some assumptions deserved a bit of careful insight.

Fantasy is only as restrictive as you need or want it to be. I think all writers tend to be swept away on currents of characters and plot but, ultimately, defend your creative license and flex that creative muscle! 

Keep writing and reading, daydreaming, taking long walks and avoiding housework...

Ugh, When you Love the Thing and Can't Stand the Fandom

In all fairness, this only happens about 50% of the time in my experience and there are always red flags for me when most of a group is female. I try to be direct, end up offending someone sensitive, they turn passive aggressive and then to 'subtle' insults. Not that subtle or clever though.

Fanfiction.  I love doing it for fun.  It was never meant to be serious. I gave it a go with a group.  My joking around was always well-received, but let's be clear.  Many of these groups say they aren't but they are hug boxes.  Big ole ego-filled hug boxes.  You start to get a feel for that dynamic from the first when the same three or four look-at-me types post asking for discussion but not opinions, look at what I can do self-inflating posts on hits (when you can easily score 10 hits off of one person with a poorly loading tablet), and no actual pushback. The only thing I can honestly say didn't irritate was people posting their links.  Totally expected.  What I hadn't expected was the same phenomenon I faced in college where some people want to hang with creatives, but pretty much ask people to walk them through damn near every scene they write.  You can say it's optional, but the frequency of these posts dictates otherwise.

I turn to fandoms to avoid the drama and politics of the real world.  I turn to fandoms for intelligent discussion.  When I can't meet that criteria, I move on.  Sometimes I end up adding a few friends before I go, but sometimes I just wipe the slate.  I would never presume everyone in a group is all the same, but I have a demand on my time and that means quickly weighing the value of things to determine whether they actually help me grow or hinder me with irritation.

It's sad, but it has to be said too: I am posting this publicly, which means anyone can see it.  If you are 'stalking' me and take umbrage to my assessment, even though I've been kind enough to not name names or specifics, kindly fuck off. I normally attempt to be diplomatic, but I do not take kindly to internet harassment.  This blog is for recording experiences, favorable or not.  Doxxing, harassing, or negging, whatever tf you want to call it, is unacceptable. Go ahead and blog about what a horrible person you think I am on your outlets. This one is mine.

These fandom spazz-outs though; I've had this happen with anime.  It's happened with dolls.  Hell, even crochet groups can run into speed bumps with people taking offense.  I don't deal with it.  Life is way too short, too precious, to let random internet faces bring you down.  By all means, let them lift you up, but it's not a marriage and you can terminate things that are destructive to your personal goals.  It doesn't make them bad people, just bad for you.

Yeah, I've lost a lot of people I care about and it made me see that being the best me means I had to change a lot.  It means I've had to be stricter on some aspects, gentler on others.  It means recognizing people and actions that are toxic for me.  It means finding strength by understanding vulnerability. It also means not tolerating people who don't care whether I succeed or fail.  You shouldn't put up with it either.

Professionally, I have goals that require a lot of discipline.  Creative fields are subjective, volatile, terrifying.  The most commercially successful are both loved and hated.  Making friends is terrific, but I suspect I'll make plenty of enemies too. Art attracts obsession and mania.  This is part of the reason I briefly addressed some of the issues with fandoms-- when people feel strongly, clashes have more impact.  Often with fandoms, I find the best course is finding people who don't immediately balk at your approach. Find a handful of people who you don't rub the wrong way and build each other up. Don't linger and try to iron out kinks.  More often than not, it's just like petting a cat in the wrong direction. People decide pretty quickly whether they like you or not.  Don't waste your time-- there are plenty of people out there who are going to love your take on things...

On a work note, my goal is getting UnNamed up to speed by this weekend.  Got a campaign to start after. It's a lot of work, but daaaaamn, nothing gets me higher than the zone!

Tag, You're It!: Social Justice, the Bored Game

Have you ever decided to change the error of your ways as representative of whatever race, gender, non-choice consequence of birth, due to the insane assaults of social justice warriors?  Oh, you have?  Congratulations and fuck you, because that person doesn't exist.

I understand there is always a need for sensitivity in matters that you don't understand.  We should all acknowledge that everyone has a unique struggle, if this were a perfect world.  But in this shitstorm, we have people touting the value of individuality while shoving complete strangers in neat little boxes.

Hell, I used to find comfort with labels.  My many confused attempts to define my sexuality, my gender, my questionable ethnic make-up (one of these days, Ancestry.com, we're going to have a long talk)...  However, people now use those labels to define you for themselves.  Back the truck up, people, because that's not how personal labels were EVER supposed to work.  I can no longer use the word 'feminist'.  Once upon a time, that word opened a conversation where people might ask me what it means to me-- I would say it's about empowering myself not to conform to gender roles that still barely exist in the largely ignored cellars of western society.  It means I don't flail at the injustice of prejudice or setbacks.  I make myself impossible to ignore, using every damn outlet I can headbutt my way into.  I don't start hashtags and bully anyone out of the discussion even when they steer a little off-topic.  Yeah, it's annoying when we get that chip in our shoulder where we might say "well, what about this?"  There is no crime in threading off topic.  No one is entitled to join your vent session and kiss your ass.  You are not being silenced by letting someone have a voice.

I see it without ever trying to.  You'll get the one guy that takes a poor little victim story and actually shatters the argument with the fact, usually the duplicity or bias from the supposed victim.  I love that guy.  He is not saying that the invalidation of said article means no woman experiences harassment, but you would think that's what he's doing.  I'll take his back when the rabid ones start to bully him.  He doesn't need me to, but I think society also needs to stop spinning every fact checker as the villain.

Which brings this up-- I have never been 'one of the boys.' I've never been out to prove I'm a man or 'as good as one'.  My body is biologically female and I have never tried to fulfill female roles either.  I like to customized dolls and crochet, but I love dirty jokes and video games.  For the record, assignments or no, none of those things are gender exclusive.  There are plenty of men in the craft game, plenty of women in the sword-swinging, rage-quitting game.  No one ever needed to tell me that.  Believe me, plenty of people tried to pull the lady card on me and I've tossed it back and told them to keep the change.  I am not interested in competing with women or impressing men with how cool I am.  I'm a fucking geek and primping is too much work.  I have zero interest in gender politics because I embrace the tendencies and decisions regardless of biological inclination.  If you're a slave to society or just want to whine that you're not socially acceptable but should be, you're a pain in the ass and change starts within.  Join a cult-- they'll love you.

Not all social justice is this tainted, mind you, at least not completely.  I ran into problems with how women authors are marketed as opposed to their male counterparts and it does SEEM as if women are often signed on as a statistical requirement and then thrown under the bus.  Take these for example if you missed my former post: 

1. women are often openly encouraged to use initials in male-dominated genres (and I'm also aware that men do the same in the crime fiction genre that demands female writers-- they don't cancel each other out, weirdos...)
2. covers by female authors are often resembling the covers of romance novels.  In the fantasy genre, if a woman writes sex, they want to peg it as romance/erotica.  A man is never thrown under this bus.  This genre fuckery can kill its selling potential because epic/high fantasy is NOT romance.  It's a niche that some publishers do market, but it's a graveyard planting nerd lore in the general romance section.
3. last but not least, women are sometimes the problem.  I can't say on a case by case, but women are supposedly statistically less likely to protest creative decisions or salary shortage, to allow decisions against their best interests because they short-change their own worth.

I know I'm risking a shitstorm with that one, but I've seen and even been one of those women that doesn't look the fucking gift horse in the mouth.  You have to be your OWN advocate.  There is a good reason I don't speak for other people.  For one, I don't know your position and two, you didn't ask me to.  I will not hesitate to speak up for someone if they want to use my voice, but I don't assume every creature on this earth without a dick needs me to rescue them.  It's infantilizing.

So when I see these campaigns where people have the audacity to say that a man asking them to smile because it's pretty is sexual harassment and a call for social reform, I shut down.  I'm not raising my voice.  I'm not going to try to drown out that noise because when the cacophony dies down, I'm going to clear my throat, speak softly and use sense.

I absolutely hate the divides people are creating with words.  I have always used words to tackle my own frustrations, my fictions to reach people, and I will not waste my words by yammering about these pseudo-problems.  Assholes do not have a race, gender, religion or shoe size.  They exist everywhere and just like criminals don't follow laws, assholes are not the ones punished by social reform.  You're spinning strong people as victims and making victims afraid to call themselves strong.  How?  Because when a victim tries to call you on your shit and disagree, they are suddenly not victim enough to cower to your narrative.

Real talk, men were never 'my problem'.  I have been sexually harassed and assaulted by females too, folks.  It was never a gendered problem.  A male friend of mine confided that with today's sexual revolution, women are under the impression that they can touch a man however they want and they are just as likely to talk about a man's body in a way that would get a man's ass beat if he dared to say that to a woman.  Social reform isn't the answer, people.  We need to stop with the assumptions.  Pick your battles. People are watering down the power of words by getting offended, injecting insidious intent in every innocent comment.  

Yes, I do look pretty when I smile.  No, you don't have to be attractive for me to be flattered instead of creeped out.  On some days, you can probably even say 'wow, look at the breasts on this cunt' and I might not care.  I've got a twisted sense of humor and sometimes I can admit that your frustration does not always warrant me wasting my time being offended.  

I'm not going to justify these hypocritical movements of victim unity though.  I'm not going to wave some weird survivor flag either.  I don't need a trophy for overcoming adversity because the revelation was its own reward.  Just like when I finish a book.  Yeah, it's disappointing when they don't sell, but I keep writing.  The journey and the accomplishment speaks for itself.  I don't want a pity prize for participating in all the fucked-up and beautiful twists in life.  I don't need karma or retribution or reward, tit for tat, promises on life.  Expectations are the source of your misery, people.  Next time something doesn't go your way, try asking yourself 'what did you expect?'  

Don't feed the trolls.

Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200.

The Golden Days: Why the Age of Information Sucks

Why yes, I do realize I sound exactly like someone's grandma with a post heading like that, but here's the thing-- times have changed.

When the internet became a thing, our eyes were bright and shiny with the promise of all of the information and worlds that would open to us, the potential to reach more people, make our lives more interesting, learn new languages, immerse ourselves in culture.  Yet, what do the majority of people use it for now?  Social media.  Not to say that's a bad thing since it is so valuable for a reclusive artist like myself to be able to reach people.  At the onset, we had this nifty little thing called 'netiquette' that kept us all from being over-opinionated blowhards holding our 'The End is Near' signs in every passing face.

Like most things, we completely ruined it.  All of us.  Okay, that's a bit of an overstatement, some of us continue to make it suck sometimes.  It weakens the point a bit, but it's more accurate.  I can tell you what happened over the past few days even though I made it a point only to zoom by these posts on my feed.  Biggest mass shooting in history in Las Vegas, WHITE MAN, Tom Petty died, not really, but then he actually did, Trump said some more stupid shit, people decide what some football player is protesting for and black people must all hate America because they peacefully protest at the wrong times.  Does any of that piss you off?  There was a time when only some of that would and it would have taken you weeks to gather that info-- from Rolling Stone magazine or a newscast or your neighbor's cousin because they talk really loud and your window was open.  You would actually have to go out and talk to people or buy things and it came in small packages that weren't spun out of instant reactions to an overload of biased bullshit.

You, personally, probably fed the fire or still do because why not?  They're entitled to their opinion and so are you.  Did you feel better?  Probably not, unless you got a lot of Likes and everyone agreed with you.  Maybe you even had someone disagree with you reasonably and even when you ended it with yet another 'let's agree to disagree,' was it worth it?  Maybe so.

Still, it wore you out and all you did was sit at a keyboard and change zero people's minds.  You do that enough times and that proverbial straw breaks the camel's back so, what?  You announce that you're going on a hiatus from social media or swirl around like a shit tornado and tell people if they think a certain way, just delete you.

One day, I started looking back at my wall, at mouthy little rebel Krista and she wasn't unique anymore.  She sounded bitter and pathetic and she wasted a lot of time caring about shit she probably shouldn't have spoken up about.  It's not that we should all stay silent, but I started to see how very ineffectual it all was. If you're discouraged because you think nobody gives a crap, you are right.  And so very wrong.  You see, many people care about the same issues that you do, only 50 more of their friends are bitching about the same exact thing.  People are taking the irrational yet logically presented rants of longtime family and friends and burning all the bridges over it when they used to just grumble behind each other's backs at Thanksgiving dinners (which is now also becoming un-PC because let's also get offended about holidays we never celebrated in context anyway--  unless you ARE religious, most holidays were already just 'get drunk and pig out' days).

We are not becoming more conscious. We are becoming less tolerant and more offended.  It doesn't make us right or wrong, but it's absolutely making us a hot mess.  So yes, I stopped bothering with my main feed.  A hard thing to do because some of my friends are still the nostalgic sort that want to share what their families are doing, adorable animal videos and the kitschy crap that used to make social media worth rolling our eyes over.  I hop over on occasion to say 'hey, if there's anyone left in post-apocalyptic FaceBook, I am really excited to share my work!'  And it's a shame that I can't donate to all 50 places all hit by natural disasters and I'm never inclined to share which charities I do give to besides.  I do want to know how I can actually help fellow human beings and without being told I chose wrong.  Instead, I stick to my book, crochet, and doll groups because I haven't the capacity to spend all my time as a puddle of empathy.  You may already know this, but I'm not that empathetic unless I know you personally.  Nothing personal...

Are we better people if we make ourselves miserable trying to care about everything or all the 'right' things?  I think you know the answer.  

Yours truly was a total asshole (and I love you if you want to say I've always been sweet, but I wasn't myself and I wasn't sweet).  I wasn't that productive when I was doing all the right things.  I went to work, came home miserable, ordered a bunch of shit I didn't need on Amazon to feel better about feeling shitty, was too lazy to do a damn thing other than get worked up on social media.  Ffs, I had a lot to give and here I was, fucking it all up and pretending it was making me socially acceptable.  Since I hung that out to dry, I went to college. Started making incredible friends on the friendlier parts of social media, and holed up to focus on the shit I was good at and forgot how to enjoy for so long before that.  I stopped sniping at the kids in frustration, starting getting along with my parents more.  Learned to do advanced crochet, started collecting dolls that I hadn't outgrown as much as I thought, started listening to disgustingly saccharine pop music and picked up a drawing pen (incredible quality-- how was it not dry from neglect?).  I started working out and stopped snapping at people because I wasn't sacrificing for the 'greater good' anymore.  I had more to give as my time filled with things that meant something to me.  It was fucking terrifying, giving up steady work and dedicating my time to raise my nephews and bust my ass being an artist again.  I would take the terror over the tedium any day.

I don't consider the lessons or time that passed in misery a waste.  I think we all need to learn some things the hard way.  And yes, the age of information sucks.  Sometimes.  But it also keeps me connected to wonderful people, lets me share my work, makes research and curiosity instantaneous, and gives all of us a chance to start over.  I might cringe at that tidal wave of mood swings from the past, but I know how to focus through the paranoia and angst and find those valuable things that I can use to truly give something this world needs.  I don't have the cure for cancer or a universal reform that will solve the economic problems.  I have a drawing pen, some ideas, and an unfailing resolve to be the kind of person the world needs most.  And you?  Be your best self always.

Men and Women Writers: Where's the Bias?

This is a topic that tends to come up with frustration on how to explain it, but let's attempt to dissect this a little more.

As you should know by now, I am a female writer and author.  I know there are some fundamental and biological differences between men and women as well as the tendency to be more masculine and feminine.  Being a woman with more masculine traits or vice versa can conflict with society's perception of your identity, but many people who fall into that category are perfectly capable of making the distinction and embracing both their biology and their tendencies.

Some well-meaning people will say that 'there's no problem with how men/women do this' but then admit to what they think are harmless biases that affect their taste.  When writers see this, it can cast odd doubts about whether they wrote 'like a man/woman' and if they should announce it in an attempt to 'warn' their audience.  It's an odd bit of entitlement that some people want assurances on the content of the books before even reading it, especially when a feminine/masculine viewpoint or tone could very well be the whole basis of a surprise premise that could be ruined by assumption.

I caught myself debating.  Sure, I write like a woman, if that means I develop my characters emotionally and they aren't perfect tropes.  Yet, it's silly that such a broad sweep of the brush like that is an acceptable way to lump women together when male writers also use this description without uncomfortable discussions.  

I've seen the argument of inclusion, which is not a gendered desire and also on an individual basis.  Some people want to roleplay a character of their gender.  They call it escapism to retreat into a single character.  Popular books in fantasy are often focused on a main character or two, one male, one female.  When a man does this, I often see it described as his motivation to achieve his goals, that one has value as being a plot device.  In the same turn, if a known woman uses a male and female group, there is the dismissive assumption that it's a romance.  It's not that the male writer did not develop the romance as well, but when a woman writes it, it's a distraction that interrupts the story.

Female writers in fantasy often use initials and the famous example is JK Rowling.  Women going through traditional publishing are often told they can remove any unconscious bias of quality or content by not disclosing they are women.  After all, it's only a female voice if you know it is.  Sure, publishers want to maximize the potential for profit, but they are only perpetuating the bias that there is a gendered difference.

However, when the market at aims at women, they aim low.  I read that a male writer in a female-dominated genre, crime thrillers, said that when he wrote in a woman's voice it was 'simpler, whereas when he wrote as himself it was more subtle and metaphorical.'  Readers in fantasy, however, tend to argue the exact opposite, that men get to the point whereas women work on prose and mood more elaborately.  If you take this to have truth, then it would stand to reason that women writers gravitate towards writing fantasy rather than other popular genres for women because they AREN'T simple writers.  They like to create rich lore and explore characters and motivations in depth. 

This is why I can't stress enough that whether or not you are uncomfortable, diversify your reading.  On purpose.  Choose by taste AND perspective, especially if you've made the blanket assumption that men/women write a certain way. Writers that gravitate towards a certain genre aren't coming with the sinister agenda to tear it down and rebuild it.  You ADD to the existing library, maybe out of a sense that where you've been placed isn't where you go.  So yes, when people assume that you don't go there because their comfort level is challenged, it can be insulting.

I get it, I do.  The YA fantasy genre tends towards women writers that write transparent romance as the entire vehicle.  Ultimately despite that JK Rowling wrote a book that perfectly fit that genre description but it is above par with any expectation you might have had because of the trends that clog it.  It seems like only when an author attains notoriety for being different do we realize that not all books in a genre are the same.

I myself didn't write an 'adult epic fantasy for women.'  I set out to write an epic fantasy.  Because my characters are adults, my premise required them to operate as such.  They use foul language, they have sex without always fading to black...  In a fantasy world with different rules and norms, they also conform or rebel to THEIR society as it pertains to their character and motives. Yes, I think their personal and public lives are relevant and that's why it's an adult story.  Now add 'women' to that and you're attaching a label that places a spotlight onto all other books marketed towards women as 'simple, angsty, emotional.'  I am happy to be a woman.  I am all for not hiding that.  Perceptions do need to change and they won't as long as women are afraid of their voice and their ability to succeed.  However, don't MARKET me as a female author, market me as someone who speaks for the genre, not all women.

I know you might wonder how that affects self-published women like myself who do all of our own marketing.  Well, it works the same way only we keep control rather than worry when our publishers will stop championing us.  The buyer's market is still trying to assume something.  I found it difficult to write a blurb without giving anything away because it's a many-layered beast so I started simply with the first character to make it more personal.  However, because the character is a woman and one that the other characters look up to, I'm sure it set off warning bells.  My alternative that I'm using for the full trilogy release will be vague.  Basically, a group of survivors after a series of attacks, goes on a quest for revenge, only to learn there are much bigger forces at work.  No matter how I try there is simply no way to elaborate that without giving away plot points and I know it sounds trite and common.  I work with it regularly, but to be honest, I never much gave a shit about the blurb myself.  When I didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted to buy already, I'd head over to a genre section and roll the dice.  Didn't care about the cover or the blurb because I've always known not to judge a book by its cover.

However, simpler times...  If these biases existed today, I wasn't hearing them.  Yeah, the internet wasn't a storm of information like it is now.  There's more of everything now, especially opinions.  Because of that there is more potential to flourish, but also more potential to destroy.  What you say and how you say it DOES plant earworms (or the visual/mental equivalent) and harmless statements of 'the way things are' IS harmful to a market that thrives on popular opinion.  The writer's dilemma is often the disparity between the intent of their work and the bias of the market.

And as I've heard said before, most writers are not representative of all of their unconditional parts.  Writers of color are not required to speak for everyone else of color.  Female writers are not representative of all women.  In this way, men do have an advantage because they CAN write without the general assumption that they are making a blanket statement applying to all men.  Yes, I think we can safely say some things are more feminine or masculine and not mean anything harmful.  However, intent and effect are causal and you have to remember that the less descriptive you are, the more room there is to twist it into something harmful.

In this way, I can't blame people for wanting to stay silent sometimes.  Words are things to be carefully considered.  In fact, writers painstakingly attempt to do just that.  It's perfectly fine to stay silent until your words have the power and logic you want them too.  We all have to sort through how we feel and think and not invalidate it in others because it's not how we feel or think.  Being less offended doesn't make you right.  Be unaffected doesn't mean you have the upper hand in logic.  Then again, no extreme gives you clout where assumptions are concerned.  Maybe you did assume something, thinking it harmless.  It's not bad to catch ignorance.  You might even need someone to elaborate so that you are changing your mind based on logic rather than how it benefits them.  

When someone is really about equality and fairness, they aren't trying to kick someone else under the rug.  The aim isn't to have it as good as someone else had it because that just means turning the tables and letting someone else have a turn at being the oppressor.  New generations aren't going to understand taking turns, only which side of a bad decision they were on.  In that respect, you may notice that while I talk about the market bias affecting women, I am also conscious of how it reflects badly on EVERYONE.  

Women don't want to be lumped in as fluffy writers (although if you are and it works for you, no shame in that either) and men don't want to be lumped in as the problem.  When you see me talking about these issues in forums, I am very clear that the bias also exists in women!  The debate here isn't woman vs. man at all so much as market bias vs. women.  In the example I gave, even though men do the same in crime thrillers, the discovery that they are men does not hurt them in the market.  Even women I have spoken with admit that a female voice sometimes makes them uncomfortable because the visibility of female authors has been so low, that a woman's voice isn't something they are used to. They also often believe that any romance written by women somehow clouds the story or that the writing will be colorful but flighty and shallow.  And yes, people will parrot popular books even when it was a lukewarm read for them.  People like the idea of having a lot of people to talk with about a book.  In that way, the success of a book IS about visibility.  If certain books are being dismissed by 'harmless' biases, they fade into obscurity.  Women are not trying to faze men out-- they want to be a part of the discussion because they are just as passionate.

You don't cook delicious food by adding the same ingredient over and over.  It would be boring if a recipe were paprika and more paprika.  We also don't have to add EVERYTHING into a pot.  Strawberries and paint shavings aren't a match.  The problem with trying to debate any topic is that someone tends to love their straw men.  You know what I'm talking about before I even say it.  You express your concern with Puerto Rico and someone pipes up 'but there are starving kids in Africa.'  Yes, and we don't like that either, but start another thread and go to town.  More than one problem can exist at a time and we are capable of caring about more than one, but please-- help people gain some insight.  The world is full of half-baked knowledge. As long as we duck in and out of conversations without any resolution we aren't learning anything but hearsay.  I promise I'm probably already on several different threads already and each one of them has at least one person wondering if they should feel guilty for not focusing on something else...

Phew, I know this was a long one, guys, and the longer they are, the more my focus wanders, but I feel fairly confident it all fits with the post heading.  I'd love to keep some posts short and sweet but it can be quite difficult with layered topics like this.  As a rule, I try to see the good in people.  Experience has made me cynical, but in all honesty, when I can connect with people socially and individually, my perceptions do expand more than attempting to engage a group discussion.  I tend to single people out and ask them questions as diplomatically as possible.  I'm never trying to put people on the spot and make them look bad and while I am direct, I also like to assure them that I am not making my problems override theirs.  It can be hard to do-- the internet is largely full of people who like to put people on the defensive.  My intent is to disabuse people of that.  

That's a good tip I can leave you with today: operate on curiosity.  Try not to join a discussion with the intent of being heard.  Look for answers, look for views, look to unruffle feathers and find someone's rational argument.  People are often afraid to play what they might think of as a passive role, but when you take someone out of their comfort zone, they are more likely to explain why if you don't taunt or belittle a sore spot.  One guy I talked to had mentioned that he was someone that read male-dominated roles so he could include himself in that role.  I was curious to know why he didn't branch out so I started with the assurance that wanting inclusion can be cool, but what made him uncomfortable about a more omnipotent view or a woman's role?  He admitted that he would probably have a field day with a psychologist, but his own trials in life made his need for escapism to eliminate his presence as a reader.  While literally escaping into a book is also a kick-ass premise for fantasy, he was doing the next best thing for him.  I'm never one to judge someone for being weird, so I appreciated the candor.  I wasn't trying to force him to diversify or confront things he would need to see a therapist for-- it was important that he knew that.  What he was doing for himself isn't wrong, but he was having difficulty explaining why he avoided a woman's voice and, since he did attempt to choose his words well, I think he deserved for his words to be heard right and also not perpetuate a bias.  To summarize, ask your hard-hitting questions, but give someone the security to answer honestly.  If you think you're going to dig the truth out of everyone by being tactless, you will barely brush the surface.  When you want to know, humble yourself to the task.

See, this is why I write novels...  I can't really leave on any note without kicking and screaming... with diplomacy, of course. 

In Pillows, No One Can Hear You Scream

I've spent a bit of time looking at demographics, marketing, success and failure, probably working myself into the wrong mindset, but the wrong mindset is one of my superpowers.

I keep reverting back to the thing that matters: I love what I do.  Every. Damn. Step.

I've begun to have a rhythm to my workflow.  The books for this series are written, but it didn't stop there.  I've started two more fantasy stories, a romance novel, a sci fi crime novel and a couple of ideas that sit in my DUMB ASS notebook where I've started writing all the things I forget how to do when I haven't done them in a few months.  I still read them, to edit and to enjoy, and I don't get sick of them.  Regardless of how they sell, they are so ME that I remove my doubts when I remind myself of that.

I'm probably not going to get any badass points for appealing to the market trends, but it was exactly what I needed to express and exactly what I wanted from the genre and the cause.  Yes, I would love to get critical feedback to improve, but hell, I'll still write in my echo chamber and love the forest for the trees.

I've made amazing friends out of female authors of varying success.  Don't get me wrong-- I've tried to befriend the males too but the camaraderie never happens.  Sometimes they're wildly successful.  Then again, some of my gals are too but they seem to see more value in building relationships with other authors.  There's a lot of denial that it's a boys club and I didn't want to believe it because I enjoy epic fantasy, but the fact remains, there are men that will admit things like not wanting to read a female main character, don't like the female perspective, need moar swords, etc.  I respect the honesty but at the same time, fuck all that.  I'm not anti- or pro- feminism but there's been a sickening show of bias in the most prominent fantasy fan groups.  But you know what?  I don't want their audience or negativity if they just intend to use those biases to dampen my ambitions.  They may not be my favorite people, but I'm also not going to pout and cry bigotry because that's a giant waste of time and energy I could spend building valuable friendships and doing what I love.

Ah, the drawing is something I'm more intimately aware of and I don't quite get the same reservations.  I've had a thick skin here because it's always been my first love.  Can't you draw anything realistic?  First time I hear that, I was probably 12 years old and I had narrowed my eyes and told him I draw what I like.  And it's always been true.  I've had so much frustration trying to draw things with that universal appeal but absolutely no affect on me.  So I don't.  I can draw like that, but it feels like trying to draw mechanically with someone else's hand.  I stopped caring if people didn't like my style or thought I should impress people with realism.  I see tons of people doing it and it's undoubtedly awesome, but none of it really sticks with me.  Im still captivated by the anime styles and the influence Disney always had on me and THAT is what moves me.

So from the beginning, I've had to face the fact that I'm not highly marketable.  I've looked after the niche market of one. I have not a single clue how to get feedback and I've stopped wasting time worrying about it.  I maintain visibility.  I post something new every week on every social media channel I signed up for.  I stay positive (but do disclose the reality on my blogs-- it does other authors no good, myself included, to suppress any human doubt or discouragement).  I love my work and I will continue to do it because I have a life goal of filling a shelf with my printed books.  And when that's done, I'll probably want to fill another.

Whatever awaits me, I often have to grab that pillow and scream.  Sometimes to muffle excitement, sometimes to let out some frustration.  Mostly so I don't scare the neighbors. I'm a professional-- frustration is no casual acquaintance of mine.  Frenemies maybe.  Do people still use that word?  Oh, that's right, I'm a fantasy author that adds hundreds of words with red squiggly lines on a weekly basis.  We don't really care what's in fashion.  We build worlds.

So even at my low points, I sometimes have remember why I started this.  Why, at my lowest points, I wiped away the tears, swallowed the pain, and picked up that pen.  Whether you want to see more or not, I'm spamming your book retailers with my catalog.  I promise I'm not giving up.  I've been through hell and I've got plenty left to give.

But muh diversity...

It's been whispered about in fantasy groups about the fiascos concerning the Hugo and Nebula awards and it's taken me some time to catch up on the politics of the situation.  I haven't yet reached the point where I feel some desperate need to collect these coveted writing awards, but the way I'm seeing grown adults bicker about it, I'm also in no hurry.

That sinister diversity agenda...  And I say this sarcastically because I don't see it as sinister, nor do I see it as an opportunity to vilify white men who are constantly being blamed for why diversity isn't being awarded.  I have to admit, I'm far too out of the loop in popular entertainment to weigh in on whether or not there is a conspiracy for or against diversity.  I can tell you that under no circumstances would I be okay with accepting an award just to be some politically correct token female.  I'd like to belive that I've earned it.

I've had the pleasure of reading some of NK Jemisin's blog (I even used her feminization post as a discussion point of my own) but not her Fifth Season book.  In the process of making my own books, I tried to limit my exposure to other work to write my own work.  Everything I've seen from her indicates someone dedicated to the craft and someone who has put in her paces.  She is not a "diversity or feminist" agenda writer.  She does not purposely use those facets of herself to sell books.  All that I have seen of hers even shows that she has even on occasion written for the market.  She doesn't appear to be setting out to wipe out and redefine the genre.  She is a true fan of the genre, she just has her own voice.

I'm not sure where to even weigh in on this.  Sure, the internet is full of racist, sexist, chose your -ist bigots, but I think there is also a lot of bigotry coming out of the social justice set.  There are absolutely people who champion diversity to the point of ignoring quality because there need to be x amount of this oppressed group for it to be objective. In an age of self-publishing, no one is being silenced here and anyone has the opportunity to use their keyboards to attempt masterpieces.

I get it-- the problem is no one is doing it and when anyone attempts it, they are more likely to become a poster child than to have their work looked at objectively.  It absolutely sucks that the quality of entertainment is going down because half-assed directors are trying to cash in on lukewarm ideas.  However, try as you might, you can't fault Jemisin.

I've seen her passion and she's diplomatic and professional.  She defines herself and she's not quick to see the worst in people. She is a part of a society that does not ban her from having a platform, even if there are plenty of ankle-biters accusing of her of something sinister.  Meanwhile, you get these obvious groups trying to game an awards system and telling everyone how to vote.  I can't say for certain without interjecting a bias that I can't conclusively say exists, but they assume that sales or so-called fan feedback somehow shows she falls short of deserving a nomination let alone an award.

Maybe you haven't heard but Amazon is currently being plagued with fake books, people using click farms to cash in on the pages-read system, and false accounts made to plant reviews.  Insofar, the only thing they've been able to police is author-swaps where authors agree to read each other's work and write reviews.  Which I think is a terrible thing to forbid.  Not only can authors establish a rapport and trust with others who understand artistic integrity, but it assumes that all of them will only post favorable or false reviews in exchange for their beta reads.  So things like sales and exposure aren't reliable numbers to determine either quality or who deserves it more.  It's just more gaming the system.

Diversity is always a hot button issue but the truth is, we don't need more agendas.  We need more artists to write what ignites their passion.  We need to consider all things based on their own merits.  Don't read my books just because I'm a woman; read them because I told a damn good story.  

I don't need a hugbox or a safe space.  I've come to the point I am in life because of what I've overcome.  I am who I am because life isn't fair.  I'm never going to accept any societal norm that says someone is better than someone else or demean someone's struggle because 'there are more important things.' that's the way I have always been.  I don't care who you are-- if I can help you, I will, provided you don't feel entitled to it. I don't tolerate disrespect.  I am not going to come on the internet and champion everyone who is perceived to have some disadvantage.  Assuming others need you to speak for them is assuming they are too inferior to do so.  I will stand with someone while they defend themselves but they have a voice.  Also, tell me to shut up and you'll probably be next on my shit list.  Even if you're right, silencing me just lost my vote.

I truly don't know what to think of all the generalizations these days.  When I use a general statement, I like to try to reiterate that I'm painting with a broad strokes and it does not speak for anything but a specific majority that does fit it.  It's like clothes off the rack though.  Some of us don't have off the rack bodies and you're even less likely to find an off the rack mind.

By all means, encourage your friend that thinks their ideas aren't marketable to publish anyway.  Just don't belittle their work by reducing it to propaganda.  Propoganda is so much toilet paper and everyone deserves better.