That Something More. The secret recipe for fantastic fiction.
What ingredients need to come together to create amazing fiction? Six different flavors and that something more.
Writing sexual assault? Be kind to yourself and your readers.
Stories about sexual violence can spread awareness and draw attention to systems that perpetuate it. But, when writing sexual violence, we must remember to take care of ourselves and our readers.
Should I write magic? A reflection on the problems with magic existing in a fictional world.
Writing magic into a fictional world can kill the tension and destroy the narrative. Should I stay away from crafting magic? Is there a way for it to work?
Should I write diverse characters? A reflection on writing outside my experience.
Some people say an author should only write characters who share their identity, while others insist it’s offensive to exclude diverse characters. So should I write diverse characters into my fiction?
Should I write erotica simply to sell books? I reflect on the stories I prefer to write and if it’s necessary to compromise on my art.
As an indie author, it appears easier to find erotica readers. Should I write erotica novels just to get sales, even though it’s outside my interest? Should I compromise on my art to sell novels?
Women Love Queer Content and that’s a good thing. A reflection on misogyny and policing what women write and read.
I find writing queer characters a freeing experience because it helps me escape my gender conditioning. Some folks believe women shouldn’t write gay characters, claiming women fetishize the gay identity. But can such arguments stand against scrutiny?
Should writers preach through fiction? Be cautious when crafting cults, or when preaching on the sly.
Do you plan to write a cult into your fiction? Do you wish to teach readers about a belief system through fiction? I suggest considering a few things first.
Let authors write bad novels. Why the freedom to play is crucial to the creative process.
Creatives need to play in order to do their best work, and in order to play, they need to feel safe. Give creatives permission to fail, as well as the space to grow, and superior work will emerge.
Should I make my characters pretty? A reflection on lookism and crafting beautiful characters.
Fiction is saturated with abnormally beautiful characters, so much so, it’s getting boring. Are super-hot characters necessary? If not, what is the alternative?
Dystopian fiction is far from dead. But no need to fret, dystopia is not a Hunger Games pigeon hole.
As the YA dystopian trend faded, critics claimed dystopian fiction is dead. But the idea that people would stop writing and reading dystopias is absurd. But, there’s no need to worry, dystopian literature is not composed of replicas of The Hunger Games. Its literary scope is vast and its possibilities are infinite.
Should I self-publish? Grappling with querying fatigue and doomed manuscripts.
Querying agents and attempting to break into traditional publishing is making me feel passive and powerless. So should I consider self-publishing my novels? Both self-publishing and traditional publishing requires fame, a social media following and self-promotion. And if I self-publish, I get to be my own boss.