writers
For Readers: Favorite Sci Fi Writers
Growing up, I loved Anne McCaffrey’s Pern, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, Arthur C. Clarke’s Rama ships, and later Sheri S. Tepper’s many strange worlds. But lately, I am loving me some Angel Martinez, a little Jamie Fessenden, and many more I plan to read soon. There are so many great folks working in QUILTBAG sci fi these days. So my question today: Who is your favorite current LGBTIQA Sci Fi Writer, and why?
For Writers: Steampunk and Alternate History
Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Therese Woodson: OK, so she didn’t give me a whole lot to work with here: “And Steampunk/Alt history discussions.” So I’ll just run with it. As writers, we have a unique opportunity with historical pieces – we can go back and take some event or period that was especially difficult for the LGBTIQA community and rewrite it to correct the wrongs of history. Or sometimes to just hilight them. And steampunk makes it even more fun. So my questions today: Have you written any steampunk or alternative history? If so, what period of time … Read more
For Writers: Fantasy Reflects Society. Or Does It?
Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer MK Mancos: Does fantasy reflect social concepts/prejudices/etc. of the day, or hide away from/ignore it? It’s an interesting question. Tolkien’s famous battle in Middle Earth is widely acknowledged to be a reflection of World War II, which was raging at the time. And we often turn to fantasy worlds in times of trouble. Look at the explosion of Super Hero movies these last ten years? And how so many have turned dark these last few? So what do you think? Does fantasy reflect social concepts/prejudices/etc. of the day, or hide away from/ignore it? Or…? … Read more
For Writers: Grand Fantasy
Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Elizabeth Barrette: Recently I came across the term “grand fantasy,” which really focuses on the sense of wonder without being restricted to traditional plots. I’m thinking that’s ideal territory for QUILTBAG fantasy: http://limyaael.livejournal.com/383804.html So have you heard of Grand Fantasy? How would you say it’s different from High Fantasy? And what can we do with it? Join the chat
For Writers: Researching Sex
How do you research sex? Specifically, if you are writing about sex between two men or two women and you’re straight, or you are writing about heterosexual sex and you’re LGBT, or hey, you’re a virgin and you have no experience with any of it? No judgment here, just curious how you go about getting the details right. Join the chat
For Writers: Dieselpunk
Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer MK Mancos: Dieselpunk. A quick Google search reveals this from Wikipedia: Dieselpunk is a genre similar to that of its more well-known cousin “steampunk” that combines the aesthetics of the diesel-based technology of the interwar period through to the 1950s with retro-futuristic technology and postmodern sensibilities. Coined in 2001 by game designer Lewis Pollak to describe his role-playing game Children of the Sun, the term has since been applied to a variety of visual art, music, motion pictures, fiction, and engineering. Color me intriqued. So my questions today: Has anyone written Dieselpunk? How does … Read more
Submissions Week Day Four: Cover Letters
Welcome to our first submissions week – were we’ll talk about all things submissions. This is a great opportunity for our newer authors to learn things from our veterans – how to prepare your story (whether it’s a short story, a novella, a novel, poem etc) for submission to a publisher. Today, your first foot in the door. The cover letter. When you send in your work, many publishers will require a cover letter – something telling the a little bit about who you are and the story you are sending in. Many will also have guidelines for this, so … Read more
For Writers: Tech and Trans
Today’s topic comes from QSFer Elizabeth Barrette: How magic or technology can allow people to alter their bodies, and what that means for transfolk. This is a fascinating one, and a tricky one. I used magic to “transform” a trans character, and ran it by one of my trans friends. I was surprised by some of the minefields I was walking across without even knowing it. How would your trans character feel about having their physical gender changed to match their internal one? Are we being myopic thinking every trans person would want such a thing? What about gender non-conforming … Read more
Discussion: Your Adoring Public
I apologize, but I’m not sure who to attribute today’s topic to. But it’s a good one: I wrote several stories and posted them on the free websites like Gay Author. I got lots of emails from readers, many very personal. Now I’ve written close to the same number of published works…but I’ve never gotten a direct email from a reader. I’m in kind of the same boat. I keep waiting for my legions of adoring fans to contact me directly. I’ve had a couple new friendings on Facebook, at least one of which I ca attribte to having read … Read more