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characters

For Writers: You, In Stories

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mirror

FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Ryane Chatman: “How much of your life ends up in your stories?” Ryane asks a great question. I have stories where one of the protagonists is 80% me, and some where I’m hardly present at all, though of course my life experience almost always informs the story. And struggling writers do often show up in my tales. *grin* How does your life, history, and personality manifest itself in your stories, if at all? Join the chat

For Writers: Dealing With Mental Illness

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mental illness

For Writers: Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Lex Chase: Again with pushing for diversity, what about writing characters with mental illness? Not as villains or unhinged perverts but as heroes? And not only heroes, but heroes compliant with treatment or making steps to seek treatment? Not using their illness to make them “interesting” or use an episode as a plot device. Join the chat

The Importance of Making Characters Gay

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When I first heard that Sulu, brought to life once again by John Cho, would be depicted as a gay man in Star Trek: Beyond, I was thrilled. To find out Sulu is gay is on par with having a friend or family member come out; you already know them, you are just learning another facet of who they are. Sulu is the latest in a trend of previously assumed heterosexual characters to come out as gay over the years. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Willow to the X-Men’s Iceman, our ever-changing social landscape is allowing for the creation of … Read more

Writing More Diversity

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For Writers: Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Angel Martinez: “How are you challenging yourselves to write more diverse fiction?” For my own part, I have started to stretch myself, writing characters other than young gay men. I’ve writte a couple trans characters, lesbian characters, and bi characters. But diversity extends beyond the LGBTIQA spectrum. We also need older characters, characters of color, characters with disabilities, and more. So to ask Angel’s question again: “How are you challenging yourselves to write more diverse fiction?” Join the chat

Dispatches from Hogwarts G.S.A.: Hello QSFers!

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When Scott posted an open invitation to write a column for QSF, I thought: “Cool opportunity!” Then I thought, “What the hell am I going to call it?” That question followed me around for a while like a storm cloud, sending me hiding for cover, too filled with angst to even try to tackle a response. I mean, A: I’m an author, so whatever I called this column had to be clever and good. And B: QSF is a site for sci fi and fantasy fans and writers, so the expectation for cleverness is especially high. Then, C: Whatever I … Read more

How to Write Bisexual Characters

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bisexual

Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Kathy Griffith: How about treatments of bisexuality that don’t involve threesomes or open relationships? Kathy gets at a good point here. The lazy way to show someone being bisexual is to show them having sex with men and with women, either at the same time or serially. But there must be better ways that don’t rely on the physical act of sex. After all, I can write a perfectly good gay character who never does the dirty in the book. And there are tons of straight stories that don’t feature sex, and yet we … Read more

For Writers: Researching People

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Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Ryane Chatman: Do you talk to people to get a feel for a certain personality trait? Also how do you go about cultural research? It’s a great question. As writers, we often write stories about characters different from ourselves, sometimes vastly different. This can be someone who is aggressive where we are shy, or someone who is sweet and young while we are bitter and old (we are writers, after all *grin). Or it could be someone from an entirely different culture. So how do you get the details right? Join the chat

For Readers: Big Worlds vs. Big Characters

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sci fi world

Are you a big fan of greatly detailed worlds in your LGBT speculative fiction? Or do you prefer a sleek, stripped down approach that’s more character/romance driven? And what’s your favorite example, either way? Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own works directly. Thanks! Join the chat