Month: June 2021

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Writing LGBT+ Characters

As with any type of character development, writing LGBT+ characters requires research. I sometimes refer to LGBT+ as gay in this post. A lot of stereotypes around gay people make it into stories written by straight authors–the token gay friend, for example. But just as you have to research what slang words a teenage boy used in 1970, or what food a Somali refugee eats, you need to research the details of LGBT+ culture to create a realistic character.

I’m a strong believer in getting information from the source–the person with the lived experience. As a cis straight woman, I’m not a good resource. Instead, I want to point you to several articles written by LGBT+ people who generously offer their perspective on writing gay characters.

Resources for Writing LGBT+ Characters

Ashley Lauren Rogers writes about four pitfalls to avoid when writing trans characters in sci fi and fantasy, namely,

  1. Don’t conflate gender, sex, and sexuality;
  2. Don’t write trans characters who are always downtrodden;
  3. Trans and nonbinary folks are more than their gender identity; and
  4. Trans people are not out to deceive you.

Lisa Freeman writes about six pitfalls to avoid when writing LGBTQIA+ characters in teen fiction:

  1. Don’t be invasive in your writing and research;
  2. Avoid stereotypes;
  3. Don’t be afraid to create an emotional connection with your character;
  4. Don’t try to protect your queer darlings;
  5. Don’t make everything about sexual identity; and
  6. Don’t skimp on the backstory.

Finally, tumblr’s miss turdle has a brilliant compilation of resources for writing LGBT+ characters with articles ranging from “How to write gay characters in mainstream fiction” to “Writing lesbians when you’re not a lesbian.” Highly recommend checking these sites out.

To close, I want to leave you with this thought by Lee Mandelo:

“If you’re writing queer characters you need to have an awareness in the text of the social climate, even if the story is not ‘about’ homophobia or transphobia or their attendant violence.”

Language is powerful, which is why stories are powerful. Use that power to create LGBT+ characters that show the complexity, depth, love, passion, and everything else that makes up any person. Happy Pride!

A library find my daughter has been enjoying this month.
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Working as a Mother

As a teenager, I didn’t expect working as a mother would be in the picture. My daughter Ada was born in January 2020, about six weeks before the shut-down of pretty much everything. This sudden closure of my social life turned out to be a good thing for me. The transition to motherhood was, to put it simply, overwhelming. (I resonate with a lot of what this mom shares.)Ada didn’t nap well until she was about nine months old. Nursing was the struggle from hell that I didn’t realize I felt compelled to fight until I was in the thick of it. It was a relief to not feel obligated to see friends or even grocery shop when I never knew when my daughter would eat or sleep, week after week.

But I missed editing. I feel lucky to have my dream job of reading and getting paid for it, not to mention the amazing authors and publishers I get to be friends with. And I’m good at what I do. I missed working with authors to make their stories the best they could be. I missed using my brain for more than remembering which side my daughter last nursed on and when she last pooped.

When Ada turned three months old, I started editing again. Not because I felt ready but because I needed work to feel sane. It was too easy to get wrapped up in the minutiae of baby care. Working helped me step out of my own head, to see the big picture. If Ada slept twenty minutes, or pooped through two outfits in one hour, or nursed every forty minutes, it was okay. I had another mental space to go now–my editing space.

These days, editing brings more stress to my life than balance as it did earlier in Ada’s life. That’s because I’m still learning how long things take me. When I take on more than I realize I can, I end up working a lot more than I’d like to some weeks. But it’s a process. And I know I’ll figure it out eventually.

Working as a mother has been an odd balancing of two things that are supremely important to me. One I chose: my career. The other I like to think chose me: my daughter. Both stretch and push me, but also reward me with good stories and lots of hugs and kisses.

working as a mother