[CW: This post discusses the way villains are often coded as marginalized identities. There are mentions specifically of queermisia/queerphobia, ableism, antisemitism, and racism.]
Like many people, I adore fictional villains. Most of my favorite characters of all time are villains, and I in fact have three tattoos inspired by fictional villains. Villains and antagonists are often some of the strongest parts of a story.
Name a fandom I'm part of, and there's a very strong chance the character I find most meaningful and relatable is a villain.
But to be honest? I kind of hate that.
Many, many people have written at length about coding: the way in which characters are implied to be of a specific background or marginalization without anyone ever coming out and saying it. This happens very often with villains, especially in fantasy. For example, the trope of villains with big hook noses is part of an extremely antisemitic stereotype that Jewish people = evil. My personal experience with coding, and the reason I relate to so many villains, is that many are coded as, one, queer in some fashion and, two, as neurodivergent/mentally ill.
These coded villains are not typically written by people who share their coded marginalizations, which adds a definite layer of sometimes subtle bigotry. This gets internalized by people who consume the media, and then applied, often subconsciously, to real people.
Here are a few examples that have personally affected me:
Untrustworthy characters being indicated by fidgeting and a lack of eye contact. As an autistic person, I am uncomfortable with eye contact and find it quite difficult if not impossible to maintain. Because eye contact is held up as such an important part of being trustworthy and honest, autistic people, especially children, are often abused by caregivers until they learn to make that eye contact. Fidgeting and stimming are also "trained" out of autistic people in abusive therapies like ABA.
Evil characters do not experience love, are repulsed by it, and never seek romantic partners. As an aromantic person, I frequently deal with dehumanization and vilification because I do not experience romantic attraction. Aromantic people are frequently seen as frigid, cruel, and even abusive, just because we do not experience that attraction the way alloromantic (non-aromantic) people do.
Characters who have low or no empathy are held up as the epitome of cruel and dangerous. A lack of empathy is heralded as a sure sign of abusive, controlling, and malicious tyrants. But there are multiple disorders, two of which I personally have, that often come with low or otherwise "abnormal" empathy. This does not make us bad people, and seeing villains (both real and fictional) who are portrayed as evil because they're not empathetic is extremely demoralizing and harmful.
What's the point of me saying this? The point is that if you want to write a good antagonist, you should be careful that you're not just using harmful coding as a shorthand that will hurt real people. Take great care (and hire sensitivity readers) so that you don't make bigoted assertions that a trait of a marginalized group is a sign of evil.
I'm tired of relating to villains. I'm tired of seeing my autism, my personality disorder, my queerness, my real-world experience reflected in the people I'm told I should hate and root against. If you are a content creator, please do your part to be mindful of the way coding and tropes can be used to harm.
Representation matters, but the thing is that it has to be positive representation. Give me a glimpse at myself in villain after villain after villain, and you have not told me that I matter. You have told me that I am repulsive and wrong.
Be mindful, be aware, and be better than creators of the past. Don't tell marginalized people that we're evil, because gods all know we get enough of that already.
Until next time,
Jenn.
Monday, December 11, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
It's That Time Again
It's the 30th of October. Tomorrow is Halloween, AKA the best day in the entire year. I'll be carving pumpkins and spending time with my family, and the day after that I'll be attending my local kickoff party for that beast that looms every November:
NaNoWriMo.
I write a variation of this post every year. It's relevant year-round, but doubly so in November, when many people are striving to write as much as they can in 30 days.
I've been participating in NaNoWriMo every year since 2008. In 2010, I was a senior in high school, with all the pressure that comes with that. In addition to worrying about homework and grades and my senior project, I decided I wanted to write my NaNo novel as quickly as possible, and write, not just 50,000 words, but as much as I possibly could. It was a personal challenge, and I got a wee bit too ambitious.
2010 was a rough year for me for a number of reasons, and I had a lot on my plate. I threw myself wholeheartedly into NaNo that year. I finished my project in four days, through a combination of not getting enough sleep, not taking nearly enough breaks, and pushing myself to the utter limit.
I was also sick at the time. That should have been my clue to take it easy, but I was sixteen and overconfident. So what could have been a quick, easy bout with the crud became a trip to the emergency room with a temperature of 106.3 degrees. When your temperature gets that high, you're in serious danger of permanent damage, and I remember sobbing that the water was too cold when my mom tossed me in a lukewarm shower in an attempt to bring my temperature down.
Not fun.
After a visit to the ER, during which I got a shot right in the ass cheek, I had to take a week off school. I spent the entire time either asleep or whining to my mom that I felt like crap. Not something I'm eager to repeat.
The moral of the story is this:
Take breaks. No matter how intently you're working on a story, for NaNoWriMo or otherwise, take breaks. Get up, drink some water, eat, stretch. Take a break from staring at a computer screen. Spend time with friends. Give yourself a rest. It's not worth hurting yourself just for the sake of word count. Believe me, putting yourself in the ER for the sake of a book is not only supremely unpleasant, it's pretty damn embarrassing.
Your story is important, but your health is important, too. Don't neglect the latter for the sake of the former.
Take care of yourself this NaNoWriMo, okay?
Until next time,
Jenn.
NaNoWriMo.
I write a variation of this post every year. It's relevant year-round, but doubly so in November, when many people are striving to write as much as they can in 30 days.
I've been participating in NaNoWriMo every year since 2008. In 2010, I was a senior in high school, with all the pressure that comes with that. In addition to worrying about homework and grades and my senior project, I decided I wanted to write my NaNo novel as quickly as possible, and write, not just 50,000 words, but as much as I possibly could. It was a personal challenge, and I got a wee bit too ambitious.
2010 was a rough year for me for a number of reasons, and I had a lot on my plate. I threw myself wholeheartedly into NaNo that year. I finished my project in four days, through a combination of not getting enough sleep, not taking nearly enough breaks, and pushing myself to the utter limit.
I was also sick at the time. That should have been my clue to take it easy, but I was sixteen and overconfident. So what could have been a quick, easy bout with the crud became a trip to the emergency room with a temperature of 106.3 degrees. When your temperature gets that high, you're in serious danger of permanent damage, and I remember sobbing that the water was too cold when my mom tossed me in a lukewarm shower in an attempt to bring my temperature down.
Not fun.
After a visit to the ER, during which I got a shot right in the ass cheek, I had to take a week off school. I spent the entire time either asleep or whining to my mom that I felt like crap. Not something I'm eager to repeat.
The moral of the story is this:
Take breaks. No matter how intently you're working on a story, for NaNoWriMo or otherwise, take breaks. Get up, drink some water, eat, stretch. Take a break from staring at a computer screen. Spend time with friends. Give yourself a rest. It's not worth hurting yourself just for the sake of word count. Believe me, putting yourself in the ER for the sake of a book is not only supremely unpleasant, it's pretty damn embarrassing.
Your story is important, but your health is important, too. Don't neglect the latter for the sake of the former.
Take care of yourself this NaNoWriMo, okay?
Until next time,
Jenn.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Polishing Turds
This afternoon at my usual coffee shop hangout, I finally finished the first draft of my WiP!
It sucks!
But that's not a bad thing!
Every writer has a different style. A lot of people edit their work as they go, so that by the time they finish a story it doesn't need much work at all. I'm not usually like that. I'm the kind of writer who's much more inclined to crap out a first draft in a short amount of time, and then spend ages and ages and ages refining it into something I really like.
Neither method is inherently superior to the other. It's all about what works for you. I always feel this huge sense of relief when I finish banging out a mess of a project, because playing in the sandbox that is revisions is something I immensely enjoy. It feels less like polishing a turd and much more like I've just bought a bunch of craft supplies that I get to puzzle together into a masterpiece.
I don't really have any point to prove or idea to raise with this post; I just thought I'd post something celebrating the fact that, hey, I finished laying the groundwork to edit together something I'm really excited about. I'll be posting snippets of the first draft and before/after comparisons over on my Patreon for all patrons, and maybe some cool graphics and screenshots over on Instagram for anyone who wants to follow along.
I've had a great day of writing, and I really look forward to diving into revisions. Wherever you are, I hope you've had a great day, too, and that whatever project you're working on treats you well.
Until next time,
Jenn.
It sucks!
But that's not a bad thing!
Every writer has a different style. A lot of people edit their work as they go, so that by the time they finish a story it doesn't need much work at all. I'm not usually like that. I'm the kind of writer who's much more inclined to crap out a first draft in a short amount of time, and then spend ages and ages and ages refining it into something I really like.
Neither method is inherently superior to the other. It's all about what works for you. I always feel this huge sense of relief when I finish banging out a mess of a project, because playing in the sandbox that is revisions is something I immensely enjoy. It feels less like polishing a turd and much more like I've just bought a bunch of craft supplies that I get to puzzle together into a masterpiece.
I don't really have any point to prove or idea to raise with this post; I just thought I'd post something celebrating the fact that, hey, I finished laying the groundwork to edit together something I'm really excited about. I'll be posting snippets of the first draft and before/after comparisons over on my Patreon for all patrons, and maybe some cool graphics and screenshots over on Instagram for anyone who wants to follow along.
I've had a great day of writing, and I really look forward to diving into revisions. Wherever you are, I hope you've had a great day, too, and that whatever project you're working on treats you well.
Until next time,
Jenn.
Monday, October 2, 2017
On Labor
I've been thinking about labor a lot lately. Specifically, the way it is, and isn't, valued in our society.
I live in the United States. Here, unless you provide a very specific type of labor, it is consistently devalued and even belittled. You see it often when people talk about how "burger flippers" don't deserve a living wage (spoiler: they do). You also see it when white collar office jobs are more highly praised than vital labor provided by people like sanitation workers or the folks working road construction. And those are just a tiny thimbleful of examples in a sea of gross rhetoric.
I live in the United States. Here, unless you provide a very specific type of labor, it is consistently devalued and even belittled. You see it often when people talk about how "burger flippers" don't deserve a living wage (spoiler: they do). You also see it when white collar office jobs are more highly praised than vital labor provided by people like sanitation workers or the folks working road construction. And those are just a tiny thimbleful of examples in a sea of gross rhetoric.
Labor is devalued in our society. Especially when that labor comes from people marginalized along other axes--women, people of color, disabled people, the list goes on. It worsens the more axes you exist along.
Lately I've been particularly thoughtful on the ways society devalues the labor of artists and creatives. A while back, someone on Twitter felt the need to quote tweet the link to my Ko-Fi profile, for the sole purpose of telling me they would never, ever donate to it. Upon browsing this person's profile, I saw that I was not even close to the only person they'd done this to. In particular they seemed to be targeting indie writers and freelance artists.
People consistently demand art, but never want to pay the artists. People ask artists to draw their OCs for free, people get angry if an ebook costs more than .99, people expect musicians to put their music for free on YouTube. Content creators are thus forced to undervalue our own work if we want people to compensate us at all. I myself have put stories up for free when I really wanted to charge, because it's so damn hard to convince people to do things like pledge to your Patreon if they don't get some "proof" that it's worth it. I charge under the average for sensitivity reading services, because I've had people ask my prices and then completely vanish, without so much as a "thank you for your time," when hearing my original quote.
It is expected that artists will always produce art, to the point where I wonder if people put any thought into where it comes from. It seems people truly believe art comes from thin air.
The idea that everyone hates their job contributes to this idea that those who do something they love--like artists--don't "really" work. And if it's not "really" work, then the labor doesn't deserve compensation. It's a common thought that if you enjoy producing art, than you would be doing it anyway, so you don't need to be paid for your time.
It's such a pervasive thought that trying to fight against it is an endurance trial. It feels like beating your head against a brick wall, honestly.
Dancing that line between valuing your own labor, and keeping your prices in the range people are actually willing to pay, is difficult, exhausting, and an endless reshuffling.
I don't know how to force it to change. All I know is that I'll be here in my corner, adding 20%+ tips to everything I commission, doing my best to value my own work, and boosting all of the hardworking content creators I know. I urge the rest of you to do the same. Value your own labor. Value the labor of your friends, and your community, and artists everywhere.
Don't let the world convince you that your labor doesn't deserve compensation. Because even if you aren't a master, even if you are just one in a sea of creators, you matter. Your work is important, and your labor has value.
And if you aren't a content creator, remember--our work is work, the same as yours. Without labor, you would have nothing. Art does not magically just appear, just as other goods to not magically just appear. If you want to continue living in a world full of creativity, you will compensate your artists, and boost their links, and do your part to help them stay fed.
Until next time,
Jenn.
People consistently demand art, but never want to pay the artists. People ask artists to draw their OCs for free, people get angry if an ebook costs more than .99, people expect musicians to put their music for free on YouTube. Content creators are thus forced to undervalue our own work if we want people to compensate us at all. I myself have put stories up for free when I really wanted to charge, because it's so damn hard to convince people to do things like pledge to your Patreon if they don't get some "proof" that it's worth it. I charge under the average for sensitivity reading services, because I've had people ask my prices and then completely vanish, without so much as a "thank you for your time," when hearing my original quote.
It is expected that artists will always produce art, to the point where I wonder if people put any thought into where it comes from. It seems people truly believe art comes from thin air.
The idea that everyone hates their job contributes to this idea that those who do something they love--like artists--don't "really" work. And if it's not "really" work, then the labor doesn't deserve compensation. It's a common thought that if you enjoy producing art, than you would be doing it anyway, so you don't need to be paid for your time.
It's such a pervasive thought that trying to fight against it is an endurance trial. It feels like beating your head against a brick wall, honestly.
Dancing that line between valuing your own labor, and keeping your prices in the range people are actually willing to pay, is difficult, exhausting, and an endless reshuffling.
I don't know how to force it to change. All I know is that I'll be here in my corner, adding 20%+ tips to everything I commission, doing my best to value my own work, and boosting all of the hardworking content creators I know. I urge the rest of you to do the same. Value your own labor. Value the labor of your friends, and your community, and artists everywhere.
Don't let the world convince you that your labor doesn't deserve compensation. Because even if you aren't a master, even if you are just one in a sea of creators, you matter. Your work is important, and your labor has value.
And if you aren't a content creator, remember--our work is work, the same as yours. Without labor, you would have nothing. Art does not magically just appear, just as other goods to not magically just appear. If you want to continue living in a world full of creativity, you will compensate your artists, and boost their links, and do your part to help them stay fed.
Until next time,
Jenn.
Friday, September 22, 2017
Book Review: Ripped Pages, by M. Hollis
[Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review.]
Today, September 22, is release day for M. Hollis' novella Ripped Pages!
Ripped Pages is an F/F retelling of Rapunzel. After her mother's death, Princess Valentina's father locks her away in a tower, where she spends several years alone save the servants who bring her food. Scared of the wilderness surrounding her tower, Princess Valentina never quite musters the courage to try and escape, until another girl happens to pass by on a horse.
From there, it's adventure, sweet romance, and, all-in-all, an extremely satisfying retelling of one of my favorite faerie tales.
I devoured Ripped Pages in one sitting, because it was just so refreshing to see a story about sapphic teenagers that wasn't tragic, or fetishized, or infantilizing. These characters got to be cute and sweet and get to know themselves in a faerie tale setting, which is representation that so many people get denied.
The main character is a lesbian, and her love interest is multispec (I'm not sure if she's bi, pan, or ply--explicit labels aren't used). There is a gay couple as well, and casual mention of aspec people and nonbinary people. From a representation standpoint, it was lovely.
Something I also greatly appreciated was that the author included a page listing trigger warnings. That's a practice I've been advocating for for a while now, and it was great to see.
But besides the representation and trigger consideration, what I really loved about Ripped Pages was that it felt so genuine. I remember being a teenager wondering if my experiences were normal, and wanting to go out into the world and experience life in the wider world. I remember being scared to enter that wider world. Heck, I relate to that even as an adult. I remember how validating and empowering it was to finally meet other people like me, who really cared about who I was and what I wanted. This story really captured those feelings, and it is something I sincerely wish I had when I was younger.
Perhaps the highest praise I can offer is that I finished reading Ripped Pages and wanted to hug my e-reader. It made me feel warm fuzzies, and reminded me of just how good it is to see characters you identify with succeeding and coming into their own.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys faerie tales, and especially to anyone who needs to see a young lesbian come into her own, take control of her life, and find the love and support she deserves. Many thanks to the author for allowing me to read and review this book!
Until next time,
Jenn.
Today, September 22, is release day for M. Hollis' novella Ripped Pages!
 |
| [Image description: the cover of M. Hollis' novella Ripped Pages: A Rapunzel Retelling. It features black and white cursive text over a background of blonde hair.] |
Ripped Pages is an F/F retelling of Rapunzel. After her mother's death, Princess Valentina's father locks her away in a tower, where she spends several years alone save the servants who bring her food. Scared of the wilderness surrounding her tower, Princess Valentina never quite musters the courage to try and escape, until another girl happens to pass by on a horse.
From there, it's adventure, sweet romance, and, all-in-all, an extremely satisfying retelling of one of my favorite faerie tales.
I devoured Ripped Pages in one sitting, because it was just so refreshing to see a story about sapphic teenagers that wasn't tragic, or fetishized, or infantilizing. These characters got to be cute and sweet and get to know themselves in a faerie tale setting, which is representation that so many people get denied.
The main character is a lesbian, and her love interest is multispec (I'm not sure if she's bi, pan, or ply--explicit labels aren't used). There is a gay couple as well, and casual mention of aspec people and nonbinary people. From a representation standpoint, it was lovely.
Something I also greatly appreciated was that the author included a page listing trigger warnings. That's a practice I've been advocating for for a while now, and it was great to see.
But besides the representation and trigger consideration, what I really loved about Ripped Pages was that it felt so genuine. I remember being a teenager wondering if my experiences were normal, and wanting to go out into the world and experience life in the wider world. I remember being scared to enter that wider world. Heck, I relate to that even as an adult. I remember how validating and empowering it was to finally meet other people like me, who really cared about who I was and what I wanted. This story really captured those feelings, and it is something I sincerely wish I had when I was younger.
Perhaps the highest praise I can offer is that I finished reading Ripped Pages and wanted to hug my e-reader. It made me feel warm fuzzies, and reminded me of just how good it is to see characters you identify with succeeding and coming into their own.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys faerie tales, and especially to anyone who needs to see a young lesbian come into her own, take control of her life, and find the love and support she deserves. Many thanks to the author for allowing me to read and review this book!
Until next time,
Jenn.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Announcing Sensitivity Reading Services
I am pleased to announce that I am now offering sensitivity reading services! The job of a sensitivity reader is to read over a work-in-progress and offer their opinions as a member of the marginalized group being portrayed.
I am available as a sensitivity reader for the following categories:
Gender, Sexuality, and Relationships:
AFAB nonbinary/agender
Bisexuality
Asexuality
Aromanticism
Polyamory
Disability & Neurodivergence:
Autism
Sensory processing disorder
Anxiety
Synesthesia
Dermatillomania
Hard of Hearing / hearing loss
Religion and Culture:
Germanic neopaganism/heathenry (practicing)
Catholic, raised in the Church (formerly)
Secular witchcraft
Neopagan witchcraft
For information on my prices and how to hire me, please visit this link!
Best,
Jenn.
I am available as a sensitivity reader for the following categories:
Gender, Sexuality, and Relationships:
AFAB nonbinary/agender
Bisexuality
Asexuality
Aromanticism
Polyamory
Disability & Neurodivergence:
Autism
Sensory processing disorder
Anxiety
Synesthesia
Dermatillomania
Hard of Hearing / hearing loss
Religion and Culture:
Germanic neopaganism/heathenry (practicing)
Catholic, raised in the Church (formerly)
Secular witchcraft
Neopagan witchcraft
For information on my prices and how to hire me, please visit this link!
Best,
Jenn.
Monday, June 26, 2017
Book Review: Knit One, Girl Two, by Shira Glassman
You’ve got geeky artists, queer solidarity, an adorable cat, and women bonding over fanfiction. Despite being a quick read, there was a lot of great stuff packed in. My favorite scene was probably the one with the knitting group meetup, because we got introduced to a lot of great characters. Several of them reminded me of people in my own community. It’s always wonderful to see queer people supporting each other, having fun, and just...existing. They don’t have to be a plot point to be there.
I read Knit One, Girl Two over the course of a hot, lazy afternoon, and it was a perfect way to pass the time. It was fluffy, and sweet, and geeky, and tons of fun. I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone who wants a cozy read.
Until next time,
Jenn.
(Reminder: If you enjoy my content, consider backing me on Patreon or buying me a coffee via Ko-Fi. Thanks!)
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