I think it’s an (understandable!) error to frame the way bigots talk about trans people as “invalidating” or as thinking we’re “not real”
They know we exist! The point is that they want to exterminate us, in whatever ways they can, because they’re seeking a world where that’s no longer the case
A weirdly positive side effect of living in this fascist hellscape is that I have been reading a lot more and I think it is actually helping me stay sane right now. And fueling my writing, which also helps me stay sane. Soooo…yeah. There’s that, I guess.
I’m reading Kushiel’s Dart for the first time and Joscelin has entered the chat……I see this will be an enemies to lovers arc and I can’t WAIT
But also, Guy 😭
PROPUBLICA???!!!!! I am flabbergasted
Something I wish we were currently better at grasping is that sometimes bad characters will do bad things. Not every villain has to be a rapist who eats baked babies, but they will be racists, bigots, assholes, and violent bastards you want to see lose. That doesn't mean I, the author, agree.
Still thinking about this and coming back to another line in the piece which is that it hasn’t even led to efficiency — so what is even the point, then?? You’re taking a reputational and creative L for literally no reason!
If you like interactive fiction I just published this short piece based on the fetch (no relation to Mean Girls), a figure in Irish folklore, with a trans spin on it. I’ve been getting into video game writing & narrative design and this is the first attempt I’m sharing. I’m quite proud of it!
Baldur’s Gate 3 literally made me a gamer. I did not play video games before that game. I was so looking forward to another one from Larian, but now…
Beyond disappointed. Especially as an author who has had their work stolen to train genAI.
Whaaaat NOOOO!!!! That’s so upsetting.
Primary them all and block anybody who comes with the “at this crucial juncture the most important thing is that we win.” if they believed that they wouldn’t do this and with friends like them nobody needs enemies
In recent author life news, WORST-CASE SCENARIO got a starred review from School Library Journal!
They loved my portrayal of OCD and of diverse teens with full, rich lives and romance in the midst of mental health struggles 🥰
And called the book a “safe environment” 🥹
Right there with you! Or when they twist what you say into something they can be mad about. BYE
I’ll be talking to my agent today about this and I suggest all authors in tradpub do the same. We can play a role in helping our publishers fight this.
I always wonder with stuff like this why publishers aren’t just…honest. Like, why not just say “Hey y’all, most book printers are overseas and backed up but we are working as hard as we can to get you more copies of this book.”
The industry is allergic to transparency to a self-defeating degree.
My cat loves sleeping on my lap and I can always feel the moment that she really falls asleep because the full weight of her head relaxes onto my leg and it’s the best feeling in the entire world 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
LET’S GOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Ready to pledge more years of my life to another Larian game!!!!!!
Bluesky feels like the only social platform left that isn’t a hellscape of ads with a soul-crushingly opaque algorithm and never ending circular rage bait discourse. It’s nice here. Peaceful. I could get used to this…
Oh my god so THAT’S how books are using Taylor Swift lyrics as titles without getting sued into the ground!!! I HAD NO IDEA
I am once again asking for the ability to toggle off seeing other people’s reposts in my feed without having to mute the individual.
my holy bible
I'm running for president on the platform that anyone who writes a review of a YA book and says something to the effect of "it reads young" is forever banned off the internet.
Got to add my pick, “KFC Santería” by Cain Culto, to this list for @xtramagazine.com! One of my favorite things about that song is the fact he sampled a squeaky chair for the beat 🪑
Gonna go even further: don't refer to it as "consuming media" when doing this. You aren't a consumer - it's not a product. You read books. You look at art. You watch movies and/or videos. Be careful about word choice.
Reject "consume" and REJECT "CONTENT."
IT IS ART.
YOU ARE ENGAGING WITH ART.
🩷💜💙 I’m doing a #BiWeek giveaway in honor of Talia, a bi autistic trans girl and bestie to Hayley in my YA romcom THE SUMMER LOVE STRATEGY! One winner gets a signed personalized HC copy of TSLS.
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US only, open til 11:59pm 9/23. More deets on my IG 👀
You started with saying you’re “genuinely curious” but the rest of your reply indicates you actually aren’t, so I won’t be engaging further. Have a nice day!
The “first trans YA” I talked abt last time actually WASN’T the first! How do we decide who is “first” in trans YA, anyway? Today I’m talking abt those elusive milestones, how we decide what qualifies, and what we learn when we ask that question.
Oooh haven’t heard of this one! Sounds perfect, thank you! The environmental Easter eggs is something I love abt BG3.
Also…now what lmfao?! I followed BG3 with E33 and the bar is SO high for what my third ever video game will be 😂 taking recommendations! Story & world-building is most important to me, followed by exploration & accessible combat. And there’s gotta be an easy mode (I played E33 on story mode).
I finished Expedition 33 two days ago and I’m still thinking about that final choice. Absolutely brilliant writing and follow through on a theme until the very end. I’ve been learning a lot about what makes a meaningful choice in a video game and that one was a perfect example.
