Hold the British Museum accountable for copyright and moral rights infringement and the erasure of feminist poet Qiu Jin!
Recently, I discovered that the British Museum's "China's Hidden Century" exhibit used my published translations of Chinese feminist poet Qiu Jin's poetry without contacting me, and thus without any permission, credit, or payment.
I have been thinking about this very thing of late, as I beat myself up for not being able to add at least 10k more words to "Pompeii Fire." I now believe that it's just the length it's supposed to be. I have some work to do on the modern-day portion; I do believe it needs tightening up. But the historical portion is just how I want it to be ... and that means I really will have the book out sooner rather than later.
Fiction writers, did you know gender is BIG and expansive and fun? Let's dive deep into this narrative tool for character development, worldbuilding, and way more. Online class starts 7/12: learn from anywhere & on your own schedule!
Please boost & share with friends who might be into it.
1/ Finished a long post while watching the sunset over the lake (see previous post).
It was challenging to write, and not just because of its personal and vulnerable nature.
I'm probably going to split this into two separate pieces for my Medium page, but I wanted to share the full version on my blog (since I guess that's what it's for). It probably should be two separate posts, but there is something about the juxtaposition between the two parts that is, I think, very apt.
3/3 So if you want a #LongRead about the #Zhuangzi and how it relates to me being a #Caregiver to my brother, and how that makes having meaningful friendships and other relationships impossible, then this one is for you.
Well, it's official: I'm open to editing books! Please spread the word!
I have worked as an editor for 2+ years at a small publisher, and I have 3+ years of editorial experience with literary journals. Feel free to DM me, and I'm also really flexible with pricing!
After a conference, I always try to buy at least one eBook from any author I met who didn't already put a physical book in my hands. I've now completed that for this year's Writers for New Orleans. I met some truly delightful folks this year, and look forward to reading their work. #writingcommunity
My character's knowledge ends way before my knowledge of the subject ends.
#Fantasy#magic systems often fail to impress because lots of detail, except where the reader can intuit a logical loophole, is a bad thing! The reader will often assume the gaps for you. I must remind myself every so often that a story is entertainment, not a treatise or thesis on speculative science, sociology, or engineering, especially after all time I spent on the research. When I wrote from a prize-fighter's POV, I learned how training felt, and the injuries, but I didn't presume to write the coach working their miracles. Only enough to convince.
I try to be imprecise, even about what I know a subject very well. Well, heck, I recognize I could misunderstand somethng! I then lampshade enough to ensure the story makes sense and to keep the plot logically together. I would, for example, make sure to understand the limits of a submersible pressure vessel (I don't) and get that much right. I'd also work on the jargon. My character would then be passenger told not to touch anything, and not an engineer or pilot.
A tactic I use is to consider secondary characters to provide "details." I include lieutenants, clerks, and engineers to do real work, maybe letting them talk down to the MC because the MC couldn't possibly understand and is wasting their time. This excuses lack of detail.
Everyone is a lay person about something, many many somethings, IRL. To the extent that I don't know how to maintain my car, build my house (I actually did), generate my electricity, butcher my meat (thinking about which turns me into a vegetarian for a few hours), and piloting an airplane, I make my characters the same way. Builds a sense of #Verisimilitude