Before we can avoid writing her, or accidentally scare ourselves into a corner and avoid writing women altogether, it’s important to ask: What exactly is a Mary Sue, and why don’t we want one?
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Author: hollandrae
A Panel on Intersectional Feminism in the Romance Novel
The discussion is ongoing, but the panel was insightful, educational and full of actionable steps that authors, readers, and industry professionals can take to further an fully inclusive, fully intersectional romance genre.
Don’t Start at the Beginning
As wonderful as my character’s tragic backstory or hushed conversation might be, none of that matters an iota if I don’t get the beginning right.
My Favorite Medium (Is the One I Have)
I think that the ongoing debate of pitting e-books and print books and audiobooks against each other in some fight to the death misses the point of reading entirely. Which is why I’m not going to pick a favorite, but tell you a little about why I love each one.
Working Title
When it comes to titles, I am all or none.
Sensory Overload
Show. Don’t tell. Every person who has ever put pen to paper has heard this line. Don’t tell us we are in Paris, give us the acrid scent of the Seine mixing with buttery croissants, give us the crunch of rough, dusty cobblestoned streets beneath our feet, give us the taste of acrylics on the air from freshly painted street art.
In Sickness and in Health
I spoke of how the escapism of reading and telling my own stories got me through the first weeks of a very challenging time. Now, I have to turn my attention inward and say, how do you write when it literally hurts?
