Questions That No Man Working In Genre Will Ever Be Asked

I wanted to include "white, hetero-normative" in the title, but it seemed to be a bit too long.

Wikipedia has recently started moving American authors that are women into their own category: "American Women Authors".  They are no longer listed under "American Authors", because women need their own separate category apparently.  You can't be both an American woman author and an American author apparently.

In honor of that, I decided to compile a list of questions that genre men are never asked and will never be asked (yes, I'm sure it has been done before, but I feel like doing it again).  However, it's perfectly fine to ask a genre woman (with some adjustments, namely switching "masculine" with "feminine/feminist" and obviously "man" with "woman").  Note: I haven't included race or sexual orientation due to genre being overwhelmingly white hetero-normative men.  Also, this list is meant to include authors, filmmakers, and other artists who work in scifi/fantasy/horror.  Feel free to include to add to the list in the comments.

So, without further ado...

Questions No Genre Man Will Ever Be Asked

* What's it like being a man working in genre?

*Do you ever worry about your work being construed as anti-masculine?

*If your work flops, do you think it will make things more difficult for other men?

*How do you feel about other men working in this field? Do things get catty or is it more like a brotherhood?

*Genre seems to be incredibly anti-man (some might even use the term exploitative).  Why do you work in it?

*People don't normally expect this kind of violence from men.  Do you worry about the kind of example your setting? (Okay, I know.  Men are asked about the violence in their work too.  However, there is a double-standard there.  It's more acceptable for men to include violence in their work whereas when a woman does it, they're almost always asked about it, especially if the violence is perpetrated by a woman)

BONUS: Rejections Men Will Never Hear

*You're too masculine to write serious fantasy/horror/scifi.  Maybe if you just use your initials or a penname, you could sell it.

*People won't read/watch fantasy/horror/scifi that's been written/directed by a man

*There are too many white hetero-normative male characters in your story.  Nobody wants to read that.

*If you included more romance and less genre, then you'd easily find a market.

*Can't you put a vampire in it?

Aversion to Writing Groups

Since embarking on my self-publishing journey, I've been looking for places to network.  Unfortunately, this has led me to writing groups.  I've always avoided writing groups and I was reminded why almost right out of the gate.  There are numerous reasons why groups are not my cup of tea (territorial pissing matches, asinine arguments, etc.), but there is a reason that I've avoided writing groups in particular.  I have never been a group person, as I've mentioned before.  I'm cynical by nature and can be misanthropic.  In my experience, though, groups can bring out the worst in people.

When I joined the two groups that I have, I was prepared to find at least one douchebag in each.  Thankfully, one group has so far been a pleasant surprise.  The other...not so much (although, to be fair, most of the members are perfectly nice and supportive people).  I came across a member who did something that I found so incredibly rude and obnoxious (and unfortunately, extremely common in writing groups) that I wanted to comment on it.

I realize that writers need to sell books.  I need to sell books.  What I don't like is when one group member expects another to buy every single damn book they've written when they have absolutely no intention of doing the same for the other writer.  I'm perfectly willing to do quid pro quo.  I will buy another indie writer's book, so long as they do the same and buy mine.  If they don't, then they have absolutely no right to suggest I buy their book.

This kind of behavior is all too common place in many writing groups and it reeks of privilege, superiority, and disregard for other writers.

The writers that demonstrate this behavior almost always don't realize they're operating from a place of privilege.  They have been in the group longer and have likely built up some kind of audience.  Therefore, they probably have made a profit.  When a new member joins, they are likely coming in with a disadvantage.  I haven't started making a profit yet.  I'm still building an audience.  My funds are extremely limited and unlike most other writers, I don't have a secondary source of income to fall back on.  But like I mentioned earlier, I am willing to buy another writer's book if they buy mine (I recognize the give-take dynamic that exists between indie artists).

While I recognize the necessity of hierarchy within a group, I don't like when people higher in said hierarchy use their privilege to screw over those lower down the chain.  If you're lucky enough to be traditionally published, good for you.  But recognize that indie artists have to do everything themselves.  They don't have the same privileges you do and are likely making a whole lot less.  They also are going to have an lot harder time building an audience than you will.

Writing groups should help writers, especially those who are struggling in a very difficult field.  We should help each other out, not tear each other down.  Unfortunately, I think writing will always be dog-eat-dog.  At some point, writing became more about profit than contributing to the arts.  Hence the selfish bullshit on display in many writing groups.

So please: don't be that damn writer who expects everyone to buy their work but is completely unwilling to reciprocate!



For all women genre writers: I highly recommend joining Broad Universe.  It is a wonderful writing group dedicated to women genre writers.  What's really wonderful is that unlike many well-known scifi/fantasy organizations, there is no experience required.  You don't need to sell a thousand books or win numerous awards to be part of it.  It is a paid membership, but it is easily affordable (I think a year costs $30).  What's really wonderful is you have a wide range of writers with varying experience.  There are plenty of selling opportunities (including tables at conventions, which normally cost an arm and a leg).  I've never met a nicer, more welcoming group of people.  I guarantee you won't regret joining.

For more information, check out their website: http://www.broaduniverse.org/

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Writing Announcements

*I'm on Twitter.  Follow me: @Lauren_Jankowsk

*I'll be making my debut at WisCon 37 in Madison this May.  I'll be participating in an Art & Activism panel as well as a Rapid Fire Reading with Broad Universe.  The rest of the time, I will be volunteering at the Broad Universe table (where you can buy a copy of my novel, as well as the novels of many other women).  It's going to be fun.

Happy St. Patrick's Day (along with big news)

Hello, wonderful readers.  This is likely to be my shortest post to date.  I'm currently in the middle of a couple different things, but I just had to update all my awesome followers on the big news.

My novel is finally available for purchase! You can find the links under my Published Works page to the side.  Please, help an indie writer out.  I will be ever so grateful.

My next post will probably be about a topic near and dear to me: the absence of realistic adoptees in genre fiction.  Right now, I have to focus on moving some books.

I'm quite excited.  More nervous actually, but still feeling a faint sense of accomplishment.

Hope you all had a very happy St. Patrick's Day!

Publishing Announcement

Hello readers.  This is a quick update and a small request.

Firstly, in the next month or so, I will be publishing my manuscript.  I wanted to continue querying small presses, but unfortunately, I'm on a bit of a timeline.  So I've decided to go ahead and self-publish, much as it pains me to do.  Rest assured, I'm not going to be one of those desperate authors that hops on every other blog/website, harassing the owners to feature my work or help me sell my books.  That's rude and unbecoming, two traits that I never want to be associated with.

Whether I'll use this blog to make announcements I have yet to decide.  On the one hand, it will be part of the whole writing experience.  On the other, I'm not sure I want to use this blog to advertise.  Whatever I decide, whether I keep two blogs or just one about writing matters, I will let my wonderful readers know.

If you haven't checked my published works lately, I recently wrote an article about my experience being an openly asexual woman.  I mentioned my goal to become the first openly asexual fantasy novelist, a goal I've had since starting college.  Many asexual accomplishments are often ignored or brushed aside, since we're such a small percentage on the sexual orientation spectrum (I think the estimate is 1%).  Asexuality is often dismissed as a disorder and those identifying as asexual are labeled as "repressed", "frigid", or just plain scared of sex.  There was and continues to be some backlash concerning asexuals identifying as queer (I do believe asexuality falls under the queer umbrella and I do identify as queer).  Thankfully, asexuals are starting to gain visibility, particularly when it comes to LGBTQ conferences.  I hope that by being open and honest, I can show other asexual identifying individuals that they aren't alone (something I wish I had known during my school years).

If you do have any questions about asexuality or resources about asexuality, please feel free to email me.

So, the small request:

In order to be successful, I'm going to have to sell some books (obviously).  I'm going to have to rely on word of mouth to start out (though I do have an agent who is going to be helping with the marketing).  I've set up a Facebook page that's open to the public.  If you could "like" and then recommend it to your friends, I would be so incredibly grateful.  Also, if you have any friends who are interested in writing blogs, if you could steer them towards this blog, that would really help as well.  Please.

Here's the link to the new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laurenm.jankowski 

I've been told I'm too feminine to write "such serious fantasy" (i.e. not romance), too literary to appeal to mainstream, too mainstream to appeal to literary.  The first openly asexual fantasy novelist is not seen as a big deal (because asexuals are believed to be too small a group to appeal too).  I don't have a well-known last name.

I happen to believe that there are readers out there like me.  Readers who want strong heroines.  Readers who believe fantasy, or genre in general, and feminism are not mutually exclusive.  Readers who enjoy a book for its story, not its film potential.  Readers who want to read a variety of voices.  Readers who believe the arts should be equally open to everyone, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socioeconomic status.

In short: I'm just a woman that wants to tell a good story.

Thank you, dear readers.

Writing a History

I'm currently in the middle of what may be perhaps my most important exercise as a writer.  It is something I have been considering doing for almost a year now, but just could never find the time.  I finally decided to quit putting it off and just dive right in.  It doesn't matter whether I succeed or fail and I doubt whether this project will ever see the light of day, but the importance lies in what I learn.  I'm hoping to get a better grasp of my series and the characters within it.  You see, dear reader, I have endeavored to create a history to go with the world I created.

Like all serious writer, I had some background events written down.   There were things from the past that were important to my current storyline, however I lacked a coherent history of the land that I created.  This was partly because most of the series takes place on Earth.  Then, my former mentor had me write a creation story (which I briefly mentioned in another post).  I stumbled across this recently and realized that this would be a great way flex the old creative muscles (which were in danger of atrophying due to a couple recent setbacks in my career).

As I've been struggling with this new and exciting project, my mind has often wandered to the somewhat sorry state of contemporary genre.  Aside from the inherent homogenous nature of a money-driven system, there is a blandness that has crept into tales of wonder.  Almost every fantasy, scifi, and horror story seems to be following the same dull formulas dependent on the genre it falls under.  I would venture to say that fantasy is in the worst state, but that could just be because I know more about that genre than the others.

I attribute this to authors being more concerned with their book being turned into a movie rather than caring about the art of the novel.  There is no craft to the story, no beauty in the words, no dimensions to the characters.  Rather it's just pasted together haphazardly and thrown at the publisher (or self-published), who will put it out in the hopes that some movie executive will pick it up.  I don't know which is worse: that writers like this sell or that people are dumb enough to eat it up.

I was recently emailing a friend and I mentioned something along the lines of "genre would be so much better if more philologists were novelists".  Philology is a now rare study of language.  Tolkien was a philologist.  He created his own languages and the novels he wrote, those classic beautiful novels, were just a way to use these invented languages.  My friend mentioned that this was probably why his work is so absolutely amazing.  Those languages made his world come alive.

Ursula K. Le Guin also had this unique ability to create fleshed out worlds by creating histories.  I read somewhere about her focus on cultures.  Le Guin's father had been an anthropologist and so she has always had an interest in cultures.  One book she wrote, and I hesitate to use book because it was so much more, revolved around an invented culture.  The book came with audio tapes of songs, art, and other creations of this culture.  She had invented an entire history of this culture and she even made artifacts to go with it.

There are many modern authors that can't seem to fathom why someone one write purely to write.  Movies and novels have become so intertwined that one is almost indistinguishable from the other, particularly when it comes to genre.  I can't think of any modern writers that are capable of the kind of dedication as Le Guin and Tolkien.  The mindset seems to be "if its not going to be published, why bother writing it?"

Writing a history of an invented peoples, an invented land, gives a work depth and gives the author a better understanding of their characters.  It also helps the reader delve more deeply into the story, whether they realize it or not.  The history will creep into the novel in subtle ways, giving the story even more texture.  What true author wouldn't want that?

I'm currently reading "The Silmarillion".  The history I'm working on will never be anywhere near as complex or drawn out, but it never hurts to see how other authors have approached similar projects.

Why I Prefer to Avoid Big Publishing Houses

I recently got an email from one of my long neglected writing social networks about four Random House subsidiaries looking for new authors.  They're now accepting submissions and one can only imagine the deluge they are receiving from bright-eyed newbie writers.  One writer that won't be submitting? You're reading her right now.

I have often commented on the writing conundrum: publishers don't want you without an agent, agents don't want you without a publisher.  What I've failed to comment on is how whitewashed and homogeneous publishing truly is.  For example, the few times I've received a rejection that wasn't the usual form rejection, I've been repeatedly told that I don't write "feminine enough".  Despite the fact that I'm a woman, I don't meet the standards publishing has for what it means to be "feminine".  I'm not entirely sure what their definition of feminine writing is, but I assume it has to do with the neo-Victorian trend that seems to be sweeping popular fiction.  Just the thought of it makes me physically gag.

This is something that has really been troubling to me.  Women are relegated to writing about family, cooking, and romances (almost always heterosexual).  Men are allowed a much wider spectrum and are welcomed into genre with open arms.  Seriously, go into any bookstore and pick up a contemporary genre book written by a woman.  I would estimate that 90% of the time, the storyline revolves around some kind of relationship (usually a "strong" heroine looking for love or struggling with her attraction towards someone).

It wasn't always like this.  At one time, there were a variety of women writing interesting genre books (ones that weren't merely copies of each other).  Octavia Butler's writing is different from Ursula Le Guin.  Le Guin's writing was different from L'Engle's, and so on and so forth.  The change up came when publishers started stereotyping what gender would read what kind of book.

I think the thing that is most disturbing to me, aside from the amount of women writers that willingly participate in this system, is who decides what stories are worth telling.  Most publishing houses are run by white, hetereosexual, privileged men.  These publishing houses are allowed to label and decide what qualifies as good writing.  They also get to choose what qualifies as a woman's story or a person of color's story or a queer story.  Therein lies the answer to why bookshelves and bestsellers are incredibly homogenized when it comes to fiction.

So I refuse to participate in this skewed system.  I don't judge those that do, though I'm not particular pleased with it either.

It's also why I will only query indie publishing presses.  A literary agent that gets thousands of queries a day will typically only read about 40 (maybe up to 50 if they're feeling particularly generous).  Indie presses are usually run by editors and believe me, they read every single query and/or manuscript that comes to them.  How do I know this? A typical agent will take anywhere between five days to eight weeks to respond to a query (if they respond at all, since most can't even be bothered to send out form rejections anymore).  An independent publishing press takes considerably longer: depending on what is sent, you will be waiting months for a reply.  While this may sound incredibly frustrating, consider how many queries they're getting and how many people are working there.  Independent publishing presses usually don't have countless secretaries on hand and since they often look over the material they receive, you will likely be in for a long wait.

If we want to combat the homogenization of fiction, the answer lies in small indie presses.  They're open to new unpublished writers and unusual stories told by different voices.  Many indie presses were started because editors got tired of reading the same tripe over and over again.  Whereas the big publishing houses are glad to let newbie writers fade and die in self-publishing, indie presses want to bring more unique and creative individuals out into publishing.  Perhaps best of all, indie presses offer niche writers a chance to find an audience.  For example, if you write feminist scifi, there is an indie press that specializes in it.  Chances are, they know the writers that inspire you and therefore will be more familiar with what you're trying to write.

If I could offer one piece of advice to struggling writers, it would be this: query more indie publishing presses.  You may never become a big household name, but you will retain your creative freedom.  You'll be able to write what you want.  You have more of a chance of finding a publisher if said publisher actually looks at what you write, instead of focusing on what you look like or your biological makeup.  Or whether or not your story has a damn vampire in it.

So that is why I avoid the large publishing houses.  I believe in the art of writing and the importance of a variety of stories told by a variety of people.  I want writing to be open to everyone, not just a select few.  I write novels, not movie adaptations.  Most of all, I want to be a writer who happens to be a woman instead of being defined as a "woman writer".  There is a difference between the two.

Writing Grunt Work, a Necessary Chore

Hello, dear readers.  Apologies for being AWOL.  I'm currently in the midst of a small family health crisis and my attention is often needed elsewhere.  I'm going to continue to try regularly posting, but unfortunately, it may be difficult for some time.

Writing wise, I'm still waiting for a response from the indie publisher I sent to, which is a good sign (I could use some good news right about now).  I'm also in the middle of writing a new article for The Next Family (something I've neglected for far too long).  And I'm still doing what I've come to call "writing grunt work": editing, polishing, tinkering, rinse, repeat.  Hence this post.

It always amazes me just how far my manuscripts have come.  When I first started writing, I made the common rookie mistake of including way too much dialogue.  I think my first novel started out as 90% dialogue, which is just plain sloppy writing.  To remedy this, I went through a series of rewrites.  First, I added in a monumental amount of details.  I described every last feature, every last item, every last sound, smell, and sight in every single scene.  Even though I would wind up cutting most of it, it didn't matter.  Better to start out with too much.

The second rewrite focused entirely on character.  Every little quirk, characteristic, feature that made the character unique was written in.  I found this to be surprisingly difficult.  I had always thought I had a good sense of who my characters were until I began this rewrite.  I was positively shocked by how much I learned when I had finished this second rewrite.  I learned how to make a character pop when you wanted her/him to and how to hide a character in the background without forgetting about her/him.

The third rewrite was the most tedious.  I had to go through each page, word by word, and correct any mistakes I had missed and removed any unnecessary details that were distracting or just not required.  I had to know what I had to pick apart: everything.  I had to question every word choice, not just every scene.

I had a fairly strong manuscript after these three rewrites, but the story just wasn't doing what I wanted it to do.  So I decided after a couple months to do another rewrite, not as massive as the first three, but still major enough to dig out the plot that I wanted.  While in the middle of this rewrite, I took the opportunity to polish up the dialogue a bit (something that has always given me trouble is dialogue.  I'm quiet by nature, so dialogue is not something that comes easily).  It was after this last rewrite that I had the manuscript I wanted.  It took me more than two years.

People that claim they write a story once and that's it are not writers.  Writing is a job, not a hobby.  Like any other job, there are some incredibly unpleasant aspects to writing.  Grunt work is one such aspect.  I like to say that if you aren't tired of your own work by the time you're done rewriting, you're doing something wrong.  All the great writers, past and present, do multiple rewrites of their stories and novels.  There isn't a writer alive that goes through a manuscript once and thinks, "Perfecto!"  No, writing takes time, energy, and a monumental amount of patience.

Even after all that, chances are that you still won't be satisfied with the end product.  When I went to a Neil Gaiman reading once, he related how whenever a publisher tells him a story is brilliant, his first thought is usually "You didn't see what I had planned in my head."  It's an odd phenomenon how the writer can never seem to commit to paper exactly what they are seeing in their mind.  I don't know why this is, but I know I frequently feel it.

One of the most difficult aspects of being a writer is the lack of guidelines.  Sure, we know the basics of grammar and plotting, most of the technical stuff.  However, we don't know how many rewrites it takes to get to a readable manuscript.  For me, it's probably around 4-6.  For someone else, it may be more or it may be less (though I'm wary of anyone who doesn't go through at least 3 rewrites).

The best writers are passionate about the written word and they use that passion to slog through the multiple rewrites and subsequent frustration.  Unfortunately, there is no getting around it: you need to constantly rewrite and polish if you want to write a really good story.  You need to read your story over and over and over again, until you want to claw your eyes out.  That's one of the downsides of writing (one of many).

The upside, though, is you get to create.  You get to peer into another world, create unique and engaging characters, go places you only dream of, and feel the incredible sensation of weaving a story with your words.  Personally, I wouldn't trade that for the world.