Blog Series
Gender-Swapped Fairy Tales
A new series on my blog, posted on a Friday (usually the first one) of every month. Classic fairy tales are often sexist and ableist (see my post here on fairy tales and disability). I thought it would be a fun exercise to swap genders around and change up some problematic themes. Enjoy them by yourself or with your kids!
- Briar Ambrose (Retelling of “Briar Rose” by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm) | Posted Apr 8, 2022
Book Reviews
I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction, so I’ve started posting about the books I love. I don’t accept review copies from authors, but if you want to recommend a title, feel free to tweet it to me. I prioritize recently-published or upcoming books by POC, disabled, neurodiverse, LGBTQ+, and female authors.
- Dread Nation by Justina Ireland | Adult Fantasy | Released Apr 3, 2018
- The Gatekeeper’s Staff by Antoine Bandele | Middle Grade Fantasy | Released May 25, 2021
- The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna | Young Adult Fantasy | Released Feb 9, 2021
- Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao | Young Adult Science Fiction | Released Sep 21, 2021
- The Namer of Spirits by Todd Mitchell | Middle Grade Fantasy | Released Oct 5, 2021
- The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente | Adult Science Fiction | Released Jul 20, 2021
- Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson | Young Adult Fantasy | Released Oct 5, 2021
Marveling at the Enneagram to Write Dynamic Characters
The Enneagram is a useful tool for character creation! In this blog series over at Mythos & Ink, I analyze some MCU favourites to demonstrate how the personality system can be used to write dynamic characters. You can also get an updated version of this entire blog series as an ebook here.
- “Marveling at Enneagram One to Write Better Characters” (Captain America) | Jul 25, 2019
- “Marveling at Enneagram Two to Write Better Characters” (Spider-Man) | Aug 8, 2019
- “Marveling at Enneagram Three to Write Better Characters” (Doctor Strange) | Aug 22, 2019
- “Marveling at Enneagram Four to Write Better Characters” (Loki) | Sep 5, 2019
- “Marveling at Enneagram Five to Write Better Characters” (The Hulk) | Sep 19, 2019
- “Marveling at Enneagram Six to Write Better Characters” (Black Widow) | Oct 17, 2019
- “Marveling at Enneagram Seven to Write Better Characters” (Star-Lord) | Oct 31, 2019
- “Marveling at Enneagram Eight to Write Better Characters” (Captain Marvel) | Nov 14, 2019
- “Marveling at Enneagram Nine to Write Better Characters” (Hawkeye) | Nov 21, 2019
How to Write Disabled Characters
I often complain that disabled characters are written poorly, so I figured I’d give writers some tools to do it better! Since the best way to learn about an illness or condition is from someone who has firsthand experience, this series features interviews with disabled people on how to write characters like them.
- “How to Write a Character with Celiac Disease: An Interview with Vikki Patis”
- “How to Write a Character with Muscular Dystrophy: An Interview with the Geeky Gimp“
- “How to Write a Character with Fibromyalgia: An Interview with Chronic Mom“
- “How to Write a Character with Face Blindness: An interview with Wisesnail Art“
- “How to Write a Character with Chronic Migraines: An Interview with Nikki Albert“
- “How to Write a Character with Anxiety and Panic Disorder: An Interview with Fay Onyx (Part 1)“
- “How to Write a Character with Anxiety and Panic Disorder: An Interview with Fay Onyx (Part 2)“
- “How to Write a Character with Autism: An Interview with Aaron Parsons“
- “How to Write a Character with Fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: An Interview with Chloe Metzger“
- “How to Write a Character with Autism: An Interview with Kayla Rodriguez“
- “How to Write a Character with POTS: An Interview with Rebekah Gwaltney“