we save no souls. we break no promises.

[matociquala]

First, --30--. I just finished the rough draft of the robot termite story. Which means tomorrow I work on the sargasso lighthouse story, and also that I can start on the final revisions for An Apprentice to Elves, which truepenny just sent over to me with her changes. After lunch. And shoveling. We have always lived in the shoveling

Comments

[gelsey]

I was told by a RP friend once that she had no idea how I could play characters of different races and ethnicities.

I still have no idea how she can't. Granted if I haven't done enough research, I'm not going to pick up a character, but other than things like researching a culture or history....

I mean, they're people too.

I might have trouble fitting myself into someone's head who is drastically different than myself sometimes, but in the end... People. All people.

[ex_hrj]

"she's been taught to do it since birth, and he's been told he doesn't have to"

This is the factor that most often fills me with despairing rage as an author. I have spent my entire reading life being expected to identify -- and successfully doing so -- with characters who are different from me. But my own writing is marginalized because I expect other readers to be capable of the same thing.

Re: Yes.

[matociquala]

I hope he's getting an A.

See, I demand the right to be a villain, too. But the important word there is "too."

The solution to tokenism is saturation, dammit. Have more than one or two women and suddenly some of them being assholes is less of a problem, now, innit?

Re: Yes.

[yamamanama]

Do people not identify with others based around common interests or circumstances or something?

[ladycelia]

A friend's daughter recently put together a database: All Our Worlds: A Database of Diverse Fantastic Fiction
789 books so far, and counting. If you'd like, I'd be happy to provide the link.

[matociquala]

It's a lovely and needed idea, and I know of several like it--but I feel like their existence is orthogonal to the point of this post.

[ladycelia]

No worries, that's why I asked first.

[klwilliams]

but our challenges are not our lives

I heartily agree.