STOP ACTING LIKE A CAVEMAN-A post about sexism in the author -world.

From Jun 12, 2013: For those of you who read the brilliant blog by Chuck Wendig, he made a three-part post reflecting on a couple of blog posts from two female authors. (Chuck's posts: Pt 1, Pt 2 and Pt 3) Both who have suffered greatly at the malicious attitudes of unevolved male brains.

Chuck Wendig prides himself on being the heterosexual-normal-white-guy. But what Chuck really is... a champion for equal rights, at least on most topics. Sometimes he goes too far, but not on this. I don't always see eye-to-eye with the man, there are times I wonder if his mind is functioning in reality, but damn does he make some great points with interesting and entertaining vocabulary. On this topic, Chuck and I are on the same page; mostly.


Chuck has built his way up in his writing, becoming a force to be reckoned with in the publishing world. He has a huge fan base that's always growing, so if sexiest snakes don't like what he has to say, boohoo, he's still going to make a decent living selling his books. But not all of us white guys are normal, and haven't begun to make a cent from writing.

I'm getting there as a writer, but I'm still getting my sea-legs in the writing industry, I do have somewhat of a following, but nothing to make me a bestseller (yet). I am taking a chance on ticking off a lot of people here, which isn't good for an author hoping to sell books. For me making a living is a do or die thing in writing, just so you can understand the level of craziness I'm embarking on.

I support authors. White ones, black ones, brown ones, pink and lime green ones, gay ones, bi ones, trans ones, and yes, even FEMALE ONES!!! (Oh dear God! Did he just say what I think he did??? I knew the man was mad, but this is just... just, WOW! That man is begging to be strapped to a spinning wheel for us to throw daggers at)

One of the first authors to really get me reading was Patricia Cornwell. She is beyond lovely in every way. Sure, to you guys out there who only respond to the visual, she is beautiful to look at, but she is also brilliant (lose you did I? It's okay, Unga-bunga) Not only has she worked in a medical examiner office (which birthed her character Kay Scarpetta, one of my all time favorite book characters), but she continues to dive deep in any and all research for whatever book she is writing. Cornwell is one of the hardest working authors I know. Not to mention one of the best.

As a "man" who grew up movies like The Terminator, Aliens, Star Wars, I always enjoyed tough women taking charge. I grew up in a family where women weren't treated well at all (huge understatement), and while I still have issues with women in regards to relationships (you all drive me nuts, love you, but good grief), I take them very serious (they are deadlier than any man, tread lightly).

For what right does anyone have to tell someone they can't write because of their gender? (Or race, or sexuality?)

I have gay friends who have been treated horrible by certain female authors who write gay erotica, I know of a straight male author who has been treated horrible for writing erotica (he might have written some gay erotica, but not sure), I have author friends who have been treated badly because they are gay. Then remarks follow like, "wow, you can write? Who knew a gay author could write? That's up there with women who can write. Boggles the mind." Because don't you know, only the normal-straight-white-dudes can write. RIGHT. Fucktards.

Maybe I'm lucky because I'm not normal, I have the ability to look at the world from a different lens. I don't see a world where only one gender, one race, or one sexuality rules. I see a world that is a composite, a world where people (as in the human race) all play a part, creating something beautiful; instead we have a world where the varying shades and species of flower conflict.

The same with race and sexuality. This is who we are. We fight and we discriminate against those who do not fit in our tiny ideal of a perfect world. I have ideals too, most of which will never happen. But one of those ideals is that a person can write a book, or short story, and no one treat them like they are second rate.

While what Ann Aguirre went through was horrible, women in horror are also treated badly. There is a foundation that spotlights women in horror call: WiHM (Women in Horror Month. They not only spotlight women horror authors, but they encourage those of us with blogs to showcase women horror authors who have been mistreated in the business (I am going to show off writers from all groups throughout the year instead of one month). The thing is, there are a lot of idiots out there who seem to have it in their heads that no one but them can write. This infuriates me.

I need to make a correction; I said I support authors; I don't support assholes. If you're an author who has mistreated others based on prejudice attitudes, you're an asshole. I hate to have to put down any author since we're family, but this is not cool. YOU have NO right to do this. It's not illegal, but it's wrong. And since you feel the need to act like a caveman, I am going to treat you as such. You have the right to hurt, bully, disrespect women because you can? I have the right to do the same to you. I wouldn't want women to look down on me just because I'm a guy. Plenty women have their unjust attitudes toward men, I FUCKING HATE THAT TOO! But to be fair, terrible breeds terrible, which is why we need to stomp this shit our when it comes up.

You ladies can write just as good as any man. I am a fan a lot of lady authors. If anything you tend to have a deeper approach to description, painting very interesting worlds in print. Just like with most things, you can do just about anything we men can do. As a man, I support you!

And when it comes to rape culture, let me make this abundantly clear. As a man who has dated women who have been raped, I can tell you some of the hell they go through. Granted not from a first person POV, but enough to know how I feel on the subject. Rape has actually made a past relationship of mine fall completely to pieces. I cannot stand those who rape, or enjoy the idea of it. What kind of man thinks a woman's sole purpose is to please him. You're the skidmark on the proverbial underpants of men everywhere. You're the trash that needs tossed. Your very existence offends and disgusts me. If I had my way about it, the very torment I'd inflict on you would make what I do to my characters look like kid's play. You're lucky to still have your genitals. Because if I ever get the chance to show my feelings to a rapist, or anyone who tries it, you won't keep them.

I'm a very physical person and in some ways a typical man. I have needs and wants too. But I will not hurt someone for them. I will just stay single if need be. Women owe me nothing, and vise-versa. This is the grown-up way of dealing with things. You don't violate someone just to please yourself. For those of you out there who continue to do this, you're biting off more than you chew. For one, you're picking a fight with nature's most formidable force THE WOMAN. Second, you're picking a fight with the guys who support women rights ME, along many others. If you think women aren't scary how about looking up female serial killers, or Lorena Bobbitt for that matter.

Some advice for the men out there willing to turn a new leaf:

• Women are equal, treat them as such.


• When you see a woman, don't assume they're your coffee girl. Assume that you're an adult, and you can get your own coffee. Maybe be a gentlemen and offer to get a lady a coffee (but not in a creepy way)


• If you see a woman you are attracted to, and you just have to say something, do so in a classy manner. Be classy! Get to know a little about her, get a sense on how she likes to go about dating. This way you can have an idea of what is too much. If she says no, respect it.


• Remember, women are brilliant. Share the space when you share the stage. Let them speak. You don't like it when the ladies interrupt you, right? Well, do the same (I don't mind most of the time when I am interrupted, because it usually happens when the other person and I are having a spirited and fun conversation, but there's always respect)


• Remember, just because you have a wiener in your pants doesn't make you God. Don't believe me? I again refer back to Bobbitt. 


• Listen, this works some in relationships depending on the woman (another thread there) but it works great with friends and colleagues. I love the ladies I work with in writing. They are fun, smart, enthusiastic. Just purely amazing people. I'm honored to know them. Open your ears, and you just might learn something.


• And, don't be a douche-bag. Should be simple, huh?

To all of you ladies out there, keep up the great work, and don't be quiet on this matter. Continue to stand up and fight. I have your backs, as do many of us guys who respect you. Let your voice be heard! And remember, don't fit all of us men into this category. I don't like to be generalized because of rotten apples. And I really do want to help. Some of us care, and more care if they are willing to say something which they might now that more people are standing up for women rights.

IT'S the End of the World! Or, is it?

So you're probably tired of all the end of the worlds we have gone through in just the last year. But the thing of it is, the end is always a true threat. Doesn't mean it will happen, just that it could.

For all the reasons, and many that are actually in place (copious info out there to back it up along with logic and gut feeling), we could also keep going. The country is in a huge hurt, we face a threat called hyper-inflation (don't get me started on all the other things to worry about), which could bring us down. I don't care what the President says, how much he tries to downplay things (that's what most of them do) we have some nasty times coming if things aren't fixed.

But what if those things are fixed? What if we scrape by the skin of our teeth? What if this time in history is up there with the Cuban Missile Crisis? On the brink of the end, and we made it out intact? That'd be nice, and we can all hope.

The point is, we are living in interesting times. As writers we have so much to draw on, this is why Post Apocalyptic stories never get old. From the formation of the United States, to the war on Native Americans (which started before the States) to the Civil War, Great Depression, WWI and II, Vietnam, the Cold War (remember the 80's scare for the end? Well Russia ain't done with us yet and with US support, but the point is, it was a very PA aware era) and now we have so many to pick from.

All of those time periods people knew how bad it could get. For one reason or the other they found out as they went. Revolutionary War, death, bullets, and canon balls tore the backyards of those who lived here. Native Americans were slaughtered, abused and forced to surrender their way of life for ours. Civil War much like the Revolutionary War. The World Wars was terrifying, the world itself being one big warzone, it was a prelude to what will one day come again, and it will be the end. Vietnam wasn't near as big, but it was nasty enough to take our young and throw them in hell. The Great Depression is a prelude to what will hit us at some point, because of our economy it's inevitable. You know how bad it was then? Read some stories by those who lived during it, multiply that by three, and that's where we're headed. Maybe we get out of it, maybe not. Cold War, where we spied on everyone, but mostly Russia. They of course spied back. It was a time where we were afraid nukes would take us all out. A very PA aware time in history.

History shows us previews of what's coming. If we want to write about interesting characters going through the very worst, I suggest learning from people who went through these times in history. From the government's POV, to those just trying to get by, to those fighting for this country, for those who committed crimes for this country, and so on.

History is our pallet, so much to choose from. I say soak in everything, and go from there. As writers we may entertain, but a lot of us write about what's important. I've lost track of how many anti-Bush and pro-green books that are out there (which I'll read in a heartbeat if it's done well), but there's room for everyone. We're all humans, we all have a certain idea of how we want things to turn out. We might even consider each other enemies in creeds, but we are people. As long as we can do it, we should learn from each other, inspire each other, and create stories that can affect a broad range of readers.

It might be the end, or at least for some folks like myself, but that shouldn't stop us from trying to make it. There's always the "what if" factor. And I'd love it if I got some books out there that became hits, and affected readers, regardless if I continue to make it or not.

The world, and its history is our muse, soak it up!
 

DEFEATING Writer’s Block, One Word at a Time

Thanks to a friend from Facebook, I got an idea that might help in the war against the imaginary Writer’s Block (cue creepy diabolical music here, maybe something from John Williams). Writer’s Block is made up. It’s not there. Just like the stories we create, we create the block. Sometimes the story is like bowel movement and just doesn’t want to pass as fast as we would like. So how do we help keep our mental bowels moving regular? Come up with some prompts. When I can’t get back to my WIPs as fast as I’d like, I dabble with story ideas, so this part is easy for me. I have quite a few that I have collected that might end up in a story someday.

So the computer screen mocks you, does it? Does the nasty little cursor taunt you? Or maybe it’s winking at you? Maybe it’s trying to speak to you? What’s it saying? Maybe it’s talking to the voices in your head? Maybe it has a crush on you and you’re not wanting that kind of a relationship (you heart breaker). Maybe it’s aliens preparing for an invasion, or maybe you’ve lost your mind, and if you did lose it, ask yourself where would you be if you were your mind? And if you found your mind would the cursor still blink? (Well doesn’t that just fry your noodle?)

Write to yourself on the computer using some or all of these questions. In 500 words or less (as many words as you want, but I like to sound professional)

The key to defeating a made up enemy, is by making something up to destroy it. Write it out! Word-sauce doesn’t make itself without your fingers! Well? Don’t just sit there staring at me, c`mon pen-monkey, make that ink-sauce already!

WORK Related-A New Writer Prompt

For this writer prompt exercise, I offer an idea that should be easy for many of you. A lot of us work crap jobs where our bosses are ungrateful for what we do, scold us like we’re children even when we go above and beyond. I know I’m tired of the idiocy of management, especially when at this point I’m stuck at my current job.

So here’s an idea: lets say you come into work, the shift before leaves you a bunch of shit that they’re too lazy to do before they leave. You have your own shit you have to do. But before you can leave for the day you have to finish all the shit they left for you, which takes almost an additional hour. The big boss comes in, he’s spitting mad because his store manager talked down him and he had to get said manager demoted, which put him in the spot of store manager. His job has also been threatened by his boss, so he sees you getting off your shift an hour after you should be off his clock, and talks down to you, basically threatening your job.

Write 500 words minimum on a scene on how you (or your character) would handle this situation. Or lets say what you would do to this boss (fantasy world mind you)  if you had the chance. From non-violent to the most macabre.

GO!

(Not directed at the awesome managers and employers out there, I know a lot of you are good and fair people. As an employee and a former manager myself I thank you, and appreciate you!)

MORE Writer Prompts

Are you extremely busy in every way but writing? Do you lack the energy to brainstorm? How about writing a drabble? A drabble by definition is exactly one-hundred words, and tells a story. It’s about a paragraph.

Take five of your favorite words (make sure they mean different things) and use that as your starting point. Find a way to include these five words into your drabble, and make it coherent.

Or use the picture of my eye to inspire a story, lol. Pictures inspire me all the time. 

Life is a beast, but we can learn to ride it.

GENRE Bleeding

Sure you can write a horror erotica (horrorrotica), Christian horror, and so on. But I'm talking about sub genre here. Sometimes people really don't like it and prefer to stick to one or the other, while others love going against the rules.

What's best?

I love a good story, period. If it's written well, I will not care if said story followed every rule to the law in genre. This doesn't mean that it's a bad idea to write strictly genre. I say do both.

This is why I'm a dark fiction author. I'm learning the basics of each sub genre so I can write in genre, but also so I can blend them. You can't make a smoothie until you know what kind of fruit you want, and how the flavors are going to mix. Well, there's trial and error, but the point is we're talking about writing something that's ten levels of OMG, triple dipped in awesomesauce!

If I want to write a story that is equal parts, Splatterpunk, Bizarro, and Sci-fi, as long as I do it well, I can't see why this should be a problem.  

We all love what we love, there's nothing wrong with that. If you are horror only, great. But horror itself can be a multitude of sub genres. I see horror in places most people don't. Some things scare the crap out of me that most just look at as so-so. I think stories that deal with a character having dementia is terrifying. Or stories about getting old and having no one to depend on, and all you get is a few bucks from the government who wants to take away more and more medical benefits. On that note, nursing homes. Being at the mercy of future generations, when there are plenty in this one that scare me (this statement does not reflect the care-providers who earn their pay and respect, who do an amazing job day in and day, even with long hours with shit pay, and cut backs.)

The arthritis which has haunted me since childhood, or the lump on my chest that acts up whenever I have indigestion. Or how about dying, believing in God and knowing you get to go heaven, but for some reason the Big Man has a plan that you don't get the memo on until you're there? Maybe we aren't as good as we should be, and God needs us to fix something within His plan. May not sound scary until it happens.

The art of horror is terror. An overpowering fear that hits us not just between the eyes, but straight to our soul. Horror can also use comedy and still keep the fright.

It's all about how you write it and sell it.

Know your audience and make your story one hell of a punch!