#i.e. the self publishing process

[kanerallels]

See the bright side of finishing my book is that it's done! I can move forward with the series!! So cool!!

The not so bright side is that I've officially moved into the part where I don't know anything about what I'm doing

[ardafanonarch]

maybe a silly one: thoughts on crablor?

Crab-Lore

For those who have yet to encounter him, “Crablor” is a portmanteau of “Crab” and “Maglor”, i.e., the crab Maglor became after his many ages of wandering the shores in pain and regret. Crablor is fanon. It was born here.

As @faustandfurious wrote in that very post there is no canon about Maglor’s eventual fate. (You can read about the various ways Maglor ended, or didn’t, here).

But the idea of Elven crabification in general does have some basis in canon!

In his writings on Elven fading in Morgoth’s Ring, Tolkien talks about the fëa (spirit) consuming the hröa (body):

As ages passed the dominance of their fëar ever increased, 'consuming' their bodies (as has been noted). The end of this process is their 'fading', as Men have called it; for the body becomes at last, as it were, a mere memory held by the fëa; and that end has already been achieved in many regions of Middle-earth, so that the Elves are indeed deathless and may not be destroyed or changed. The History of Middle-earth Vol. 10: Morgoth’s Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion, ‘Laws B’ (p. 219)

This was not, however, Tolkien’s last thought on the matter. In a marginal note on the entry for hröa published in the linguistic journal Parmasan Eldalamberon (Vol. 12), Tolkien revisits the metaphysical implications of Elven fading:

What of a hröa that resists fading? It is not then consumed by the fëa, but compressed by the process of containing it; by which it will in time be overcome, though at great expense to the strength of the fëa, for this at last takes possession of the changed hröa as its ‘casement’.

What?

This note Tolkien clearly did not intend to be seen or interpreted by anyone but himself, and its meaning is rather opaque. What he seems to be describing, however, is a slow process of shrinking and shapeshifting, from body to “casement”, in cases where a hröa resists fading.

Casement as in… shell? As in… exoskeleton? Elves who resist fading become crabs?

Okay, so that probably wasn’t what Tolkien meant, but I can find nothing to contradict it. Let us assume, for our amusement, that the hröa - casement transformation is, or can be, into a crab.

The next question is: Might Maglor have resisted fading?

If one imagines his fate in the published Silmarillion as self-punitive (a reading supported by the alternate versions in which he does in fact commit suicide like Maedhros), it would makes sense that he might resist fading as a sort of release from his punishment. Or perhaps the metaphysics of the Oath had some interference in his ability to fade in the usual fashion.

In which case, Maglor may very well have been one of the Elves who became a crab. Or something like it.

ETA: Happy April Fool's.

[physalian]

First Time Author Mistakes You Don’t Have To Make

This is for self-published authors, somewhat, I didn’t go through the agent/publishing house process, but I did give it a try.

1. Thinking everyone you work with will like your book

I wasn’t under this illusion, but I did assume that every beta I worked with would be able to stay objective, i.e. saying while they don’t like an element they think it still works instead of “I don’t like this” with no explanation. Which was not the case. If this happens, best thing to do is to cut your losses. They’re not your target audience.

2. Underestimating how long it takes

Your book baby is your top priority and yours alone. Everyone else that you could work with does so at their pace on their schedules. I wrote ENNS in one month. It took almost six months of beta readers and a professional edit for a lot of reasons, but largely in part due to betas just not being very speedy. In other areas, too. I didn’t query ENNS because my first experience trying to work with publishing houses was a lot of “hurry up and wait” and I did not have time to wait 6+ months, with exclusive submissions, just to be told no.

3. Underestimating how much it costs

I had funds prepared and set aside in a savings account to pay the editor that I knew would be the steepest cost of the whole writing process. I’d saved up over a couple months and was virtually unaffected by the exorbitant fee when the bill came due because I had prepared. Betas and editors cost money, and you can’t skimp on those otherwise you’re just burning money. If you hire illustrators or promoters, they eat up cash. Formatting, too, costs money. If I wanted to break even with ENNS, I would have to sell over a thousand copies. Just to break even. Even if you do it all yourself, of which I did my own illustrations and formatting, the programs I used cost money, and time.

4. Vetting book promoters

Anyone following this blog might know of my recent escapades in dealing with scammers. It’s my personal opinion that anyone who will promote any book for money does not have an opinion worth trusting. Do I think my book is good? Absolutely. Do I think every book they promote is good? No. Nor do these people seem to care about anything more than profit. I wouldn’t buy a product based on a review without integrity, and have learned a hard lesson in trying to undo that mistake. If you just want word out, then you can act without discretion and just pick the cheapest influencers. But their word means nothing if they’ll sell it to the lowest bidder.

—

These are just four things I didn’t quite think about going in. I’ve been a writer for almost 10 years now but this is my first time all the way through the publication process and it was a wake up call in many areas, especially with the bad actors on social media.

But the bottom line is this: Don’t underestimate the cost of the process, whether that cost be money or time or simply stress. Writing is easy. Publishing is work.

—

My LGBTQ+ vampire fantasy novel Eternal Night of the Northern Sky is out for preorder now! Paperback debut on 8/25/24.

[witch-hazels-musings]

hi! i saw that you wrote a novel (that might be getting published?) and i'm really curious to know what pushed you to start, how was the progress, and do you have an editor + are you self-publishing or are you with a publishing company! writing a novel is a dream of mine but it feel so far-fetched. it's inspiring to see that you've written one, and i would like to know how i might do the same too, if you don't mind sharing! -- @milkstore

hello fellow author <3 im so excited to hear about your dream! there are countless stories out there, but no one can write yours :)

as for what made me start - it was you all. the constant support, love and encouragement, and providing me inspiration and opportunities to practice with characters I love in a world that's fantastical.

my main character was inspired by a genshin OC that I had (Fai) and blossomed into who she is now!

my process was pretty simple really. I started with a general plot. identified what I wanted to happen in the story and the beats (points) i wanted to hit along the way, then I flushed out the two main characters and started writing their story.

after getting draft 0 i realized the plot (especially in the middle) wasn't working. in fact, it suuuucked. so I did some edits, a lot of cutting and rewriting and then I got a beta reader - they liked it, but I didn't - enter my work on draft 3. Now my story has substance, it has way more engagement and a lot better characters.

My next steps will be to read it out loud for another round of edits and - as I go - really ensure my character motivations are in there, the plot (where the whole story ends up) has build-up, and that I'm not going to set myself up for continuity errors. Once that is done I have two options

I can send it off to an editor I found and like, have them look it over and give me feedback - make changes - and then start querying for agents

I found a potential publisher that works with indie authors GreenLeaf Book Group. They might help me with editing, story, and other things if they like what i have - so i can skip some of the steps myself! - They seem very promising and actually may be a good place to start right out of the gate, but I've always been told to never give a publisher nothing (well, unless you're already working with them lol)

From here, the end goal is traditional publishing but i have a few barriers to that. 1. my book is too long, 2. it may not be as engaging as they may like, 2. it's a duology (publishers don't often pick up debut authors that pitch more than one book to them (i.e. they want a standalone before investing their time and money into the book)

Of course, I'll keep you all updated as I go -- you can also follow me on Instagram! I post updates there and information about my book :) --- you can find it via my Author Cardd

I won't gatekeep or tell you this process was easy. It wasn't - but it was rewarding, perfect, and brought me closer to my dream. To be able to look back and tell my younger self we wrote a book is everything to me - her stories deserve to live, as do yours <3

I'm rooting for you.

You got this

OH AND join writing groups! I am now the moderator of one - The Writers Factory. I give lots of advice there and feedback on peoples stories when I can. I also post some writing exercises and other stuff (its not a social discord though - the mods are very strict lol - its for working on your book/story/ect. -- so feel free to join us if this is something you want!)

[onegirlatelier]

July, 2024 | Gown inspired by a 1920 Madeleine Vionnet

Hi there! This is a short post with a few pictures, just to say that my recent article for Foundations Revealed has been published. The gown was made couture from the start to the finish i.e. I took the time to ensure that its quality was as high as I could possibly achieve and exactly what I would expect if I had a few grands to spend on an actual Vionnet or like, Armani Prive etc.

In the article, I discuss:

bias-cut (very briefly) and hankerchief dresses of Madeleine Vionnet

my intepretatrion of a design sketch, found in the book Madeleine Vionnet by Betty Kirke

choice of fabric and other materials

pattern-making

the sewing process in detail with lots of pictures, including all the finishings and inner workings

sources (further reading/reseach)

The FR website does require a subscription. I feel so embarrassed for self-promotion but sometimes my labour does need to be compensated to pay bills and buy food : (

I will make a full post here after I get back the copyright (in about six months). I also know that there is some, hmm, tea about FR. I shall just say that the staff and writers I've been in actual contact with are simply great and I am very thankful.

Meanwhile, here are some pictures for you!

[peterrsthomas]

The Handmaid’s Tale in the Age of Trump’s Republic

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel set in a near-future patriarchal world, following Offred, the titular handmaid (i.e., a woman whose role in society is solely to get pregnant). The Republic of Gilead in which Offred lives is rigid and highly religious, oppressive and authoritarian. Women go through a process of reeducation in training for their new roles, and memories of the time before the revolution that brought the Republic about are hazy. The novel was arresting enough when it was published in 1985, but it has taken on a new salience with the resurgence of the fanatical evangelical Right in America—the faction most devoted to the ironically areligious and immoral Trump.

A key theme of the book is the use of religion as a vessel for power. The Republic of Gilead isn’t based on any meaningful interpretation of religious scripture; rather, religion is a tool for exercising control. Similarly, with Trump’s evangelical base, it does not matter that Trump is a liar and an adulterer—and embodiment of many other sins besides. They see him as a hammer, a tool with which to exercise their will over the population. For as long as he serves their interests (see: social conservatism, anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ+ rights, and more), they will follow him, regardless of his character. Leaders of evangelical groups will willingly overlook these flaws and contradictions if it means greater power for themselves and their ideologies.

The book highlights the dangers of the intersection of religion and politics, in particular where the former coopts the latter. When the separation of church and state is eroded, this is devastating for women, religious, sexual, and ethnic minorities, and anyone who doesn’t fit neatly with the ‘in-group’ (in this case, White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant). Civil liberties are eroded—in the book, people are murdered and pinned against a wall in medieval fashion for all to see.

Most striking is the wrestle for control over women’s bodies. In The Handmaid's Tale this takes the form of reproductive rights. Certain women are given the right to have children, though they will not become the children’s mothers—that role goes to someone else—at the expense of all other rights to self-determination. The scary thing is that this is not so far-fetched; today, religious conservatives are eroding hard-won rights, in particular reproductive rights and access to reproductive medical facilities, abortion rights, and adoption rights for LGBTQ+ couples.

Frighteningly, the novel is resonant not just in America, where it is set, but elsewhere in the world. Germany, France, Sweden and elsewhere are seeing an insurgent Right; the incumbent party in the UK is being split between its centre-right and more fanatical fringes. In other countries, such as India, the dominant party is explicitly religious and is shored up by its majority religion base. All this to say that democracy is fragile, and when people fall victim to economic misfortune or experience cultural shifts, the mechanisms of democracy can be weaponised by bad actors against minorities and vulnerable groups. The media can, and often does, play a part in this, too, especially when a few large corporations own multiple outlets. The organisations spread lies and misinformation, and stoke paranoia.

Like with all good dystopian novels, The Handmaid’s Tale is incredibly prescient; the prospect of such a future coming into fruition is alarmingly real. But the novel is not just a story about a horrifying future; it is a story of resistance. And the future it describes is a future we must be prepared to face head on and challenge at every opportunity.

[kjscottwrites]

OKAY HERE WE GO here's the official final accountability thread for my WIP 🍄 Cavernous 🍄

If all goes well, (and barring final surface level copyedits and proofreading) this will be the last round changes I'm making before publishing. My life is literally in a bunch of cardboard boxes all over the house at the moment as I've just moved across the country so I wanted to make a visual checkpoint to share to keep myself on track in the chaos so that I can finish this sooner rather than later.

This will be my first time self-publishing, and I know there's a learning curve and a lot of work to do still, so I don't have a ballpark release date just yet, but stay tuned and apologies in advance for taking a stop-and-start pace with this one. I'd like for this book to turn out as polished as possible.

My writing partner / editor on this project (i.e. the other half of the KJ moniker) is going to be doing some passes on chapters or parts of chapters I'm having a hard time cracking - mostly dialog reworks. I'm extreeemely excited to see what she cooks up. I won't reblog this every time I finish a chapter, but every once in a while, and if people seem interested I'll elaborate about my process for each bit! Feel free to ask questions! (Or pester me if you notice I've gone a long time without making progress lol)

Thanks for following y'all <3

Taglist: @ultimatecryptid @kainablue @saraheadriance @milesgraybooks@thelaughingstag @artbyeloquent @ellierenae @calicojackofficial @wildswrites@astridmayewrites @antique-symbolism-main @crazybunchwriting @writer-artemis @kittensartswriting @jacquesfindswritingandadvice @happyorogeny @simdoodleswrites @two-girls-who-read @magefaery @elijahrichardwrites @nervestatic @spiderfall @pinespittinink @rainbowsnowflake @abitscripturient​@tracle0 @chickennoodlesoupthecat @danijames @dazedteafairy​ @vanessaroades-author @outpost51 @asterhaze @ghostical 

[nfumbewalk]

Ashes to Ashes...

One water, one light. Catholic Bible. Rodolfo's Way.

It's all coming down to a point. I've figured out if I want to worship at all or not. And the answer is nada. No, I don't want to worship at all. I'm one of those people who wants to 'work with.' Never thought that would be me saying that. I was always a stalwart worshipper of something. I just cannot be. Not anymore. I venerate muertos. I love Mpungo and Orishas. I sort of like Demons. That's it. My old self is in ashes. I will arise from them with Muerteria.

Muerteria is developing every day. Its growing, changing, and getting deeper as I go. Today I've been writing about HTDE, or Highly Transmutable Death Energy. I'm getting more inspired by my dad and my grandpa Ben. Both of them the most intuitive men I have ever seen in my life. Well, I didn't see my grandpa, as he was dead before I was born, but I have talked to him. He's willing to chat all the time now. It's funny that my dad's voice doesn't sound weird, a little sped up but not tinny or whiny.

Anyway, HTDE has kind of taken over my thoughts this morning. Jamming to The Stones helps me write too. LOL. I love the Some Girls album; except the country song they tried to do. Terrible! That must have been a fad in 1978 or thereabouts. Think I'd be listening to dark stuff? Sure. Sisters of Mercy are my go-to.

HTDE, or The Death Spiral

To explain HTDE, I have to go and explain my theory. Death Energy comes into the body on the receptive side, or the left side, i.e. Yin. It cycles through the body, creating a spiral that grows in intensity - harmonizing with the muerto in which you are working with. Once united with the muerto, Death Energy becomes HTDE. The spiral of HTDE is the spiral of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in which is inside of all of us and is shared between you and the muerto. On this level, you are equal. The HTDE leaves the body on the active side of the body, or the right side, i.e. the Yang. What is done with the HTDE is up to the practitioner. It can be used for personal power, magic, healing - just about anything.

In order to get HTDE, you need to have cremains (ashes) of a muerto or real bones - not bought unknown bones on the internet. Or dirt from a very fresh grave. There is no grave robbing here. But these are the only two ways. Meditating on HTDE gets you nada, nothing. Cultivating HTDE is work. It is not the easiest process, but it is rewarding. I will explain how to do it in my book fully.

You don't need HTDE for Muerteria work. This is just an extra theory that is interesting and happens to be effective. I'm presenting it here and in my book as my true hypothesis.

I did do a little reading last night and my cards said I am probably going to have to self-publish my book, which I'm not happy about. Damn, I don't want to go through that crap. I know my shit is good, but publishers are picky about topics and "what is allowed" and what is not.

Maybe I'll get lucky?

M.M. <heart skull heart>

[type40capsule]

How to Evaluate Information Sources: Critical questions for evaluating your sources

Here are some questions to guide you through the process of critical evaluation of information sources:

Authority: Who created the information?

Who is the creator/author/source/publisher of the information? What are the author's credentials or affiliations?

Is the author's expertise related to the subject? Are they an authority on the topic through education, experience, or expertise in the field?

Whose voices/viewpoints are not being heard?

Accuracy: How accurate is the information?

Was the information reviewed by others before being published? Does it contain spelling mistakes and grammatical errors?

What citations or references support the author's claims?

Is it fact or opinion? Do the authors leave out important facts or alternative perspectives?

Argument: What are the author's claims?

What is the author's position?

What reasons does the author give to support their position?

Are there any flaws in the author's logic?

Do you agree or disagree with the author's argument or perspective? Why?

What is your position on this topic?

What evidence (i.e. research) can you provide to support your position?

Self-Awareness: Check yourself

Examine your own perspective and ensure you are seeking out information that represents alternative perspectives and worldviews.

Ensure you are not seeking or favouring sources that only confirm your existing beliefs (avoid confirmation bias).

Get uncomfortable. Read from sources across the spectrum (even if you do not agree with such sources); this will help ensure you are aware of the various sides of a debate/issue.

Relevance: Does the source satisfy your information need?

Is the information related to your topic? Does it help you better understand your topic?

Is the information at an appropriate depth or level for your assignment?

Timeliness: How current is the information?

When was the information created, published or updated?

Is it recent enough to be relevant to your topic or discipline? Sometimes you are required to use recently published material; sometimes you must use historical documents.

Source: University of Saskatchewan - How to Evaluate Information Sources

[answermywearyquery]

how do you come up with new ideas for stories? and what has been one of your favorite fics to write? 🤗

Thank you so much! 💖😊

Firstly, it's a very good question, I'm not totally sure how I come up with ideas. When I'm bored – commuting or can't fall asleep - my fuzzy mind wanders, and I come up with random scenario to entertain myself (unloved characters getting hugged within an inch of their life, my fave going through all the horrors to bring a smile to my face, etc.) and if I like its random escalation well enough to play with it again and again, I schedule a proper daydreaming/brainstorming session, i.e. next time I go to bed or take a 3 hour train ride I do it with mission, where I try to decide if the idea could potentially work (or just self-indulgent fluff/smut/angst with no goal or discernible plot).

And if the answer is yes, I put the WIP in the WIP Excel Sheet™, where I keep all my ideas, and then I promptly don't even think about working on it for 2 to 30 months.

Secondly, [insert Defunctland quote about filmmaking] I hate writing, it's traumatic and I despise every goddamn step of it. (It's my longest lasting hobby and I never not long to write, but still.) So, I kinda delete the memory of the process a week after I publish anything as a survival tactic, but! My first VegasPete fic Con: He's a Psycho. Pro: So Are You. has a very special place in my heart! It's very far from perfect, but that was the first fic where I truly felt like it was done with my own unique style, it just flew out of me, both in obsession and in style. Felt so comfortable working on it, truly joyful. So, all hail VegasPete, The Brainrot of A Lifetime, and me letting my freak flag fly.

Thank you for asking! 🥰

[janedoewrites]

Did you self-publish? If yes, what was it like? Any advise for writers looking to publish?

I did self-publish, yes.

How I Did It

It was easier than I thought it'd be, at least, the way I approached it. Caveat that I went through KDP (i.e. Amazon) for a number of reasons that basically came down to a) ease of publishing b) availability of hard copies c) the shipping of hard copies on a global scale (not all countries are available but it's a decent amount) d) it's a place people often go to for books period e) the cost of publishing (the way it works is that print is done "on-demand" it's slower but I don't have to pay out of pocket for X print copies that I then have to sell to make the money back). f) fairly good royalties g) the general terms and conditions and 'ownership' of my material.

There are downsides in that it's through Amazon, whom nobody likes, and that there's return shenanigans in that if I get money from a purchase and if someone chooses to then return the book then that money gets taken away from me personally. (This has gotten better, recently, with ebook purchases as now if a reader reads past a certain percentage they're considered as having 'bought' it where before a lot of people treated it like a library and didn't realize it was the author they were fucking over and not Amazon who makes sure they're not the ones taking the cut).

And look, to those who want to give me flack, we live in a society and people buy books on Amazon. Them's the breaks.

There are other ways to self-publish and platforms you can pay to be a part of where they'll work to not only get you listed on Amazon but bookstores such as Barnes and Noble but it's a little more complicated/does cost some amount to do.

What Was it Like

It's a fairly simple process through KDP at least. What you do is set up an account with tax information/agree to terms of service/so on and so forth. You can then manage your books through a profile and the manuscripts you can write in pre-provided document templates that have the print structure for whatever size book you want to write (e.g. 6"x9").

When you're finished and have your page count in the formatted text, you go and see what size covers are required for hard copies (if you're interested) and can either use stock images to generate covers or else cover images that you own (e.g. you do it yourself or commission it as a book cover by an artist). For e-books they give specifications on the quality your cover should be for the best resolution/results.

You then submit your manuscript/cover art for copyright review, get an ISBN (KDP provides this for free for hard copies if you use them), and decide on digital rights management, promotion options, and pricing structure (where you're told up front the cost of printing/the amount you get after KDP's cut of the royalties).

It sits in reviews for up to 72 hours and provided all goes well you're then live, you get an author page and links to your works, and you can distribute how you want/tell the world to buy your book.

In other words, it was stupid easy.

Should You Self-Publish

There are pros and cons to self-publishing vs. publishing in general.

One great pro is nobody tells you what to do and so long as you follow terms of service (which hopefully you do as it's things like: don't write about the glorification of violence, glorification of sexual violence, so on and so forth) you can publish what you like without having to necessarily be 'marketable'.

Remember that published books are intended to sell and they generally either target extremely niche markets in a very deep way or else try to cast a very wide net with a book everyone can enjoy. One thing you'll see a lot of if you go the publishing route is "I as an agent enjoy unique stories. Now, tell me at least five books that are exactly like yours that were published in the last five years." There are exceptions, but it's generally not a field that likes risk or shaking the boat. They want to be able to sell books.

Another great pro is you're depending only on yourself. You can publish the book as soon as you're finished editing without having to convince someone else it's great stuff.

And of course, there's the pro that you don't have to get an agent or publisher to say yes. The way it typically works is if you want the big or prestigious publishers, you have to have an agent and that agent usually has to have some in roads with that publisher. Which means you have to submit a few pages of a manuscript/a summary and other things to them and hope they get back to you on that. This can be very time consuming (as they generally allow a window of 4-6 weeks) and annoying.

The cons is that you have to market yourself and you don't have the leg up that publishing would otherwise get you (where you are associated with whatever books they already have published just by being published by them, they may or may not run marketing campaigns and advertising for your material, and they can get your books distributed on a much wider scale). What this means is that if you don't have a large-ish platform already and care about sales/intend to make a living on this then you're going to have a very rough time getting a foot up.

The other part of this is that obviously you don't get a forward/amount of money before any books are sold as you otherwise might with a publishing agency. You only get the royalties you earn through sales.

Any Advice?

The self-publishing bit is easy enough that the hardest part is the writing and the editing. Obviously, I haven't gotten far in at this point, and I'm also not all that concerned about sales (I have no intentions of quitting my day job and becoming an auteur any time soon) so I'm perhaps not the person to ask at this point in time.

If you go Amazon worth thinking about is if you want to go the Kindle Unlimited route or not. I haven't as of yet, because I'm not feeling the burn for promotion.

What it is for those not familiar is that Amazon will market your book much more internally (e.g. that stuff that pops up on your kindle when you turn it on), run sales and promotions on it, but your ebook version can be read for free/lent to others for free with you getting a small amount of money depending how far readers make it into the book. The idea being that as you reach a much larger audience, you get more money than you otherwise would have. It's a good way to market if you have no platform/following already and a good way to proliferate the book but you lose out on people actually buying it.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Joseph Figliolia

Published: Mar 1, 2024

A scan of the comments on Pamela Paul’s bombshell piece on detransitioners in the New York Times revealed that many readers were shocked at the reports of minors undergoing irreversible medical procedures for gender dysphoria without first receiving adequate psychological evaluations. They were especially horrified by the story of Kasey Emerick, whose gender distress, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation were ultimately rooted in her being sexually abused by a caregiver when she was a small child, along with internalized homophobia. While Kasey gained valuable insight into the nature of her identity struggles through the transition process, it came at the permanent cost of her breasts and the masculinizing effects of testosterone therapy.

Some readers interpreted Paul’s stories as tragic, one-off failures of oversight. But those who have studied so-called gender-affirming care know that these cases of apparent incompetence reflect built-in features of the treatment model. Gender medicine’s failures result not from a “few bad apples” but from its ideological foundations.

Proponents of the gender-affirmative model assume that cross-gender identities are innate, natural, and healthy. Though evidence is growing of multiple developmental pathways to gender dysphoria and trans identification, the gender-affirmative treatment model generally denies the possibility that preexisting psychological issues could contribute to dysphoria or the adoption of a trans identity. Despite the existence of a cohort of detransitioners who realize in retrospect that their trans identity was fueled by complex and untreated psychological issues, the gender-affirmative model assumes that the only reason trans-identifying people experience higher rates of mental illness is because they are a persecuted minority. Troublingly, the model also assumes that these comorbidities can be treated with medical interventions.

These claims, which constitute the crux of the “minority stress theory,�� have become orthodoxy among leading gender-medical organizations and practitioners. While the World Professional Organization for Transgender Health (WPATH) recommends that clinicians conduct biopsychosocial assessments to screen for comorbidities, the organization’s own guidance assumes that psychiatric comorbidities in trans-identifying patients are often secondary to dysphoria, and attributes patients’ psychiatric issues to societal prejudice (i.e., minority stress). The chapter on adolescents in WPATH’s latest Standards of Care (SOC8), for example, suggests that elevated rates of depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, and ADHD in trans-identifying populations are “often related to family/caregiver rejection, and non-affirming community environments.” Similarly, Tamara Pietztke, a whistleblower from the Mary Bridge Pediatric Gender Clinic, recalled her former supervisor’s claim that “there is not valid, evidence-based, peer-reviewed research that would indicate that gender dysphoria arises from anything other than gender (including trauma, autism, other mental health conditions, etc.).”

While the minority stress theory is widely touted by transgender activists, it has several compelling critics. Northwestern’s Michael Bailey, for example, offers a comprehensive challenge to the theory, arguing that reverse causation could be at work in the surveys that claim to document minority stress phenomena. Bailey claims that, instead of stigma and prejudice triggering psychiatric issues, people suffering from them may be more likely to report experiencing stigma and prejudice.

To explain this dynamic, Bailey draws attention to the psychological concept of “rejection sensitivity” (RS). He characterizes RS as a personality trait that emerges early in childhood and makes a person likelier to perceive others’ actions and words as “rejecting”—and to react with more distress—regardless of others’ intentions. Other researchers have found RS to be a potential risk factor for psychological issues beyond gender dysphoria.

While supporters of the minority stress theory also acknowledge the role RS might play, they often claim that it develops in early childhood after experiences of neglect or rejection from caregivers. In the case of trans-identified people, this presupposes that they were rejected as children because of their minority gender identity, which may not have emerged yet. Still, even supporters of the minority stress theory concede that having higher RS leads people to interpret certain social cues negatively.

This alternative hypothesis—that people with psychiatric issues, presumably high in rejection sensitivity, are more likely to interpret innocuous comments or remarks as being rooted in hostility and prejudice, and to report those experiences as discrimination when asked—is highly relevant, because the minority stress literature is primarily built on self-reported data. The studies in this area link mental-health issues to experiences of discrimination and prejudice by asking people whether they’ve experienced discrimination or prejudice because of their minority identity. This type of study design can’t prove that psychiatric issues are caused by stigma and prejudice and can only note associations between documented mental-health issues and self-reports of discrimination.

Another strike against the minority stress concept is implied by activists’ frequent claim that the rise in the number of trans-identifying people is the result of increased societal awareness and acceptance rather than social contagion. If we accept the claim that society is more accepting of “gender diversity,” how can we explain mental-health comorbidities that are attributed to societal prejudice? (In addition, a robust, countervailing research literature exists on psychological resilience in minority populations.)

Third, and most significantly, minority stress theory fails to explain why many studies indicate that today’s cohort of trans-identified youth often have psychiatric issues that presented before the development of a cross-gender identity. Many studies suggest that these youth have complex mental-health profiles that predate their gender dysphoria or gender-diverse identification. In Lisa Littman’s original rapid onset gender dysphoria sample, 62.5 percent of surveyed trans-identifying youth had at least one formal psychiatric diagnosis prior to the onset of their dysphoria. In Suzannah Diaz and J. Michael Bailey’s paper, 57 percent of youth had a “history of mental health issues” prior to their trans identification, while 42.5 percent had been given formal psychiatric diagnoses. A study by Tracy Becerra-Culqui and colleagues found psychiatric comorbidities present beforehand in nearly 75 percent of their sample of “transgender and gender-nonconforming” girls aged 10-17.

These studies dovetail with Littman and colleagues’ recent paper, which lends support to the notion that some portion of trans-identified youth misinterpret the symptoms of unrelated psychiatric issues as gender dysphoria. The researchers surveyed 78 detransitioners (the sample was 91 percent female) between the ages of 18 and 33 who had stopped identifying as transgender for at least the last six months. When asked to rate the importance of various psychosocial influences that could have potentially influenced their identity, participants’ highest-rated item was “interpreting feelings of trauma or a mental health condition as gender dysphoria.”

For children with gender dysphoria, surgical and hormonal treatment often don’t resolve their underlying mental-health issues. Studies suggest that patients with frequent psychiatric-care utilization pre-transition continue to have complex mental-health needs after transitioning. Finland’s Council for Choices in Health Care (COHERE) even declares that “since the reduction of psychiatric symptoms cannot be achieved with hormonal and surgical interventions, it is not a valid justification for gender reassignment.” This reality is made more troubling by new data suggesting that psychiatric issues themselves are most responsible for suicide mortality in trans populations. The authors of a new study conclude that “It is of utmost importance to identify and appropriately treat mental disorders in adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria to prevent suicide.”

Despite this plea, many youth seeking referrals to gender clinics are not properly assessed for psychiatric issues because of the ideological blinders of the affirmative model. And despite the lack of evidence that medical interventions can resolve psychiatric issues, many youth have internalized the idea that transitioning is a cure-all that can resolve their difficulties. Youth in researcher Riittakerttu Kaltiala’s clinic sample, for instance, reported high expectations that medical interventions would fix their other issues in social, academic, occupational, and mental health domains. The same was true for Littman’s ROGD sample.

Such results illustrate why the affirmative-care model is problematic. Its key assumptions—that gender identities are innate, that dysphoria has one cause and treatment pathway, and that comorbid psychiatric issues can be resolved by medical interventions—run contrary to the medical literature. Humanities departments can get away with such hyper-ideological frameworks, but they simply are not appropriate tools for the medical sciences. As Kasey Emerick knows too well, those ideologies come with a human cost that self-reported surveys cannot measure.

[liminalweirdo]

6 / 17 / 34 for the fic writer q's! <3

Thanks for such interesting questions! <3

6. Do you have your work beta'd? How important is this to your process?

I try to have my work beta'd/edited when I can. With fanfiction it's not always possible or practical. The only beta I have atm is my husband and I write faster than he feels up to editing which it absolutely fair, so usually I post things with just my own editing.

I say that the worst writing advice anyone ever gave me (or anyone) was "you don't need an editor," and I think that's mostly true. Fanfiction is... maybe not so serious, you know? I forgive other writers their typos and mostly just gloss over them and barely notice, but I hate when I find them in my own stories haha. But if you're doing something for publication, even if it's a self-pub — if multiple people are gonna be spending money on your finished product, please please please get an editor. Just my opinion as a writer, an editor, and a bookseller for over a decade. I've seen many an awful self-pub that could have been improved so much by editing.

I think a trusted second eye can make your work better. If I can't find an editor/beta reader I'll usually write something and try to edit it myself, but even though I have experience editing professionally (i.e. for money) I am still catching and correcting at least grammatical errors in my published work even months later, which sucks for the reader (sorry!). It's harder to edit your own stuff because you know what you meant so you tend to accidentally miss errors and not catch things that don't make sense/don't line up just right plot-wise, if that makes sense.

One of the tricks I use is handwriting my story and then, when I type it up I can often flesh out the story better, but that may just be how my brain works. Idk, see if it works for you!

Also, I'm usually willing to beta people's stories if they want me to so just lmk and I'll try to help out if I feel like I'm qualified (i.e. I know your fandom, and if I have enough time).

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

I never ever had writer's block until a few years ago, which fuckkinnnggg suuuuucks. The pandemic messed me up, I guess. I think the best thing is either just sitting down and writing either a set amount of words or for a set amount of time even if I hate every moment of it and if that's too much -- because let's face it, sometimes life/shit is hard — I will ... take a break! I'll either do something totally unrelated and let my brain chill out, or I'll re-watch the movie/film/read essays or other fic etc., just to get excited about it again. This is a lot harder in small fandoms or with things that have limited source material. When that happens I read/watch/find things adjacent to it and hope to find inspiration there.

34. Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

I mean, I think and I hope I'll still be writing fanfiction. I hope that in five years things will be different with the pandemic and I'll be able to be more out in the world, actually having wider experiences again. If I ever publish anything, I think it will probably be nonfiction before it's fiction, but we'll have to see. I'd like the opportunity to write for film.

[leighsartworks216]

I’m simply curious as I’m a (requested based) fanfic writer as well, and I’m sure it’s different depending on certain factors, of course, but about how long does it take from the time you receive a request to the time you publish it?

And what’s your typical process? (I.E. do you make an outline or just start writing? Do you start at the beginning or somewhere else? Do you have a specific playlist you listen to when you write? Etc. etc.)

I just love learning about the way others go about writing and how long or short it takes them, especially with requests!

I hope you have a lovely day! <3

Oh god I have some requests that have been in my inbox for years, not gonna lie. I feel bad about it, but if I have a hard time thinking of how to write the request, if I'm not currently hyperfixated on that fandom/character, if I'm just too busy or mentally overwhelmed/exhausted, it can take a while for me to get to them. As soon as my brain switches to being fixated on the fandom/character(s) again, I try to finish what I already have before I work on new ones.

I don't really have one, I don't think? I open the doc I'm writing in on one side of my screen, and another tab open on the other side to look up synonyms, lore questions I have, etc etc. But other than setting up my desktop, I just think about the scenario I'm imagining, and start writing from the beginning. I can't skip around, even in long fics where I know what the end result will be - it just stresses me out too much and usually I have to change a lot of details in a later chapter to match an earlier one if I do. As for what I listen to, I made a playlist recently to showcase what I might listen to when I write.

What I've mostly been focused on recently, since I'm about to start college again very very soon, is writing small prompts that won't take me too long, and writing very self-indulgent character x OC fics. I want to get back to writing longer requests, but the little ones help me sort of jumpstart my brain back into it.

Also if anyone who has requested something from me reads this, I am so so sorry it takes me so long, but I will write your request eventually. I don't outright delete any I don't like without warning, so if I haven't declined your request, it's in my list 👍

[petervintonjr]

"Not failure, but low aim is a crime."

Meet Roger Arliner Young, the very first Black woman to attain a Ph.D in Zoology. Born in 1889 Virginia, Young originally had her heart set on a career in music but after working with Ernest Everett Just, a particularly gifted (and famous in his own right) teacher at Howard University, she chose to pivot to biology. She earned her BS in biology in 1923, then a Master's in that same subject at the University of Chicago in Illinois, in 1926. She was elected to the honor society Sigma Xi and published her first paper, "On the Excretory Apparatus in Paramecium" which addressed the newly-discovered coordinated behavior of a paramecium's individual organelles during the process of digestion. The paper was then reprinted in the prestigious journal Science.

Having worked with her so extensively during her undergraduate years, Just was able to recommend Young to a research position at the prestigious Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts, where she tested the effects of ultraviolet radiation on marine eggs. Similarly to Carolyn Beatrice Parker (Lesson #119 in this series), Young's science career trajectory repeatedly stalled --and for much the same reason; i.e., being a Black woman in a nearly-exclusively white male domain, and only able to benefit from a fraction of the usual advantages in such a pursuit. While, unlike Parker, Young was ultimately successful in securing her Ph.D. (in this instance from the University of Pennsylvania), this goal nevertheless came up against a number of obstacles that simply wouldn't have been an issue for most white men. Despite successfully publishing four journal articles during this time period, she also had to extricate herself from at least one (untrue) romantic scandal, had to repeatedly put her work on hold to care for her terminally ill mother, and failed the qualifying exam on the first go-around --to say nothing of the intense racial and misogynist prejudices that were so prevalent in the scientific community at the time.

Young ultimately succeeded in 1940, and rejoined her former colleagues at Woods Hole (some of whom had helped to get her back on her feet). After an interval where she published two more papers on the behavior patterns of paramecium, she then taught at a number of schools throughout the 1950s, to include North Carolina College and Shaw University --the latter at which she became the Biology Department Chair. She also became actively involved in the labor movement during these years, and was no stranger to the inherent prejudices operating against Black women in the South; one notorious incident on July 5, 1946, saw Young taking a bus through Nashville, North Carolina to meet with tobacco workers on behalf of the American Federation of Labor. The bus driver called the police when Young refused to give up her seat for a white man, and she spent several nights in the county jail: a local group of Black women publicly advocated for her and eventually paid the $200 bail for her release. In 1956 Young was elected secretary of the Durham, NC chapter of the NAACP, another action which was met with scorn by much of the scientific community and its unspoken code of "politics of respectability." Unfortunately her mother's death, financial difficulties, failing eyesight (a possible consequence of her prolonged work with ultraviolet light), and relentless pressure and expectations, led to severe depression and she ultimately self-admitted to an asylum for a time. She returned to teaching in 1962 at Jackson State University, but died in 1964.

Young's legacy, much like Parker's, lay mostly forgotten until very recently (likely in part due to a pattern of posthumous blacklisting). But as of late there has been a particular resurgence of interest in her publications and her contributions to the field: https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2017/11/29/little-known-life-first-african-american-female-zoologist/

[owltypical]

christie-a-thon update: hah, i've finally encountered agatha christie's self-insert old lady author character, and it's honestly pretty funny to see her used as a very obvious mouthpiece for christie's frustrations

with self-critique of her own works, commentary on detective novels in general, her displeasure at the process of having her works adapted to other media, and the way that hercule poirot is a character she's tired of and annoyed by but who the fans love so dammit gotta keep writing him

there's also a very interesting piece of dialogue that heavily and purposely foreshadows her plans of how she's going to end her writing career, i.e. a final novel for poirot (and miss marple) written decades previously to be published upon her death, i wonder how public that plan of hers was or if it was a total secret that people going back and rereading this particular earlier novel would look at and go 'well damn'