This blog will look at how fiction writers can deal with homophobia, transphobia and biphobia sensitively and authentically in their writing.
Category Archives: About writing
Easily confused: singular “they”
When it comes to writing about sex, sexuality and gender, there are some easily confusable terms. This is the first in short series of blog posts looking at those easily confusable terms to help writers, editors and proofreaders understand the differences.
This blog post looks at the pronoun “they” when used in the singular.
Why I offer authenticity reading
What is authenticity reading? What is an authenticity reader? Why is important and who needs one? This blog post will look at my services as an authenticity reader of LGBTQ+ content, although you can, of course, find authenticity readers for all sorts of other content too.
LGBTQ+ language in historical fiction
February is LGBTQ+ History Month (in the UK). Last week, we looked at when to set your LGBTQ+ book, this week we’ll consider language through time.
When to set your LGBTQ+ book
February is LGBTQ+ History Month (in the UK), and so I thought I’d take the opportunity to think about when to set your LGBTQ+ book and the differences that time makes to LGBTQ+ fiction.
Writing Gay History: an interview with Garrick Jones
Garrick Jones is a prolific writer. From Australia he writes books packed with gay history: from Victorian London to 1950s Sydney. I have been privileged to work with Garrick on some of his latest works and I count myself lucky to be among the first people to read a new Garrick Jones book.
What is LGBTQ+ fiction?
Not really a genre in its own right, what exactly is LGBTQ+ fiction? Does any book that features LGBTQ+ characters automatically make it a queer book? I’d argue not.
Why write LGBTQ+ stories?
We tell stories for many different reasons: to entertain our readers; to tell them something new about themselves; to record history in an accessible way. Why should LGBTQ+ stories be different? Why do they need telling?
Who can write LGBTQ+ stories?
Do you have to identify as LGBTQ+ to write stories? Can you tell an authentic tale without experience? In this blog post, we will look at who can tell stories, how we can do it authentically and how you can ensure you do no harm to the LGBTQ+ community.
Why does a character do that?
When it comes to writing compelling characters, there is one thing that is often overlooked. What is that character’s motivation?
In this blog post, we’ll look at how you can craft a fascinating character that engages your readers from the very beginning.