Can you use pronouns for a non-binary character without confusing readers?

Can you use pronouns for a non-binary character without confusing readers? I recently read a ghost story (link below) by Nadine Rodriguez that successfully uses they/them for the protagonist. The story works because: • Rodriguez almost always keeps plural items and multiple persons grammatically isolated from the protagonist’s they. • The author is non-binary themself, … Continue reading Can you use pronouns for a non-binary character without confusing readers? →

Second Draft DONE!

Yesterday I finished the second draft of my horror novella set in a dystopian society called the Colony. The story takes place in the 1980s with real world events sneaking in. I sent the story off to a beta reader. Betas are golden.:-) The working tagline: Ward hates his job. He slaughters animals for a … Continue reading Second Draft DONE! →

The Odd Writer

I was 21, about to graduate from college and set up my own household, you know, with a sofa that didn’t come from the curb, ceramic plates instead of paper plates, and real cups instead of the plastic freebies with the school mascot on the side. Bring this cup back for a free fountain drink … Continue reading The Odd Writer →

One Sentence Reviews: My 1st Quarter 2021 Reads

I’m excited to share one-sentence reviews for my top 25 reads of first quarter 2021! (In alphabetical order by author or editor.) Wings & Fire: A horror anthology compiled by Dan Alatorre. There is such a wide variety of stories here, from dystopian to vampires, from not-so-interesting to excellent stories, the latter category making the … Continue reading One Sentence Reviews: My 1st Quarter 2021 Reads →

Slug Story Accepted, Happy Dance!

For Nanowrimo 2020, my goal was to write four short stories, edit them, and submit them to paying markets. I ended up deleting a story (because it was plain silly), but three out of four ain’t bad. One of the Nano stories I wrote is about slugs, a mom/scientist who knows all about mollusks, and … Continue reading Slug Story Accepted, Happy Dance! →

How to Study the Craft of Writing

Studying the craft of writing is different than studying math or science. In college (I studied engineering) my classmates and I furiously scribbled down what the prof was writing on the board. Usually it was sample equations, things we’d see again on an exam. Our notes were top to bottom, pretty straight forward. I was … Continue reading How to Study the Craft of Writing →