A Nonprofit That Rallies, Empowers and Promotes the Queer Geek Community
In this celebration of 300 episodes of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin sits down with Hazel Newlevant, for a look back at the first year of Flame Con (2015) while discussing their work, favorite memories from that inaugural event, and how things have changed for them and the industry in the past 7 years.
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*Podcast is available now, video premieres on YouTube (3/8) at 8:30pm.
In this celebration of 300 episodes of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by his original co-host, Jake Weatherman, and frequent co-host Jon Herzog, as they reflect on the past 7 years, look to the future, and tease our bonus Flame Con Retrospective episodes. *Podcast is available now, video premieres on YouTube (3/8) at 7pm.
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**This episode is dedicated to our friend and frequent guest host, John Jennison who passed last month.
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“It Is Sometimes A Mistake To Climb; It Is Always A Mistake Never Even To Make The Attempt. But Is It Really So Bad, To Fail? If You Do Not Climb, You Will Not Fall. This Is True. But Is It That Bad To Fail, That Hard To Fall? Sometimes You Wake, And Sometimes, Yes, You Die.” – Dream (Sandman)
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Natasha Ngan is a writer and yoga teacher. She grew up between Malaysia, where the Chinese side of her family is from, and the UK. This multicultural upbringing continues to influence her writing, and she is passionate about bringing diverse stories to teens.
Ngan studied Geography at the University of Cambridge before working as a social media consultant and fashion blogger. She lives in France with her partner, where they recently moved from Paris to be closer to the sea. Her novel Girls of Paper and Fire was a New York Times bestseller.
I had the opportunity to interview Natasha, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Thanks so much for having me! I’m a Chinese Malaysian British writer living on the west coast of France with my partner and our little staffie Nova. I love gaming, being by the sea, reading when it’s raining outside, and sharing good food and drink with friends.
How did you find yourself becoming a writer? What drew you to young adult and speculative fiction specifically?
I’ve always been a writer – I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write or dream up imaginary worlds. I love the way YA allows you to explore those integral firsts in life, from love to the beginnings of really understanding your own identity and what you believe in. There’s such hope in YA, too, which as adults is something I think we all need more of. As for spec-fic, there’s definitely an escapist element that speaks to me, especially as I’m disabled, but I also love how it can hold up a mirror to our own world and force us to confront issues we deal with through a different lens.
How would you describe your writing process? What are some of your favorite/ most frustrating parts of the process?
I’m a complete pantster (I don’t plot my books in depth) so a big frustration for me comes from never quite knowing if I’m on the right path. Writing is very instinctual for me, so there’s a lot of need for just trusting in the process – which is difficult, since I’m a very anxious and self-critical person! But luckily it always seems to work out in the end! My stories tend to come to me very acutely in their initial state: a strong sense of setting and concept. I then wallow in that, just kind of daydreaming and jotting down ideas. Once I understand my main character’s POV well enough to place myself in their world and situation, that’s when I begin drafting.
Growing up, were there any books or authors that touched or inspired you as a writer? When do you think you first saw yourself reflected in literature?
Oh, so many! I loved the worldbuilding and magical escapism of The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell; the wit and wacky characters of Philip Ridley; the adventure of Tolkien; the complex heroines and intricate magic system of Garth Nix’s Abhorsen books. Looking back now, though, I see how so many of the authors I read at a young age were white men. Apart from in manga, I didn’t see a lot of my Asian side represented. I can’t honestly pinpoint when it was I started to really see myself in books. Honestly, it’s probably only been quite recently, with the amazing diversification we’re seeing in literature for kids and teens.
What can you tell us about your book series, Girls of Paper and Fire? Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
I had just come off a hard year where a book I’d written and edited with my then agent didn’t sell, and as hard as that was it was also liberating, because I gave myself complete creative freedom with the next one. I was in my mid-twenties and starting to explore my sexuality more, as well as process both old and fresh traumas. When I first went into writing Girls, I didn’t set out to address any of that specifically, it just came out naturally. I had so much fun creating a fantasy world that felt completely authentic to me. I’d touched on my Chinese-Malaysian heritage in my previous two published books, but it wasn’t until Girls that I went all out and fully celebrated who I am and where I come from.
How does it feel to be coming out with Girls of Fate and Fury, the last book in the Girls of Paper and Fire trilogy? How do you feel you’ve changed as an author since the beginning of this series to its completion?
It’s exciting, but there’s a definite bittersweetness. I’ve been working on this series for so long. It’s sad to leave its world and characters behind. I’m so proud of my girls and how far they’ve come, though, and I feel like I’ve journeyed with them, growing in confidence in terms of owning my own identity and power. I hope I’ve improved as an author too. I truly believe everything we write – every word, every book, even the ones that never come close to publication – develops us as writers. There’s no such thing as lost time when it comes to writing. I’m always learning, always pushing myself to critique the process and craft, to write with more intention.
Without too many spoilers, what can we expect from the last book in the series?
Wren and Lei are separated, so for the first time in the series we see things from Wren’s perspective. We get more insight into her motivations and thoughts, and I loved writing about how she thinks of Lei, because if Lei knew just how highly Wren thinks of her it would just be so beautiful. The Kingdom of Ikhara is also now officially at war, so there are battles and much maneuvering for power – both outside and within the Hidden Palace walls.
Aside from being a writer, what are some things you would want others to know about you?
My partner and I have had our gorgeous black staffie Nova for almost half a year now, and she is the absolute best dog in the world and brings me so much joy! I post cute content of her over on @natandnova on Instagram.
If you could go back and tell your early writer-self anything, what do you think you would say?
There will be more books. Don’t worry if this one doesn’t work out; just keep writing.
What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?
Pretty much that! Especially with a first book, it can seem like it’s the only book in the world, that all your success will be weighed by it. But there will always be more stories-of-your-heart to tell. You’re constantly evolving as a person – and so you evolve as a writer. If something doesn’t work out, keep going. Have faith in yourself and write the stories you love, because those to me are the books that really shine.
Are there any other projects you are working on right now and at liberty to speak about?
I’m currently working on a new YA fantasy, which is – thankfully! – a standalone. It’s less about war but rather the legacy of it: how we inherit hate, how prejudices are passed through generations. It’s also a sapphic romance between two highly ambitious girls who might or might not be playing one another. I’ve been having so much fun creating a new world to explore!
Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
Some of my favourite own-voice LGBTQ+ YA writers include Sara Farizan, Julian Winters, Adiba Jaigirdar and Lana Popovic (who also just released a fantastic witchy sapphic adult romance, Payback’s A Witch). I will also forever be recommending Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and House in the Cereulean Sea by T. J. Klune. They’re both adult novels. Song is a heart-breaking Greek epic based on Achilles and Patroclus while House is a comforting, ultra-cosy read about a grumpy caseworker finding his soft side. Both are very queer and absolute brilliant.
Katryn Bury works with middle-grade readers as a youth library technician. A lifelong true crime nerd, she has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminology. Her short and serialized fiction can be found in Suspense Magazine and The Sleuth. She lives in Oakland, California, with her family and a vast collection of Nancy Drew mysteries.
I had the opportunity to interview Katryn, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Thanks for having me! I’m a middle grade writer and a library tech working with youth here in the San Francisco Bay Area. My debut, DREW LECLAIR GETS A CLUE, is set in Oakland, where I live with my husband and irrepressible six-year-old daughter.
Where did the inspiration for Drew Leclair Gets a Clue come from? Did any stories or media inspire the book while you were writing?
Books that I read as a kid, such as Harriet the Spy, and the Nancy Drew series, were definitely early inspirations. I have always loved a good girl detective. For this book, however, my primary inspiration was reading I’ll be Gone in the Dark. I remember reading it and thinking: “wow, I wish I had this kind of hero growing up.” In the book, Drew has a criminal profiler hero, Lita Miyamoto, who was very much inspired by Michelle McNamera.
How would you describe your writing process for this book? What was the querying process like?
My writing process is somewhere between plotter and pantser (plantser?) so I wrote my first draft in a month. Then, I spent several more months revising an idea into an actual story. As for submitting, this book was unlike any other I’ve queried. I got responses that ran the gamut of: “I love this idea!” to “You can’t talk about true crime in a middle grade book; what are you thinking?” I had a lot of interest, but the manuscript really took off thanks to Beth Phelan and the team at #DVpit. After that contest, I got five offers within just a few weeks and signed with my superstar agent, Chelsea Eberly.
Drew Leclair Gets a Clue deals with a subject that gets mixed reactions, true crime. What is the appeal of true crime to you as a fan of the genre?
Like any topic of interest, I think there’s a line between being into true crime and being too into true crime. My interest started, like Drew, when I was just a kid—bonding with my dad and trying to solve Jack the Ripper. Studying the psychology of criminals helped me deal with the “villains” in my own life, from scary strangers, to not-quite-friends, to bullies. That being said, there is another end of the true crime spectrum, including those who have a genuine affection for serial killers and publicly speculate about open cases in a way that I believe can cause harm. For my dad and me, and for so many people who call themselves “murderinos,” true crime isn’t about that. It’s about understanding the mind of a killer in order to feel safe. That sense of security, however false, is compelling.
How did you get into writing, and what drew you to middle grade fiction specifically?
I wrote my first mystery at six (it was very well-received…by my parents) and my first novel at twelve. If I’m being honest, I don’t remember a time in which I wasn’t writing stories. As an early reader, I would frequently run out of books to read. My mother suggested I write more for myself! I have always been drawn to the middle grade space because I adore coming-of-age books. It’s both a blessing and a curse that I remember that time so well.
From your bio and previous interviews, it would appear you have quite a lot in common with your protagonist, from interest in true crime, to both being bisexual and dealing with chronic illness. Was it intentional making this story so personal?
I always set out to write the book of my heart, so everything I write is at least a little personal. The combination of carbohydrates and true crime in this book is a direct homage to my relationship with my father, who passed away in 2017. As for the rest, it comes down to this: as a sick and anxious kid, I read many characters I aspired to be, but none that made me feel seen. The same goes for my coming out as bisexual. That part of me was hidden for a long time because I didn’t see it in the world around me. Media representations were either grim or played for laughs—a big part of why I didn’t come out until later in life. I wanted to write a book that makes kids who are queer, sick, or neurodiverse (or all three!) feel seen. It can be truly life changing to see yourself in what you read.
What advice would you have for aspiring writers?
Everyone tells you to develop a thick skin, but I believe in being yourself. You can be sensitive, as long as you don’t give up.
Aside from writing, what are some things you like to do in your free time?
I can often be found swimming (or just being in the water, really), and I’m a big movie and television watcher. Stories in all forms calm me down. I’ll watch anything with Cary Grant or Audrey Hepburn. I also love reading, as you can imagine, and I still read every new Nancy Drew book.
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
I wish you’d ask what the best Christmas movie of all time is, at which point I could finally tell everyone about the best holiday movie they’ve never seen, Fitzwilly. It stars Dick Van Dyke as a thieving butler who has to pull off a Christmas Eve heist. I promise you; you will not be sorry.
Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?
Oh, dear. I am working on several and I’m not at liberty to speak about any of them yet. But, stay tuned!
What queer books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
I’m can’t wait to get my hands on the many upcoming queer kidlit debuts in 2022. As for what’s out now, in the middle grade space, I adore Kacen Callender, A.J. Sass, and Nicole Melleby (especially In the Role of Brie Hutchens). In YA, I love Becky Albertalli, Leah Johnson, and just finished the amazing Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackson.
Wendy Xu is a bestselling, award-nominated Brooklyn-based illustrator and comics artist. She is the creator of the middle grade fantasy graphic novel TIDESONG (2021 from HarperCollins/Quilltree) and co-creator of MOONCAKES, a young adult fantasy graphic novel published in 2019 from Oni Press. Her work has been featured on Catapult, Barnes & Noble Sci-fi/Fantasy Blog, and Tor.com, among other places. She is currently working on two upcoming graphic novels from HarperCollins. You can find more art on her instagram or on twitter.
I had the opportunity to interview Wendy, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
On a good day I have anywhere between twenty and thirty bees in my head, on a bad day there’s like forty to seventy. That is to say, I’m a comics artist who lives in Brooklyn with my partner and cat. I like to cook when I’m not drawing, but I like to eat marginally more than I like to cook.
How did you find yourself getting into comics? What drew you to this medium?
When I was a very small kid, some of my first books were collections of children’s comics. They were all in Chinese, which I couldn’t read, but I enjoyed deducing the story from the images, and I loved trying to draw like the illustrations I saw. When I got a little older, I started reading manga. I was really fortunate to have a great librarian at my town library in high school who loved comics and manga too, and because of her collection developmentI had an amazing stash of books to check out and read while I was there. I believe it was Lynda Barry (whose book, MAKING COMICS, I frequently refer to when planning drawing exercises for my own students– she has worked extensively with kids) who said that to a very young child, words and pictures go naturally together and only when they get older do these two categories become distinct and more rigid. As a child, that distinction was never really made for me, and I am thankful that comics have been with me my whole life.
As an artist, would you say there are any other artists or comics that have influenced your creative style or inspired you personally?
CLAMP, Rumiko Takahashi, Fuyumi Soryo, and Hayao Miyazaki are some of my earliest and biggest influences.
What are some of your favorite parts about creating a graphic novel?
Conceptually: worldbuilding. It’s fun to play in a universe and figure out the mechanics of it, as well as how the environment contributes to all of the aesthetic sensibilities that exist. Technically: inking, when all of the hard writing and art bits are over with and your only focus is to make it look polished and good.
Your first published graphic novel, Mooncakes, explores queer characters, magic and witchcraft. Where did the idea for this project come from and what was it like working on the comic with your co-creator, Suzanne Walker?
I’ve always wanted to do a love story between a witch and a werewolf– I think the earliest inspiration for that comes from reading Amelia Atwater-Rhodes in the library when I was in middle school, but also a smutty witch/werewolf romance that got passed to me in eighth grade as contraband. A ways out of college, I asked my friend Suzanne if she wanted to do this comic together with me, because she wrote fun fanfictions and I occasionally drew little accompanying art for them, and I thought she could do the part I didn’t like, which is piecing the story together, and I could do the fun (although in comics, way more labor intensive part). All of the creative visual executive decisions were left to me, although Suzanne gave input on things she had direct experience with, like Nova’s hearing aids.
What advice would you have for those who want to make comics?
Draw your own comic. I don’t care how crappy you are at art, you will never understand pacing or visual storytelling if you don’t sit down to draw. Use stick figures if you have to, but piece together a story panel by panel, visually, and you will learn what comics are about more than sitting down to write a script and then passing it off to someone else to draw.
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
“What brushes do you use”; the answer is: too many. I am a digital brush hoarder and I like to experiment with all of them. I feel like I am trying to find the elusive White Whale of Brushes, but that’s never going to happen. I can keep trying though.
Are there any other projects you are currently working on and at liberty to talk about?
I am currently working on my second solo graphic novel, THE INFINITY PARTICLE, a young adult book about a girl and robot who fall in love. It’s set on Mars in the distant future, and grapples with a lot of thoughts I have about technology and consciousness, and it is also a response to the invasive encroachment of Big Tech into all of our daily lives. My biggest fantasy that I put into this book is that in the distant future there is no Internet, no Web 3.0, and most of all, no tech billionaires or NFTs. I’m also playing around with ideas for a few more projects, including one inspired by the Neolithic in East Asia.
Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/ authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
Estranged by Ethan Aldridge, O Human Star by Blue Delliquanti, Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens, Don’t Go Without Me by Rosemary Valero O’ Connell, On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden, Girl Town by Casey Nowak, Witchy by Ariel Ries, Hotblood! by Toril Orlesky, and K. O’Neill’s upcoming Mothkeeper. I love Casey McQuiston’s wit. If we’re allowed to talk about short stories, Kimberly Wang’s new comic “Of Thunder and Lightning” on their gumroad is some fantastic visual storytelling. The short story “Attack Helicopter” by Isabel Fall was the most refreshing thing I’d read in sci-fi in a minute, if you can find it online.
Amina Luqman-Dawson loves using writing to tell stories and to build an understanding of race, culture and community. Her published writing includes op-eds in newspapers, magazine articles, travel writing and book reviews. She authored the pictorial history book Images of America: African Americans of Petersburg (Arcadia Publishing) as well as the novel Freewater. She’s worked as a policy professional, researcher and consultant on issues of education and criminal justice. She has a BA in Political Science from Vassar College and a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley. She’s a proud mother of a 13-year-old son. She, her husband and son reside in Arlington, VA.
I had the opportunity to interview Amina which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born in New York City yet raised in Lynwood, California (that’s in Los Angeles County). I am trained as a policy professional, however, part of me had a desire to write. For years I moonlighted as a writer. I did op-eds for newspapers that appeared in the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle and more. I also did travel writing for a magazine and some journal article writing. I wrote a pictorial history book entitled Images of America: African Americans of Petersburg (Virginia). These were all wonderful experiences. Still, I had a desire to write fiction. Over several years, I undertook the project to write Freewater.
What can you tell us about your newest book, Freewater? Where did the inspiration for the story come from?
Freewater is the story of two children, Homer and Ada, who escape enslavement on a plantation. They run into a nearby swamp and deep within it, they discover a clandestine community of formerly enslaved runaways, called Freewater. Homer and Ada meet other kids while in Freewater and they learn what it means to be free and find lots of adventure along the way.
I was inspired by a very cool nugget of history—maroons in America. Enslaved people who sought refuge deep in the swamps and forests of the south. Many were caught, but some managed to survive and live free. That’s quite an inspirational piece of history. What was equally motivating was using that maroon setting to connect young readers to the lives, hearts and minds of enslaved children. That felt like important work. Inspiration also helps when you have a great support system around you.
As a writer, where did you find your love for storytelling? And what drew you to the realm of historical fiction, as well as fiction for younger readers?
Growing up I loved reading fiction. I always think of my middle grade years as the best reading time of my life. The stories felt so vivid and I truly felt like I was being taken to new places through them. I think that’s why I chose to make Freewater a middle grade book. I wanted to create that same feeling for my son, and for other kids in their middle grade years. I’ve also always enjoyed learning about history through storytelling. As an adult I see the importance of sharing history, particularly history that has been overlooked or rarely told. In particular, I was struck by the way our nation tends to treat its history of slavery and the enslaved people within that system. There’s great avoidance, fear, pain and awkwardness surrounding how we feel about the subject. I knew historical fiction could address that shortcoming. My book creates an opportunity to place hope, empowerment and love at the center of how we feel about enslaved people and decenters feelings of victimization and pain.
How would you describe your writing process? What helps you become or stay inspired and motivated?
This is my debut novel so I can only speak to this experience. I researched and wrote this novel off and on over several years. I began with a very rough draft of about fifty pages. Those fifty pages had the basic arc of the story. From there I revised and revised more times than I can recall. Each time the story became more layered and the characters deepened. I felt inspired to continue because I thought it was an important story to tell. I was lucky because I also had a wonderful support system of people who kept encouraging me to continue, particularly my husband.
What are some of your favorite parts of writing when it comes to craft? What do you find are some of the most challenging or difficult for you personally?
I think I most enjoy crafting a great story. In Freewater I was always preoccupied with the movement of the story and keeping the reader’s attention in a way that made sense. It’s great fun taking readers to the edge of their seats. In writing I most feared character development. It was new to me and I wanted the characters to resonate with readers. As a result, I started writing the story using very few characters. During revisions I layered on each one separately. It was a laborious process, and in the end I’d say the characters in Freewater are what I’m most proud of in the book.
Aside from your work as a writer, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?
I’m also a mom of a fabulous thirteen-year-old son. Hmmm, here’s some other random stuff. I love historical documentaries. I have a bird’s nest outside my window and I spend lots of time peeking in at the birds who choose to nest there. There’s nothing better than a nice urban park.
What are some things you would want readers to take away from your book, Freewater?
I want readers to leave feeling that they’ve connected to people who were enslaved. If they feel connected, some of the awkwardness, pain and fear we tend to carry around about the nation’s enslaved ancestors will have been washed away.
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
What are some great things to take your manuscript from an idea to a published work?
It really takes a team. First, it’s great to have your personal team. Your partner or friends and family cheering you on. Then it’s great to have your writing team—a seasoned writer as a mentor, a new writer like yourself who is also trying to figure things out and other people whose opinion you trust. Then it’s great to being open suggestions and to taking chances with your writing.
What advice might you have to give to other aspiring writers?
Keep writing. If you aren’t finding the success you seek, bring other writers (new and seasoned) into your life for feedback and support. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your writing, it can always be revised or re-written. FREEWATER is my debut novel and at several junctures I wasn’t sure of my ability to write in one way or another. I soon learned the value of taking the leap and trying to do the things I most feared.
Do you have any books to recommend for the readers of Geeks OUT?
I have a fabulous picture book I just purchased for my niece and nephew! It’s entitled When Langston Dances, by Kaija Langley. It’s a wonderful story of a Black boy who loves dance despite feeling the pressures of only doing other things like basketball. It’s great for readers to see kids outside of their typical gendered spaces.
Header photo taken by Zachariah Dawson
Rosiee Thor (she/they) began her career as a storyteller by demanding to tell her mother bedtime stories instead of the other way around. She spent her childhood reading by flashlight in the closet until she came out as queer. She lives in Oregon with a dog, two cats, and an abundance of plants. She is the author of Young Adult novels Tarnished Are The Stars and Fire Becomes Her and the picture book The Meaning of Pride.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Thanks for having me! I’m Rosiee, a queer author of YA science fiction and fantasy. Since I grew up without stories that reflected my identity or experience, I love writing about queer kids having adventures and saving the day. I’m also an avid gardener and mediocre gamer.
When did you know you were first interested in writing, and what drew you specifically to young adult fiction and speculative fiction?
I’ve always been a bit of a storyteller. When I was little, I would spin outrageous tales for my parents—they’d probably call it lying but… semantics. I wrote my first story down on actual paper when I was in fifth grade, and I kind of just kept going from there. I didn’t really understand that being an author was a real job that I could grow up to have until I came across a novel that was written by a teenager. I remember my mom making a huge deal out of that fact when she brought the book home for me and then I connected the dots. I think I gravitate toward young adult books mostly because those are the books that shaped me as a storyteller, but also because I saw a real lack of stories about people like me when I was growing up. LGBTQIA+ stories were hard to come by when I was a teenager. There were a few—Tamora Pierce’s circle of magic books, for example, really inspired me—but I was such a voracious reader that I ran out of options pretty quickly. As an adult, I still crave those stories, so I wrote for the teen I was and for the teens out there now who may need to see themselves reflected in fiction.
What can you tell us about your latest novel, Fire Becomes Her? Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
The initial inspiration for Fire Becomes Her came from a song: “Burn” from Hamilton. As an aromantic asexual person who avoids relationships like the plague, I’ve never really felt romantic betrayal, which is what the song is about, but as I listened, I was reminded of a different type of betrayal—the betrayal of a government failing to protect its people. I wrote most of Fire Becomes Her during 2020, truly a banner year for political disappointment, and it allowed me to process my emotions about living in a country where my elected officials seem more interested in grand standing than governing. As an author, I write most often from a place of frustration—almost all of my story ideas come from me being annoyed or angry about some system or other. For Tarnished Are The Stars, my first novel, that was the American healthcare system; for Fire Becomes Her, it was wealth inequality and voter disenfranchisement. I realize that’s not a particularly flashy inspiration, but it’s the truth.
As a historical fantasy fiction book set in the 1920s, I’m assuming there was some research involved in Fire Becomes Her. Could you maybe tell us about that?
It actually involved less research than you might think! The world of Fire Becomes Her is a 1920s inspired fantasy analogue called Candesce. It’s a city-state with some similarities to our world, but with one major difference: fire magic. In order to maintain the 1920s vibe, I promised myself that I wouldn’t include anything that wouldn’t have existed in the 1920s, so I did a fair amount of research about certain technologies and architecture. I ended up fudging that rule on a few things to make room for more modern discussions of sexuality and gender identities, but it did make for some interesting google searches!
As an aspec reader, I’m always grateful to see more aspec fiction in the world. Could you talk your personal motivation in writing aromantic/asexual characters and what representation in general means to you?
As an aromantic asexual spectrum person, it’s important to me to create representation that would have resonated with me as a young person. I try to write from a place of authenticity, and I think Ingrid—the main character in Fire Becomes Her—is one of the most honestly written characters I’ve created. Her story came directly from my own as an aromantic person living under compulsory hetero-allo-normativity. The expectations of our community (or even our own interpretations of those expectations) can be wildly damaging, and I experienced that firsthand. I wanted to write a narrative for Ingrid that allowed her to confront that expectation and choose for herself what kind of love she wanted. It was also important to me to include multiple examples of aspec representation, so while Ingrid is aromantic-spec bisexual, there is also an aro/ace side character, a transmasc non-binary asexual, and a central queerplatonic partnership.
How would you describe your writing process? What do you find are some of your favorite (or most frustrating) parts of writing?
I am simultaneously a rigid outliner and a discovery writer—which makes for a very weird process. Basically, I like to go in with a pretty clear plan and I always write an outline before I start drafting, but a lot of it ends up going out the window once I get some words on paper. Character is central for me when I’m working on a new book, which is the main thing I discovery write. If a character ends up a little different than I originally planned, it can impact the rest of the story pretty heavily, and I may have to start over. For example, in the original plan for Fire Becomes Her, Ingrid’s boyfriend was meant to be a bit of a player, but when I started writing, he came out a lot softer and honestly just a total simp for Ingrid. I had to completely change my plan to make room for his character, and I’m so glad I did because his arc ended up being one of my favorites to write!
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
My best advice is to write something you love. If you want to be an author, you’ll have to work on your book through a lot of drafts, and that’s way more tolerable if you love your story! Don’t try to make your book more palatable to the masses at the expense of the things you love most about it. You are your own first reader, so it’s important for you to like your own work first and foremost.
Besides being a writer, what are some things you would want your readers to know about you?
Other than writing, I love to garden, cook, and play video games. I’m not particularly great at any of them, but I love having hobbies that I can be mediocre at and still enjoy. After a childhood of trying to be perfect, it’s been really nice to let go of that and allow myself to love things just because they’re fun. I’ve been enjoying experimenting with making different kinds of soup, learning to grow herbs indoors for the winter, and blundering my way through playing Breath of the Wild.
Are there any projects you are working on or thinking about that you are able to discuss?
I’m working on a bunch of stuff I’m super excited about! I make it a habit not to talk about them in too much detail too early on, mostly because projects can change so much while I’m still learning what they’re about and how I want to write them, but I can say that I’m working on branching out into new genres and age categories this year. I’m excited to be publishing my first picture book in April this year, and I’m working on developing some middle grade and adult projects too! I love to challenge myself to write outside my comfort zone, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.
Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
I have a lot of favorites, but a few recent standouts are A.M. Strickland’s In The Ravenous Dark, which is a dark fantasy about a pansexual, polyamorous princess; Alechia Dow’s The Kindred, which takes the soulmate trope to space with a demisexual main character; and Mara Fitzgerald’s Beyond the Ruby Veil and Into The Midnight Void fantasy duology about a chaotic lesbian with a knife and her villain origin story.
S. Isabelle is a reader, writer, and hoarder of books. After earning a Master’s degree in library science, she took that love of reading to youth librarianship. Her short story “Break” was featured in the anthology Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading & Writing YA. The Witchery is her debut young adult novel. When she isn’t throwing books at teenagers, you can find her binge-watching TV shows, drinking heavily-sweetened coffee, or stressing over baseball.
I had the opportunity to interview S. Isabelle, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Sure! I’m S. Isabelle, a writer, reader, and hoarder of books. THE WITCHERY is my debut novel, and I’m also a teen librarian.
How would you describe your upcoming book, The Witchery? Where did the inspiration for the story come from?
The Witchery is the culmination of all of my favorite pop-culture tropes. It’s got a big cast like X-Men, epic magical scenes like my favorite anime, but is also a character-focused YA fantasy along the lines of Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Boys. It also incorporates some classic YA paranormal tropes, but also has Black kids front and center, which is my favorite thing about it.
Could you tell us about what some of the characters we can expect to see in The Witchery?
I’m so excited for everyone to meet this ensemble cast of messy, magical teens! There’s Jailah, the sociable and ambitious witch with a spell for everything; Iris, the necromancer with a heart of gold; Thalia, a quiet greenwitch hiding a terrible secret; and Logan, the new girl in town who gets in a little over her head with magic. That’s the main coven of teen witches, but there are two mundanes who get pulled into the adventure–Trent, a sweet boy digging into the mystery surrounding his witchy mother’s death, and his best friend Mathew, who doesn’t know what he’s even doing here since he has no connection to magic… or so he thinks. The relationship between these six grows and changes throughout the novel–sometimes they’re all BFFs, other times it gets fraught–and I’m really proud of how their stories turned out.
How did you get into writing, and what drew you to Young Adult and speculative fiction specifically?
I’ve always sort of had my head in the clouds, and growing up, I often daydreamed up my own stories based on my life, or my favorite media. I didn’t actively start writing novels until college, and once I started, I knew I’d wanted to pursue publication. Writing paranormal is especially exciting to me, and I love that mix of the fantastic and the real. I definitely want to write for younger kids and adults in the future, but YA is such a fun playground, and I really enjoy writing characters who are just starting to figure themselves out, falling into first loves, and deciding who they want to be.
How would you describe your writing process? What are some of your favorite things about writing?
My writing process is organized chaos. New projects usually start with a really interesting scene, something right in the beginning or at the very end, and my imagination lets loose, thinking about all the ways to get the characters to and from those points. I can’t be as much of a pantser as I used to be (deadlines will do that to you!) but I still don’t make super detailed outlines. For me, the best parts of writing are when I’ve finally figured out some vital plot point or necessary connection that had eluded me. That moment of oh, I know how to make this work is so satisfying. Also, typing THE END is always really great.
Besides being a writer, what are some things you would like others to know about you?
While I’m completely unathletic, I’m very into watching sports, so if you catch me in a bad mood, just assume that my team lost and I need a moment.
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
I love talking craft! I think I could go on for hours about how to balance multi-POV narratives and big ensemble casts, and would love to be asked about how to juggle intersecting storylines. To keep it short and sweet, I’ll say that my number one advice is to make sure that each character has a storyline outside of the group, and that if you were to pluck them out of that setting, that they’d still be a fully fleshed character in their own right.
What advice might you have to give to other aspiring writers?
My favorite piece of advice for writers, especially those looking at traditional publishing, is “eyes on your own paper.” Being a marginalized creator, sometimes it can be hard to keep from worrying that you’re going to miss a trend, or that a publisher will pass on your project because it sounds too similar to a book by another author who shares that marginalization. Admittedly, I spent a lot of time worrying about what other writers were doing while I was on submission, and it was such a waste of time! Focus on your craft, your projects, and the dreams you have for yourself.
Are there other projects you are working on and at liberty to discuss?
I can’t talk openly about what’s coming next at the moment, but I will have a YA book coming in 2023 that I can’t wait to shout about!
Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
I recently read Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun, which was excellent. In the YA space, Aiden Thomas, Leah Johnson, and Kalynn Bayron are definitely authors to be following. Francesca May (Wild and Wicked Things) and Aaron H. Aceves (This is Why They Hate Us) are fellow #22debuts whose work I’m highly looking forward to reading!
Kristina Luu, she/they, is a queer Vietnamese Canadian comic artist and illustrator from Vancouver, BC. She loves making colourful worlds and stories full of diverse characters and little moments of magic and joy. The first volume of the BESTIES graphic novels series written by Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino is available now. She’s also the creator of “Intercosmic“, an all-ages space fantasy webcomic published through Hiveworks.
I had the opportunity to interview Kristina, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT and congratulations on your new book, BESTIES: Work It Out. Could you tell us a little about yourself and the project?
Hello! Thank you for having me here. It’s a real honour and pleasure. I’m Kristina Luu, a queer Vietnamese cartoonist based in Canada! My pronouns are she/they, with no preference for either.
BESTIES: Work It Out is my official published comics debut and I couldn’t be more excited and proud of it. It’s a Middle-Grade graphic novel written by the incredible duo Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino. I had the honour of illustrating the adventures of Beth and Chanda – a pair of best friends who have a knack for fashion, big dreams, and mayhem. The book is all about learning what it means to be responsible for your actions and behaviour.
How did you get into illustration? What drew you to becoming an artist?
I’ve loved drawing cartoons ever since I was a young kid! I used to draw on piles and piles of printer paper and on the walls. My parents did not like that particularly. I also used to spend hours watching animated films and shows every night and the love of animation and cartoons never left me honestly.
I’ve always loved how artists can turn something vague, mundane, or even empty into something. With a single drawing, you’ve made a whole fantastical world I can dive right into and spark my imagination. At the same time, I loved how art was a way of communicating too. It’s a voice, or a story, or an idea, put on paper or canvas! It’s the closest thing to turning your imagination into reality and the appeal of it has never left me since.
Were there any artists or books growing up that inspired or influenced your style?
For me, the biggest inspiration was actually Adventure Time. I watched a lot of it during my middle school years and would draw fan art all the time trying to imitate the style and designs of the show. I was honestly obsessed with it and had my own fan characters, t-shirts, merch – you name it! As a teen, I read Kazu Kibuishi’s Amulet and Tony Diterlizzi’s Wondla series and was utterly obsessed with both of those too. So much of my earlier art draws inspiration from them, as well as some classic Disney films as well. I only got into manga and anime much later in life, but that also completely shifted how I drew in my college years.
For those curious about the process behind a graphic novel, how would you describe it?
I think it’s fair to say that creating graphic novels is a lengthier and more complex process than most people expect. It seems quite simple at first glance, but then you realize each page is a piece of artwork in itself! Each panel is a drawing, and that’s not even mentioning the writing and planning that goes beforehand too. Comics aren’t just “drawing what happens”. When you think about “who says what in each panel” or “what page layout works best for this story”, you realize there’s a lot of thought and care that goes into drawing a page. And gosh, can you imagine how many hours it takes to make just one page? Think of that but times 100 now! It takes a lot of time and effort to make comics, so it’s truly a labour of love.
What are some of your favorite things about making comics?
Comics are a fusion of art and writing – two of my favourite creative outlets! I love how versatile and honest comics feel and how it allows creators to share their own unique and independent voice. You usually don’t see that kind of thing through more “mainstream” media, like a TV show or something that has a massive creative team behind it. Until recently, webcomics and indie comics were one of the only places I could find really honest and nuanced representations of LGBT+ people for a long time because they were made by other queer people who just wanted to share their own voice. Comics are also so accessible for audiences and creators alike. Almost anyone can make one, and it’s so easy to just put them on the internet for people to read. It’s a medium that allows for some truly unique creator-driven storytelling and human connection, and that is what I love most.
When you’re not drawing, what do you enjoy doing or consuming in your free time?
I love writing! I suppose that goes hand-in-hand with drawing when you’re a comic artist. I have absolutely no intention to publish a written novel, but I still love writing in my spare time all the same.
As for hobbies, I play a lot of video games and read lots of novels. I’m a big fan of fantasy RPGs of any kind. As for reading, I tend to read mostly Middle-grade, Young Adult, and Adult Science-Fiction/Fantasy and LGBT+ stories. I try to read almost every night. It helps calm my brain down after a long day.
When my head isn’t staring at a screen or in a book somehow, I also really love delving into craft hobbies and outdoor activities too. I’m a big fan of hiking, biking, camping, and just recently picked up bouldering. It’s been so nice to have an active outlet when I spend so much of my days in my own head or in front of a screen.
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
I wish more people would ask me what I like drawing most. While I do love beautiful scenery and fuzzy animals, for me, it’s always been people. I don’t necessarily mean character design or portraits. I really just enjoy drawing characters emoting and interacting! Particularly, dancing. While drawing action can be fun, I just love how much emotion there is in dancing. It’s an act of pure joy and self-expression.
The world is filled with so many people and they are all so much more interesting beyond the way they look! You can tell so much about a pair of characters just from how they interact. Are they lovers, family, archenemies, best friends? We all express so much with just our faces and body language. I’ll always find it intriguing.
What advice would you have to give for other aspiring artists?
YOU are more valuable than your art.
I’ve always been a huge advocate for taking care of yourself first and foremost as an artist: body and mind. I’m not just talking about making art. I also mean how you think about making art. Art can and should be fun but you should never compromise your wellbeing for the sake of art. The idea of the “tortured creative artist” is so harmful! You will always be able to make better art when you are healthy and happy. Don’t hurt your back by drawing 24/7. Get up and take care of your body. Don’t let “not being good enough” hold you back from drawing. That’s not good for your brain. Surround yourself with good friends who elevate you. Your peers are NOT your competition, but your support system. Learn how to be kind to both your body and mind, and it’ll carry you a long long way as an artist.
Are there other projects you are currently working on and at liberty to discuss?
Absolutely! I’m currently developing my own original graphic novel. There isn’t much to show for it yet, but I’m hoping to make my author/illustrator debut some time in the future so stay tuned! I’m also still working on Intercosmic, my all-ages space fantasy webcomic. It’s been on hiatus this year, but there are plans to return to working on it next year and I’m very excited for it! I’ve also got a few smaller independent comics in the works that I’m making mostly for myself, such as journal comics and experimental short stories. With my upcoming projects, I’m hoping to explore more topics such as queer identity as person of colour and the complexities of Asian diaspora and generational divides.
Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/comics would you commend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
Oh, where do I even begin!
For LGBT+ comics and manga, I absolutely love Nimona by Noelle Stevensen, The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang, Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani, Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Lane, and of course My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi.
As for novels, I read mostly fiction and fantasy. Personally, I really enjoyed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Happy reading, everyone!
In this super-sized lead up to the 300th episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Graham Nolan, as they discuss the complex queer drama in the latest episodes of Euphoria, the banning of Maus by a school board, and celebrate Nyle DiMarco joining the Queer as Folk reboot in This Week in Queer.
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KEVIN: Tennessee School Board bans Maus
GRAHAM: New trailer for final season of Killing Eve
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KEVIN: The Legend of Vox Machina, Euphoria, Sabretooth, The X-Cellent
GRAHAM: X Deaths of Wolverine, Nightwing, those video game ads in Grindr, Omelet
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New trailer for Joe vs Carole
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Peacock’s Queer as Folk reboot adds Nyle Dimarco
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New trailer for part 4 of Disenchantment
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MOVIES
• New trailer for Texas Chainsaw Massacre requel
• A new Masters of the Universe movie is being developed for Netflix
• Paramount orders a new Scream sequel
• Dakota Johnson cast as Madame Web for a solo film
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TV
• Cast announcements for Tales of the Walking Dead
• New teaser for what’s coming to Peacock this year
• New trailer for Halo tv series
• More Star Trek series are being developed
• Disney+ officially orders Percy Jackson series
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COMIC BOOKS
• More comics announced for Substack from some big names
• Marvel announces Eternals/Avengers/X-men event series Judgment Day
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SHILF
• KEVIN: Vax (Legend of Vox Machina)
• GRAHAM: None, until I have way more therapy