In the return of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Michelle Rose, as they discuss our first look at The Matrix: Resurrections, WandaVision making history at the Emmy’s for the MCU, and celebrate our first trailer for season two of We’re Here in This Week in Queer.
KEVIN: Shang-Chi, Kate, Malignant, Only Murders in the Building, Killer Queens, Nine Stones MICHELLE: The MCU, The Tomorrow War, Big Brother, Supergirl, Marvel’s What If, Clickbait
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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER
WandaVision makes MCU history winning first Emmy award
• Marvel severs ties with anti-semetic artist Joe Bennett • Marvel launches updated Marvel Unlimited app with Infinity Comics • DC premieres new Batman comic on WEBTOON
Gabriela Martins is a Brazilian kidlit author and linguist. Her stories feature Brazilian characters finding themselves and love. She was a high school teacher and has also worked as a TED Ed-Club facilitator, where she helped teens develop their own talks in TED format. She edited and self-published a pro-bono LGBTQ+ anthology (Keep Faith) with all funds going to queer people in need. When she’s not writing, she can be found cuddling with her two cats or singing loudly and off-key. Like a Love Song is her debut novel. Find her on Twitter at @gabhimartins and on Instagram at @gabhi.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Thank you so much for having me, friends! I’m super excited to be here! I’m Gabriela Martins, a Brazilian author, and LIKE A LOVE SONG is my debut. I was an English teacher for ten years and I’m also a linguist, now writing full-time while my cats cuddle on my lap.
How did you find yourself getting into writing fiction, particularly Young Adult?
I’ve always written fiction. My first-ever book was a rip-off of one of my favorite books at 11 years-old, only it was a lot gorier, and the protagonist was suspiciously like me. From then on, I wrote fanfic for many more years before starting to try to get published traditionally. And I tried and tried for a decade! I queried a handful of books, and they were all YA. I was always drawn to narratives that explore firsts, and being around teenagers for such a long time as a teacher has also definitely helped.
Your debut novel, Like A Love Song, features a Brazilian protagonist along with a variety of queer characters. As a queer, Brazilian author yourself have you ever felt like you were writing yourself, or parts of yourself, into this story? Also, was the title inspired by the Selena Gomez song?
I think we all write parts of ourselves in our stories, but being queer, especially so when we’re writing a story about finding out who you are, and having the courage to own up to it. My main character in the book isn’t queer, but she faces her own issues with self-acceptance throughout the book, more in relation to her heritage.
While Natalie, our main character, isn’t queer herself—which is also a conscious choice, as I grew up with the social and cultural message that queerness was contagious, and not truly who I was, just a product of being around so many queer people—her two closest friends and love interest are. I align way more with chaotic bi and sweatpants-loving Brenda than with all of Nati’s glamour in being a pop star, but I think there are bits and pieces of me in all of them in different ways.
The title actually came way later! The book’s initial title was You Can Call Me Nati, but our publishing team wanted that could tell you right off the bat that it was a romcom book and also showcase the musical aspect with a song as the title. I absolutely loved their suggestion, and we ran with it!
How would you describe your writing process? What do you wish you had known when you first started writing?
I wish I had known that revision is a biiiiiig deal. Before the shift from aspiration to day job, I am embarrassed to admit that… it’s not even that I wasn’t good at revising, I simply didn’t do it. I queried lots of books without having properly revised them. I didn’t even know how to. I write relatively clean drafts, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need tons of revisions! Working with skilled editors—my agent has a decade of history working as a RH editor prior to becoming an agent—helped me understand where my weaknesses are, so I can do a slightly better job at self-revising before I show anyone else my work. But I will say that I won’t be caught dead sharing a first draft with anyone, ever! That baby needs to sleep for a few days before I read it over and convince myself it’s not as bad as I think it is before I can even share with my critique partners. lol
Aside from your own book, is there any Brazilian media (i.e. books, movies/TV, music, etc.) you would want people to know about?
There are so many good things. Brazilian art is deeply prolific, and some of my favorite medias of all kinds are Brazilian. My favorite romcom movie of all time is Brazilian (“O Homem do Futuro”, a romcom/scifi crossover that is hilarious, nostalgic, and ultra-swoony). My favorite pop singer, IZA, is Brazilian, and I grew up with rock stars who were out and proud and defined rock’n’roll in Brazil: names like the late Cazuza, Cássia Eller, Renato Russo, but also Lulu Santos. Netflix recently released a Netflix Original called “Cidade Invisível” (Invisible City), a crime/fantasy show about Brazilian legends with a new spin.
Since your debut book is obviously inspired by music, did you listen to any specific artists while writing it? And who would you say are some of your favorite artists?
The album “Lover” by Taylor Swift had just come out, so I had that on repeat while I was drafting and revising. Funny thing, then “SOUR” by Olivia Rodrigo came out earlier this year, and I’ve been listening to that non-stop ever since! I feel like “Brutal” is just perfect for the book. I wish that song had been around already before the book was published, so I could add it as an epigraph. It’s just perfect.
As a writer, who or what you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration?
I read a lot and across a lot of different genres, so I feel like I should say books, but I do that for pleasure. What fills my well and ignites my veins really is music. Even little sparks of a story—a trope, a character name, the idea of a situation—only really take shape once I start listening to songs that fill in the blanks, and it snowballs from there. Some of the albums on repeat on my Spotify lately are SUNMI’s “1/6”, Taemin’s “Advice”, Olivia Rodrigo’s “SOUR”, Sum 41’s “Underclass Hero”, and Kid Abelha’s “Educação Sentimental”.
Are there any projects you are currently working on and at liberty to speak about?
In summer 2022 my sophomore book comes out, also with Underlined/PRH. It’s called BAD AT LOVE and it features Daniel, a rocker with a bad rep of being a player—but who’s actually super shy and only suffered a million tabloid misunderstandings—and Sasha, a stubborn and cynical teen journalist with no chance of going to college… until their paths cross. Daniel is challenged by his bandmates to date Sasha for the whole summer on a bet, and she’s offered a chance at a scholarship if she can find the dirtiest dirt on L.A.’s favorite bad boy. He is demi and she is pan, and I can’t wait for you to meet them too!
Finally, what LGBTQ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
Daniel Aleman was born and raised in Mexico City. A graduate of McGill University, he is passionate about books, coffee, and Mexican food. After spending time in Montreal and the New York City area, he now lives in Toronto, where he is on a never-ending search for the best tacos in the city. You can connect with him on Twitter (@Dan_Aleman) and Instagram (@danaleman). I had the opportunity to talk with Daniel, which you can read below.
First of all, congratulations on your new book, Indivisible! Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
Thank you so much! This story came from a deep desire to tell a story about immigration in my own terms. I wanted to write a book about immigrant characters that felt human, compassionate, and sincere, and which showed us a perspective that is different from what we tend to see on the news.
I feel as though representation of immigration in media tends to focus on the political and legal dimensions of this crisis, and I wanted to talk about it for what it really is: a human issue.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? How did you find yourself coming into the creative writing field?
I’ve been a storyteller my whole life. I started writing short stories when I was seven or eight years old, and I went on to write full-length novels by the time I was a teenager. Writing has always been such an intrinsic part of who I am, and the thought of becoming a published writer has always been in the back of my mind.
I started pursuing the path to publication when I was in college, which was when I began to learn about the process of finding a literary agent. It took me four different manuscripts and many years to sign with my agent, but ultimately, I feel like all the rejections I received helped shape me into the writer I am today.
What books or authors inspired you growing up? Who and what inspires you now?
I have deep admiration for series like Twilight and The Hunger Games, which sparked in me (and millions of other readers) a huge passion for young adult literature.
Nowadays, a couple of authors I absolutely love are Angie Thomas and Jodi Picoult, who have inspired me in more ways than I can count. I love books that tackle complex topics in a human, nuanced way that is accessible to broad audiences, and that is something that both Angie and Jodie do flawlessly.
The book’s focus on deportation and inequality in America’s treatment of immigrants is a truly relevant issue for all of us to focus on, especially now. As an immigrant, do you feel like have own life experiences have influenced your process writing this book?
Absolutely! There are many pieces of myself and my family in this story. Many of the emotions that the characters experience in INDIVISIBLE come from a very personal place, and I do believe I was able to portray a unique experience in this book, seeing as my own family immigrated from Mexico.
There is a famous quote, “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.” What are your thoughts on the ability of fiction as a medium for truth-telling and activism?
I adore that quote, because I believe it’s so accurate. I find that fiction can reveal so many things about ourselves and the world around us. In my case, I use fiction to understand myself better. In my writing, I explore many of the things that I fear and that I wish to change in the world, and my characters often mirror my own identity and experiences.
I also think that, as readers, fiction has a way of opening our eyes to the realities of people who are different from ourselves. Books have the enormous power to build empathy.
Besides being an author, what are some other things you would want people to know about you?
I am absolutely obsessed with Mexican food — particularly tacos. If I could pick a single food to eat for the rest of my life, that would definitely be it (particularly Al Pastor tacos, which remind me so much of Mexico City, where I grew up). I am also a dog person and an avid coffee drinker.
In regards to the realm of LGBTQ+ narratives, there are still many narratives that haven’t been told yet. As a queer person, would you say you intentionally sought out to write a story that you personally wanted to see in the world?
Definitely! With Indivisible, I wanted to tell a story that was a bit different from what we’re used to seeing. I think that stories that center queer issues have always been and will always be deeply relevant, but I also think that we need stories where we see queer characters dealing with issues that don’t necessarily center their queerness. With Mateo, I wanted to write about a boy who is loved for who he is and who is accepted by his friends and family — and who is also faced with challenges and ambitions that are unrelated to his identity as a gay teen.
What advice would you want to give other people who want to tell stories, especially their stories?
I think it’s so important to lead with honesty. As writers, we often feel pressure to adapt to what other people expect from us, but I think that the stories that come from a deeply personal, honest place always have a way of standing out.
It’s also important to persevere through rejection. Keep writing, keep creating, and eventually you will find someone who believes in your story as much as you do.
Are there any other projects or story ideas you are currently nursing and could tell us about?
Yes! I’m currently working on my second young adult novel, which is somewhat similar to Indivisible in terms of themes and tone. Though the plot and characters are entirely different, this will be another book about immigration, identity, family, and growing up too quickly. I am also working on a third young adult novel, which is a departure from my first two novels. I can’t say much about that project yet, but I’m really excited about it!
Finally, what queer books would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
I always recommend Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass, which I feel is sharp, poignant, and compulsively readable. Other recent favorites are Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore and Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June. If you haven’t read these books yet, you need to add them to your TBR now!
#1 New York Times & #1 USA Today bestselling author P.C. Cast was born in the Midwest, and, after her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Booksellers’ Best, and many, many more. Ms. Cast is an experienced teacher and talented speaker who lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses.
Kristin Cast is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author who was born in Japan and grew up in Oklahoma where she explored everything from tattoo modeling to broadcast journalism. After battling addiction, Kristin made her way to the Pacific Northwest and landed in Portland. She rediscovered her passion for storytelling in the stacks at dusty bookstores and in rickety chairs in old coffeehouses. For as long as Kristin can remember, she’s been telling stories. Thankfully, she’s been writing them down since 2005.
I had the opportunity to interview both P.C. and Kristin about their latest book, Spells Trouble, which you can read below.
First of all, congrats on your latest book, Spells Trouble. Could you tell us in your own words what it’s about?
PC: Twin witches attempting to save their world and deal with teenage drama!
KC: Thank you! Spells Trouble is about two witches who, through protecting their town and learning more about their magic, find out not only what it means to be family but also what it means to be truly comfortable with yourself.
P.C. Cast
What are your favorite parts of the writing process? What is your least favorite?
PC: My favorite part is always the last third of a manuscript. I fly through those pages. My least favorite part is outlining and revising.
KC: I am the opposite. I love both outlining and revising. It’s the writing of the first draft that I absolutely do not enjoy. Funny since writing the book makes up the bulk of my job.
Kristin Cast
As mother and daughter, what would you say your artistic collaboration is like together? What would you say are the benefits of drawbacks of working with family?
PC: I love working with Kristin. Writing is such a solitary job that it’s wonderful to have her in the trenches with me. It’s great that she and I understand exactly what’s going on in the manuscript, so if I’m having an issue with a scene I can reach out to her for help – and she to me. Drawbacks? NONE! Because I’m the mom! (Insert maniacal laughter)
KC: I think that I bring the more regimented, organized side of the book creation process to the table whereas Phyllis brings spontaneity and creative freedom. She has really taught me to trust my creative instincts and to let my writing flow without judgment. The drawback of working with family is that work creeps into everything. It’s difficult to draw that line between personal life and work life when part of your personal life is wrapped up in work.
As Geeks OUT is an LGBTQ+ centered site, could you discuss some of the queer elements of the book?
PC: Kristin writes our wonderful queer character, Hunter, who I adore. Hunter is such a complex, interesting and strong character.
KC: Hunter Goode is a lesbian. Being the only person in the small high school of her small town who is out, she feels like an outsider. It’s always been interesting to her that others put so much of an emphasis on her sexuality when who she’s attracted to doesn’t make up who she is. Throughout Spells Trouble, Hunter struggles with her confidence and feeling at home in her own skin.
What advice would you give to other writers, especially those interested in fantasy or at least those trying to finish their first projects?
PC: Keep writing! And rewriting and rewriting. Read constantly. Research the job of being a professional author as you would any other job/career.
KC: Give yourself grace. Missed writing days, being emotional over rejections, not reaching word count or page count goals, needing space away from projects and people—these are just a handful of things that you’ll encounter on your writing journey. When they come about, be kind to yourself. You’re doing your best.
What LGBTQIA+ book/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
PC: I love love love Caleb Roehrig’s THE FELL OF DARK so much! It’s smart and funny and way scarier than I thought it was going to be. Actually, all of Caleb’s books are great!
KC: The two authors currently on my mind and at the top of my Audible library are V.E. Schwab and Tirzah Price. Schwab is one of my favorite authors. She wrote The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, which I’m sure you’ve heard of, but she’s written so many other amazing adult and YA stories. If you see one of her books in the store/library, get it immediately. I also recently listened to Price’s first YA novel, Pride and Premeditation. It is excellent, and she is so fun to follow on Instagram.
Suzanne Walker is a Chicago-based writer and editor. She is co-creator of the Hugo-nominated graphic novel Mooncakes (2019, Lion Forge/Oni Press). Her short fiction has been published in Clarkesworld and Uncanny Magazine, and she has published nonfiction articles with Uncanny Magazine,StarTrek.com, Women Write About Comics, and the anthology Barriers and Belonging: Personal Narratives of Disability. She has spoken at numerous conventions on a variety of topics ranging from disability representation in sci-fi/fantasy to comics collaboration. You can find her posting pictures of her cat and chronicling her longsword adventures on Twitter @suzusaur.I had the opportunity to interview Suzanne, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Sure! I’m a writer and editor based out of Chicago, IL, which means that I have very strong opinions about hot dogs. I’ve written a wide variety of fiction—short stories, graphic novels, prose novels—and love storytelling in all forms. In my spare time I take medieval longsword classes, hang out with my partner and cat, and I recently started taking aerial circus classes as well, because why not.
Your debut graphic novel, Mooncakes, was based on a webcomic made between you and your creative partner, Wendy Xu. How did you two come to work together and what was that process like working on the comic, from its initial start in one medium (indie comics/webcomics) to another (traditional publishing)?
Wendy and I were friends for years before we started working together—our first “collaboration” came when she drew fanart for a fanfiction story I wrote, and from there we started working on short comic ideas together. Mooncakes was originally a pitch for a 10-page comic in an indie anthology, but when we got rejected from that we decided to launch our own webcomic. And I’m so glad we did! From there we posted the first few chapters online before we were solicited by some traditional publishing houses, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Where did the inspiration for Mooncakes come from?
The inspiration for Mooncakes came from a variety of different outlets—we were both influenced by various witchy/fantasy stories when we were younger, including the Halloweentown movies, Practical Magic, Studio Ghibli films, and of course Harry Potter (although most of my desire there was to counter parts of Harry Potter that I found frustrating, hah). Wendy always wanted to tell the story of long-lost childhood friends reuniting, so from that basic concept we built out the rest of the story/characters.
One of the main characters of Mooncakes, Nova Huang, is portrayed as hard-of-hearing, something that’s based partially on your own experiences. Could you discuss the thoughts that might have gone through your mind writing this into the comic?
Mostly I wanted to create the representation that I’d not yet seen in fiction. Hard-of-hearing/deaf representation in media (comics, prose, or film) is scarce, and of those available, only Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye really resonated with me. In giving Nova a hearing loss, I wanted to show how a character works around different abilities and accommodations but still not have it define them.
For those curious about the process behind a graphic novel, how would you describe the process? What goes into creating a script and collaborating with an artist to translate that into panels?
Before I started working on the script, Wendy and I sat down together and had a whole series of conversations around the big concepts and characters. From there I got to work outlining the plot (both the main arc and the finer details) and wrote out the first draft of the script. Wendy and our editor at Oni both gave me notes on the draft, and from there I created the final version that Wendy began drawing. As a writer, it’s important be very visually and spatially aware, while keeping in mind what’s possible to translate onto the page, so often I would check in with Wendy to see if she thought something would work or if I needed to find another way to write it. It’s a collaboration the whole way through!
What are some of your favorite things about making comics?
The collaboration is a big one!! I truly feel that two minds are better than one—it gives you a chance to bounce ideas off of each other and build them in a way that you can’t when you’re on our own. I love writing dialogue and conversations between characters, and that’s obviously a huge focus of comics writing.
What advice would you have for those who want to write and create comics?
Practice!! Practice writing scripts on your own and then thumbnailing/drawing them out (you do not have to be a good artist, trust me). It gives you a sense of spatial awareness—what works in a set series of panels and what doesn’t. And really communicate with your artist—the best writer-artist duos are ones who really know each other and have a feel for each other’s vision.
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 your favorite things to write”? I already sort of answered this (dialogue), but I also really love writing action sequences—it always feels like a puzzle to be reverse engineered, and then you have to add emotions on top of them. And I also love writing big party scenes, which you can see in Mooncakes. The mid-autumn festival was super enjoyable to work on.
Are there any other projects you are currently working on and at liberty to talk about?
I’m working on two different prose novels right now—one is about mariners and sea monsters while the other is set in a desert empire where everyone rides raptors instead of horses.
Finally, what LGBTQ+ materials would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
Stephanie Cooke is an award-winning writer and editor based out of Toronto. She’s a comic book fan, avid gamer, movie watcher and lover of puns. She is a purveyor of too many projects and thrives in chaos. Her writing work is featured in Mark Millar’s “Millarworld Annual,” “Wayward Sisters,” “The Secret Loves of Geek Girls,” “Toronto Comics Anthology” and more. Her debut graphic novel, “Oh My Gods!” released in January 2021 from HMH Kids, and a sequel will follow in fall 2021. She’s also a crazy cat lady who happens to be terribly allergic to cats. As such, she settles for having just the one cat and takes a lot of allergy medication. I had the opportunity to interview Stephanie, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Sure thing! I’m a writer and editor that primarily works on comics and graphic novels. I’m based out of the Great White North (or sometimes partially south of some folks in the U.S.) in Toronto, Canada. Oh My Gods! is my debut graphic novel with Insha Fitzpatrick, Juliana Moon, and Whitney Cogar. And my second graphic novel ParaNorthern just came out! They’re both middle grade stories that I firmly believe anyone can enjoy.
What inspired you to create comics? Were there any comics or artists you believe who inspired you and/or influenced your style?
I’ve been reading comics for most of my life, so it’s a medium that I’ve always loved and been drawn to. I’ve also written in some capacity or another for as long as I can remember. As to what inspired me to write comics specifically, I’d been podcasting, reviewing comics, writing articles, etc. for entertainment websites, and during a convention I was attending (after having been in the industry already for five to six years), someone asked me why I didn’t write comics. I knew other creators, publishers, the ins and outs, etc. and I didn’t have a good answer for that. Why didn’t I write comics? It changed something in me and pushed me to start. It turned out to be a perfect medium to channel my creativity into and I love it.
I think there are a lot of things that inspire me, not necessarily always comics. Some of the things that I think I aspire to are things I’m just generally a big fan of like Lumberjanes and Nimona. I also love Cucumber Quest by Gigi D.G., The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks, and Hark, A Vagrant! by Kate Beaton. Plus, I’m absolutely in awe of everything Raina Telegemeier is doing. And outside comics, I think a lot of animated shows have inspired me, too, like Gravity Falls and Star vs. the Forces of Evil.
I don’t think any one of those directly influenced my style or voice, but rather they helped me figure out the things I wanted to include in creating my own unique voice.
Where did the inspiration for ParaNorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse come from?
I think it’s a mish-mash of things but definitely one of the big bits of inspiration was Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog was a big reason why I wanted to incorporate mischievous rabbits into the story here and have them be part of the overall mayhem. I really loved the idea of something innocent and sweet seeming to be a thing that causes so much damage and destruction! But then more generally, I love supernatural stories and was a big fan of the TGIF programming on ABC when I was growing up. Sabrina the Teenage Witch was something I watched at just the right time of my life to really stick with me and heavily influence my humor and brand.
ParaNorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse looks perfect for those who are fantasy/Halloween fans of Scary Godmother (Jill Thompson) and Moonstruck (Grace Ellis/ Shae Beagle). Would you say there are any stories that inspired these comics or speak in conversation with it?
ParaNorthern has been in my head for a really long time and it’s definitely influenced by a lot of different things, again not necessarily all comics (despite how much I adore comics). As I mentioned, Monty Python is a big one as well as (probably obviously) a love for Halloween. Sabrina the Teenage Witch has stuck with me over the years, too; both the sitcom show as well as her stories from the Archie digests. I’ve always been really interested in the idea of magic in our own world and then in other supernatural parallel worlds, too. So, I guess in that regard, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Golden Compass, and Tamora Pierce’s epic series are all things that helped influence me too.
A lot of stuff has come out since I originally sold ParaNorthern though, and I think graphic novels like Snapdragon by Kat Leyh and The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner and Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner are all titles that are a few of its wonderful kindred spirits.
What would you say are some of your favorite craft elements to work on?
Creative procrastination. As in working for two minutes and then going on Twitter for 20. Okay, but seriously, I love practicing short stories and testing my boundaries for what I can do and what I enjoy (or don’t enjoy) working on. Short stories are such a fun challenge and flexing those muscles where I play around with different voices, styles, and genres are really rewarding and help to keep me growing as a creator. I especially love a good silent comic where you try to write a story without any dialogue or narration and just provide the best art direction possible to let that tell the story. Someday I want to take that over to a long-form project.
For those curious about the process behind a graphic novel, how would you describe the process? What goes into creating a script and collaborating with an artist to translate that into panels?
It varies from creator to creator, but I think the big thing to always remember is it’s a collaborative medium. It’s really important that you think of your entire team throughout the process and how everyone can shine. For me, I always start with really extensive outlines that break down the story into point form beats. This helps me work out plot holes, further develop characters, and answer questions that will help make the story more satisfying to the reader in the long run. Figuring that out as much as possible in advance of scripting helps to solidify the story in my mind, give me a guideline to work off, and helps narrow down the number of script drafts I’ll ultimately have to do.
I’ve been really into art for most of my life, and I draw for fun and have always been a pretty visual person. For me, when I do go to the scripting phase, I’m able to really see the page and panel layouts as I write. With middle grade stories, it’s important to keep the panel count low to 4-5 panels per page to help keep the attention span of young readers. You go in with that in mind and how many panels and pages it’ll take you to convey certain beats. The important thing is to make sure you’re not writing multiple actions in one panel. If you’re writing “and” in your panel description, you have to check yourself to make sure it’s not describing something else the characters are doing.
In a more general way, I try to give as much description as needed without over directing. I want the artist to be able to interpret the page and add their own spin on it or feel that they can change things up to an angle or shot that might be better suited. Typically though, the artist doesn’t see the script until the final draft is done. You just have to do everything in your power to be a good collaborator in advance of that.
What advice would you give to aspiring creatives who would want to create their own comics, whether as artists, writers, or both?
Practice, practice, practice. If you keep putting off starting, you’ll never find the time for it. If you’re a writer who doesn’t draw, you don’t need an artist to practice writing scripts and telling stories. Work on short stories, pitch to anthologies, join a writer’s group to connect with other creators and get inspired (this bit all applies to artists, too!).
It can be a hard industry to break into, but the good news is that these days, you’re not beholden to publishers to find your way in. You can make zines, webcomics, or you can self-publish or crowdfund a project. Don’t wait for someone to discover you; take your creative dreams into your own hands!
Are there any project ideas you have that you are at liberty to discuss?
GOSH, I WISH I COULD TALK ABOUT NEW THINGS! But hopefully soon. That being said, something that is announced is my first YA graphic novel called Pillow Talk with art by Mel Valentine. It’s about an underground pillow fighting league and how a self-conscious young woman finds it, falls in love with it, and uses it to come out of her shell. I’m so proud of it and it’s not out for a little while still (fall 2023) but I really hope people will check it out when it gets here. It’s full of beautiful diverse characters, body types, sexualities, and more! Mel is a master at that, and I can’t wait for people to see their amazing work.
Finally, what queer books/comics would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
YES! Okay, here we go:
Barbalien by Tate Brombal, Gabriel Walta, Jordie Bellaire, and Aditya Bidikar
THERE ARE SO MANY THAT I LOVE, I could honestly go on forever! But those are a few more recent ones that I thoroughly enjoyed and wholeheartedly recommend.
Ryan Douglass is an author, poet, and freelance writer from Atlanta, Georgia. His work on race, literacy, sexuality, and media representation has appeared in The Huffington Post, Atlanta Black Star, Everyday Feminism, Nerdy POC, Age of Awareness, and LGBTQNation, among others. His debut novel, The Taking of Jake Livingston, is a YA horror out now through G.P. Putnam’s Son’s Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group. I had the opportunity to interview Ryan, which you can read below.
First of all, congratulations on your debut book, The Taking of Jake Livingston! Could you tell us a little about yourself and the book?
Thank you! The Taking of Jake Livingston is about a teen medium named Jake who has the power to see ghosts live their final moments of death on repeat. He’s trying to fly under the radar as one of the few Black students at his prep school, but then the ghost of a school shooter starts haunting him, and he has to develop his power in order to banish the ghost before it possesses his body. As for me, I’m just a Millennial from Atlanta who’s been writing books since he could tie his shoes. Most of what I know about writing has come from studying poetry, film, theatre, music, and SFFH books throughout my life.
What inspired you to become a writer? Were there any stories that inspired you to tell your own stories?
Neal Shusterman and Rick Riordan turned me into a writer. The Everlost series and the Percy Jackson series were my two favorites growing up. But I was also inspired by traditional gothic horror by Edgar Allan Poe and more modern classics by Stephen King. There’s been a focus on diversifying literature in YA in recent years and some of the newer stories like The Hate U Give and More Happy Than Not gave me the confidence to put my identities on the page more. I combined my love of horror with the stories that meditate on identity and out came The Taking of Jake Livingston.
The Taking of Jake Livingston is a take on the literary sub-genre of Dark Academia from a Black, queer horror perspective. What inspired you to write this story and how did the book come to be?
I wanted to look at themes of isolation and toxic cycles through an entertaining ghost story. Being a Black student at an all-white school was the perfect backdrop for the tale of a white person invading a Black person’s body. I was consumed by questions about what a kid would even do in that environment, what kinds of traumas and self-doubts they’d develop, how those traumas would be elevated if they could communicate with the dead. So, there’s the contemporary horror and the ghost horror. I think the layers are what give the story its punch.
Did you draw on any resources for inspiration while writing the book, i.e. books, movies, music, etc.?
There are subtle nods to horror writers like R.L. Stine, Stephen King, Darren Shan, and Dean Koontz, all of whom I read growing up and couldn’t help bringing into the text. And then there’s name drops for other horror writers I respect—Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, and Octavia Butler. James Wan, Hitchcock and Jordan Peele were my biggest inspirations on the film side when it came to evoking the more cinematic elements of atmosphere. As for music, my publisher published an official playlist for the book on the Penguin Teen site. The most notable artists I returned to while writing were Sega Bodega, Amnesia Scanner, Shygirl, and LYZZA.
Speaking of academia, two academic disciplines, Monster Theory, the study in which the monstrous body is viewed as a metaphor for the cultural body, i.e. monsters as symbolic expressions of cultural unease, and Queer Theory, have often been closely tied together. What are your thoughts on this?
I think monster stories are an ideal way to explore what it means to be “other” to society. Monster representation is about as diverse as human representation in that they can technically fall anywhere on the spectrum of good and evil, but there’s often a perception that is at odds with the truth of what they are. The whole monster theme leaves a lot of room for ambiguity, especially when building a villain. I enjoyed highlighting Jake’s internal thought processes as he experienced racism and homophobia, tracking the effects of violence on a boy who is soft but has to exist in a body seen as inherently aggressive. We’re seeing vulnerability underneath perceived monstrosity, and how the perception of monstrosity can potentially aggravate and bring out monstrous behavior.
Aside from writing, what are some of your other hobbies and interests?
My two favorite hobbies are hiking nature trails and perusing bookstores. In addition to that, I love candle collecting, and finding new mood lighting and art to add to my living space. I’m a huge introvert and am probably inside when I’m not with nature. So, it’s all about the Zen for me.
What advice would you have to give to aspiring writers hoping to enter the field and working on their craft?
Be as self-disciplined as you are daring. Read a lot, write even when the words aren’t great, and lean into the style that feels natural. Honor your voice rather than try to follow a formula. The market is always changing so you just have to know what you’re good at and develop that thing.
In a recent essay you wrote about how books can and should contain “radical” potential in our current age of activism. Could you expand your thoughts on this?
I’m speaking to the YA market when I emphasize the need for radical fiction because recent stories in this age category are politically safe. They are very moderate. I’m a radical leftist and I know teens have a need for radical books that make bold choices in what they portray, and the conclusions they draw, which go beyond surface level representation. In adult fiction, we engage with the weariness we feel as overworked citizens who aren’t listened to by officials, bosses, significant others who have power. And teens need the same thing, but reflecting the adults in their lives who are oppressive, power hungry, and politically regressive. We need art that is dramatic and risky. Our world is dying due to climate change. The capitalist economy is falling because empathy and compassion have been eroded by corporate greed. Our most relevant work should be looking into these issues, the reasons for them, and preparing us for what comes next.
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
I’d love to be asked more about food I’ve tried recently that I loved. I recently tried alligator and it was delicious—tasted like chicken. And my stomach had no idea what to do with that meat coming down the tubes but it was worth it. The next weird food I want to try is shark. Food is another one of my passions.
Are there any projects you are currently working on that you feel free to speak about?
I’m going through this period where I’m trying a bunch of different things just to see what I can do. I will likely settle on horror again but right now I’m sorting through the lore I’ve been developing for the past few years and forming a plot that works for my next book. I know it will be good bloody fun that critiques academia and the patriarchy. I think I’m in the stage of my writing where I can kick off a series opener, so fingers crossed that a tentpole series works out.
What LGBTQIA+ books/ authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? I highly recommend Rivers Solomon and Akwaeke Emezi, and basically anything they write. I have Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon on my tbr and I’m dying to read that soon. Also, TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea is great if you like superhero fantasy with wholesome vibes. I’d also recommend The Unbroken by C.L. Clark for lovers of epic fantasy.
Her essays and fiction have appeared in Aster(ix), Bellingham Review, Brevity, Dogwood, Fourth Genre, Gulf Coast, Iowa Review, Juked, and Rumpus among other journals. A contributing editor for the Buddhist magazine Tricycle, Daisy is an Associate Professor in the Creative Writing Program at Miami University in Ohio.
I had the opportunity to interview Daisy, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Sure! I am a queer Latinx author from Jersey. I’ve been writing and editing work about the intersections of race, immigration, class, and sexuality for almost two decades. My first book was the anthology COLONIZE THIS! YOUNG OF COLOR ON TODAY’S FEMINISM. I’ve also written a memoir and my new book, THE KISSING BUG, is about science, medicine and public health. I live in Ohio where I’ve just adopted my first (and probably only) puppy named Lula!
Could you explain to the readers of Geeks OUT where the unique title of your books come from?
Some people are born with a talent for writing titles, and then there’s the rest of us. In my case, titles “find” me. So, COLONIZE THIS! is actually the title of an essay in the anthology by the incredible Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez. A CUP OF WATER UNDER MY BED is the title of my memoir and refers figuratively to the resources that my immigrant mother and her sisters had while raising me in the United States. My new book’s title is THE KISSING BUG, which is an insect, only found in Latin America and the US, that can transmit a deadly disease that disproportionately affects Latinx people.
In the book, you navigate through your writing the complexities of your intersectional identity, from your Cuban and Colombian roots to your queer identity. Has that ever felt like transcribing a spiderweb, in which each tread can’t be untangled from the other?
What a beautiful image! Even though I wrote a book titled THE KISSING BUG I am not a fan of the insect world so I don’t usually reach for analogies like this but you are so right and I’ll keep going with this — if you touch one part of the spiderweb, one part of your identity, you feel the vibrations elsewhere on the spiderweb, for all other aspects of your identity. So a situation that touches on issues of ethnicity also brings up emotions in terms of gender and sexuality and class.
While reading your book, one of the quotes that most stood out to me was the one where you describe your bisexuality, “As if I am learning that I can shift my weight from one leg to the other, that I have a second leg. Kissing women is like discovering a new limb.” Could you expand on this?
At the time I felt that I had representations of lesbian identity, narratives about lesbian identity and life, but I didn’t have narratives or language about bisexuality. Movies or TV shows often just represented us in love triangles. So I wanted new language and started thinking about what bisexuality felt like in my body and that image came to me — probably it came to me because when I was fifteen I was in a terrible car accident and ended up breaking my left leg in a bad way. I was hospitalized for weeks, had to get a blood transfusion. It was bad. Then I was on a walker, then crutches. Healing took months which for a teenager is years. But I remember slowly being able to bear weight on my left leg, and it was felt like a new limb to me, like I had never thought about my leg until that moment and how wondrous it was. And I guess I think of bisexuality and pansexuality like that: wondrous.
One of the most prominent parts of the book was you exploring your family’s belief systems, including Santería, including the reconciliation between the hidden and the open. Would you mind discussing that a little here and the relevance of your decision to include that?
I often find myself obsessed in my writing with what is hidden, forgotten, or silenced. People tend to hide what is tender, vulnerable, wounded and also powerful….I knew that I had to write about the Ocha religion because after I left home the religion became more important to me as a way to stay connected particularly with my father. And in the memoir I realized that showing readers my father in a spiritual context would help somewhat in having empathy for him despite the alcoholism and abuse.
In an interview you’ve done with Ms. Magazine, you had mentioned this really cool thing about how writing empowers you, saying “people can ignore me for whatever reasons—’cause I’m Latina, ’cause they have ideas bout me—but when I’m on the page, no one ignores the page.” What do you think about the written word and why it holds so much power?
I love that you found this quote! I don’t remember saying it but it sounds like me. We are a culture that values the document. When I say “we” I mean the Western world, the United States. We value ink and paper. So on one hand, the written word has power because of historical and collective decisions, and on the other hand, I also think the page has power because whether that’s a page in a book or a page on Instagram it can be shared and so the written word can move so far beyond the community in the context where is written. And I think many of us have had the feeling when you read a page and you think: this is me, this is my life. There’s a thrill unlike any other in that connection.
One section of the book that I’m sure many people appreciated was your internal conversation on language, on speaking both Spanish and English, and how we demonstrate different parts of ourselves depending on the tongue we use. In addition to race and class, do you believe language has any effect in how we conceive our own queer identities?
Absolutely! When the book was translated to Spanish, I had a passionate email exchange with the translator about the word “butch”. I was trying to explain to him that the word is understood in a Spanish-language context here in the US, and I didn’t want to use the word marimacho in Spanish because I grew up hearing people say that as an insult for butch women. So I wanted to keep butch even in Spanish. In the queer spaces where I came of age, if you said “Ella es butch,” people immediately understood you — and femmes understood the desire that word invoked.
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
I don’t think that I’ve ever been asked what books I read as a child. It’s not a question that I necessarily wish I had been asked but I do find it interesting that it doesn’t come up. I might be thinking about this because I was supposed to do a podcast about young adult literature. The answer: I read a lot of Sweet Valley Twins in elementary school and I read a lot of Harlequin romance novels. In other words: all fantasy and now I write nonfiction.
What advice might you have to give to other aspiring writers, especially those seeking to go into the field of non-fiction literature and journalism?
You don’t need talent. You don’t need to come from a literary family. You don’t even need to have read the literary canon as a child. You just have to want it, and you have to be clear about what you want to say. That’s it. Wanting to write and that sense of purpose will keep you going through rejections and anything else that comes up, and it will also ensure that you find a community of support.
Are there any projects or ideas you are working on and at liberty to speak about?
I am working on my first collection of essays. At least I think I am! I always like to let a book project change over time.
Finally, what queer books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
In this week’s super-sized episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by J.W. Crump, as they discuss all the American Stories coming soon from Ryan Murphy, and celebrate DC exploring Tim Drake’s queer identity in This Week in Queer.
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BIG OPENING
KEVIN: AMC works out deal with Warner Bros. for shortened releases in 2022 J.W.: There will now be two “hosts” of Jeopardy
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DOWN AND NERDY
KEVIN: Swan Song, Titans, Star Trek: Lower Decks J.W.: Casually Comics, Magic, Glow Up
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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER
Catherine Zeta-Jones is Morticia Addams in Wednesday series
Kiara Valdez is an Afro-Dominican writer and associate editor at First Second. She was born and raised in New York City (shout out to Washington Heights) and has been an avid comics reader all her life. She graduated from Williams College with a double major in English Literature and Japanese, and spends her free time reading, writing, and enjoying a long list of other hobbies she can’t keep up with. I had the pleasure of interviewing Kiara, which you can read below.
First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Hiya, I’m Kiara Valdez. I am a proud Afro-Dominican born and raised in Washington Heights, NYC. I have a serious affinity to the color lilac and am a mom to a precious black cat named Ruthie and a pink corn snake named Posey.
How would you describe your literary/ geeky tastes and preferences?
I have been an avid fan of manga and anime since I was young, and since becoming a graphic novel editor, I’ve become very invested in the American comics scene. I watch a wide variety of animated shows ranging from anime like my beloved Haikyuu!! to shows like Trollhunters, and I also enjoy a wide assortment of teen fantasy shows of the non-animated variety (even the ones of questionable quality). The one common thread in most of the media I enjoy is that they don’t make me TOO sad and even if they do, that they usually have reasonably happy endings.
As an editor, how would you describe your journey into publishing, specifically toward First Second Books?
I find that my journey has been quite straight forward. I knew I wanted to be an editor since the age of 16, so I did a bunch of internships throughout college, and then my senior year I applied for a position at First Second. I’ve been with them ever since.
Is there anything you wish you had known when you first entered the field?
I wish I would have known how much of editorial is balancing different personalities and knowing how to deal with other humans. If I had known that I would have started learning how to meditate back in college and maybe I would have a disciplined routine by now. (This is only a half joke).
As someone who has had their hand in a number of acclaimed titles, among which include Check Please!, Snapdragon, Bloom, and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, what usually catches your eye professionally and creatively?
That’s so hard to answer because SO many things catch my eye—more than I can acquire for the sake of my sanity. I think if someone goes through the list of books I have acquired so far they’d be able to tell that my taste in artstyle tends to lean towards what I personally call “eye candy”—something polished, usually leaning closer to the realistic, whose lines give you a sense of either warmth or melancholy, and with (usually) one or more lush colors. And there are times where something completely opposite of this attracts me. All and all I am attracted to projects and creatives that have a strong vision and direction. And professionally, I am attracted to honesty and clear communication.
As someone who is involved in projects from acquisition to publication, what would you share are of the hardest/weirdest/ and coolest parts of the development process?
-The hardest part is definitely the acquisition phase—whether it be participating in an auction, or even just presenting it at Acquisitions Meeting—it’s always a time of high tension and nerves.
-The weirdest part…that must be thumbnails. Man, I have seen SUCH a range of ‘I honestly can’t read these” to “wow these are practically finished pencils” and it makes me laugh so much. Of course, I adjust how I work depending on the artist and their needs, and the variability is part of the reason my job is so interesting.
-The coolest part is that first moment of holding that book we worked on for 3+ years in my hands. It feels like Christmas every time.
As a queer woman of color, you’ve probably noticed quite a bit about the successes and failings of the publishing industry when it comes to promoting diversity. Could you share some of your thoughts on this?
I kind of feel like I am stuck in a wave pool. Like, I can see the efforts trying to be made by people around me—and so much of it truly comes from a good place in their hearts—but I of course also see the missteps. I think at least from when I first joined the industry 5 years ago, we have made some progress. It’s been slow, and it often doesn’t show up in obvious ways, but there is a slow current moving us forward. And I hope it soon speeds up.
Aside from reading and developing books, what are some of your other interests and hobbies?
I have more hobbies and interests than I can keep up with. As said before I love watching anime and reading manga, I write, dance when I can, really love fashion, am on and off trying to learn how to rollerblade, and recently bought an electric guitar I’d love to be able to properly play one day.
What advice would you have to give to aspiring creatives, both who wish to enter the publishing field and those who wish to get publishing?
Have a lot of patience and hustle. No matter if you’re trying to break in or are just trying to survive after you “made it”, you’ll need those two things daily.
What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten asked if I love my job. And I do, I absolutely love my job and the comics community even with the many hardships and flaws.
Are there any projects you are currently working on (professional or personal) that you feel free to speak about?
Yes! A book that I have poured half my soul into editing, Himawari House by Harmony Becker, is coming out this Fall. It’s a multilingual slice-of-lifey YA graphic novel following three girls who live in a sharehouse in Tokyo. The book is truly fantastic, and Harmony is so extremely talented and has been a total joy to work with. Everyone please go preorder it!
What LGBTQIA+ books would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?
