MultiMind's Blog, page 3

Historical Notes and Content Warnings

A couple of my future works will be featuring a historical note. A horror fantasy work that references the Tulsa Massacre and an alternate history fantasy that references, well, the world’s historical events.

These notes are because, welp, they’re history notes. It’s important to point out “hey, this thing actually happened, educate yourself if you want to know more”.

As for content warnings, I’m happy with how they look in my works and I also plan to add sample previews files of my works on my Published Works page so any work with a content warning page will be present, front and center as it naturally occurs in the book. The titles still will be underlined on the Published Works page if they have a content warning in the book as a visual cue. I will probably (most likely) add the actual content warnings at the bottom of the blurbs so someone doesn’t have to download a file just to find out they can’t read it.

Speaking as someone who has severe trauma disorders, these warnings are very useful to me and others. They’re not spoilers (no more than a historical note is a spoiler – it’s literal history. Spoiler alert: it already happened). As I’ve said prior, a content warning doesn’t spoil a movie so it shouldn’t spoil a book. They’re just so that people can figure out if they can read the work, should avoid the work completely, or wait for a time when they would be better able to handle the content. No point in trying to lose readers because of “shock value” that will make the trigger-affected readers leave anyways because they were surprised by the content. No one wants to have a disorder episode when they’re trying to have a good time.

Resin-ate

Firstly, I love the song “Resonate” by The Prodigy.

Secondly, I have mentioned I have a bevy of skillsets, so that allows me to make special stuff for book giveaways and suches. For my upcoming book The Harlequin (coming out March 2025, read a super short preview on this post here), I am continuing with page holders because I think they’re nifty and I can be super creative in other methods of art. I could 3D print them (oh how nice ;_;) but I rather go with resin because vIiIIiIiiIIiIBbbezzzzz, lol.

Le vibez

These go to giveaway winners (your best shot is on The Storygraph and I always announce them here and on social media), book reviewers, my team and others.

It helps that I have about 15 years or so experience with resin so I know what I’m doing but also, there’s a lot more options out there than there was 15-ish years ago.

Because of the bane of resin – bubbles.

Lighters, vacuum sealers, mug warmers, all to prevent the bubbles. I’m halfway there to having a near full laboratory, it feels like … and I still have bubbles.

The newest acquistions are handy handheld torch lighters. I usually use my long neck BBQ grill lighter that I have hackneyed to have a taller flame and removed safety/childproof bits (because f#ck fire safety*) but the problem is the whole “flame that burns twice as bright also burns twice as fast” thing – the fuel is gone. It looked like a Rob Zombie show and nooooow, I have no more fuel. I hackneyed it again to make the disposable plastic canister accept more butane …. but it won’t – and it kiiiiiinda doesn’t work without inciting memories of Franz Ferdinand’s song “This Fire”. That’s not good. I’m not trying to turn myself or my cats into a Michael Jackson Pepsi commercial.

So now I have handy, refillable, torch lighters so I can pop surface bubbles (and brulee cream, now!) in the resin.

And still I have microbubbles, which are a pain to work with. It certainly was when I made page holders for The Glassman, which has to be crystal clear. Once I changed resin brands, more bubbles.

Now, time for vaccum sealers. Heat is working but I want zero bubbles and sometimes heat makes the resin cure too fast. And emit hazardous gasses.

When a pour goes awry, that means there are page pressers I can’t give to others as book promo because they don’t look great (to me). I can give them away as b-sides or something but still, that’s material out the door.

Also, as a result of my disorders, I can’t work on the pours a long time, just enough to pour into wherever it has to go and throw it into the drying station.

Now, vaccuum pressure. A bit high-tech but whatever makes for a better pour and I have to chuck less.

The name of the game is to use less time necessary to make stuff, which can be better used writing.

So, I got a resin bubbles vacuum. Currently, it lives up to its promise of taking bubbles out – most of the time. I still have to pop a few but it seems to come out fairly clear. I’m still working on improving my resin casting skills with all this new-fangled tech (which is a lot better than the old alternative of “mix slowly and then hope and pray”), which thankfully has a very short learning curve for me. Just pop the cup of mixed resin into the vacuum, wait ten minutes and out comes mostly clear resin.

For the current page holder project, which is for The Harlequin, some bubbles cannot be avoided since I am placing in skeletal flowers, thorns, pine cones and other groundcover (because, related to the book), so that will introduce something but not as bad as before.

Does it speed things up? Not 100% but it takes out the bubbles, which is what I super like. Which means less B-sides that I don’t feel confident in giving out. Less B-sides mean less wasted materials, which is always a good thing because less wasted materials mean less time spent casting resin.

Now, my newest struggle – keeping cat hair out of my resin pours

* Don’t do what I do. It’s dangerous. Practice fire safety.

All Call Casting Call: Black Female Audiobook Narrator needed, paid gig (Audition ends Dec 21)

My go-to narrator, Soraya Butler, has left the field of audiobooks ;_; I really appreciated her work but now it means I have a new opening. It is for my upcoming YA dark fantasy/horror novel of 43,000 words, The Harlequin. It is ballparked to be about 4-5 complete audio hours. You’re free to read a snippet of it here (that’s not the audition sheet, by the way. Details about that below). And yes, the work is paid union standard audiobook rates of $250-300 Per Finished Hour (PFH), but pay is genuinely negotiable. Also, I take union and non-union actors because you can’t become union unless you have credits of some sort under your belt – and money, these unions cost a lot to join. Some may not be a fan of these choices but, frankly, I’m not a fan of those current systems.

I recognize not everyone is on the African American Voice Actor Database (AAVADB) or on Voices of Color (VoC, previously “People of the Global Majority Voice Over List” or “PGM VO” for short), which is where I usually go to find my narrators. If you are a Black narrator, I super recommend being on both sites. If you are a narrator of color, I super recommend being on PGM. Especially if you are a queer narrator of color. And fill out your profile fully!!!! Including website/soundcloud/etc. No one can hire you if they can’t hear what you sound like. Demo reels are essential.

Yes, there is the site Backstage but A) not everyone is on that, either B) I hate that site with a bloody passion, it’s so frustrating to use C) I get a deluge of White actors who basically showcase that they can’t. Follow. Directions. This is not a role for White actors, try Marvel or DC. I only hire narrators of color because I need someone who can do the job, not flounder about with skills they don’t have, have an entitled attitude I don’t need, and expect a check after. I try to be easygoing about the work but it is still work. And I rather give opportunity to those who are commonly iced out and overlooked systemically, not folks who main issue keeping them out of a role is because Chris Evans, Scarlet Johansson and Leonardo DiCaprio are still breathing. I have already written about this ad nauseam so long story very short – I want narrators of color only.

I recognize that not all actors of color get the same amount of nice union-certified roles that White actors do. Plus, some actors of color are one-person-productions on TikTok or Youtube. They are still actors. And I still want them to apply. Everyone starts somewhere and I nor the world have any idea if you’re the next Idris Elba or Laverne Cox if you don’t have a role to showcase your talent in.

The accents I am especially looking for:

Heavy New York City (Bronx, to be exact)Detroit, regular accentChicago, regular accentNot location accent based but I also need regal & lofty.

The story follows a teen girl but I do need both male and female voice ability, from young to old. My style of audiobook narration for my works is “emotive”. I want character voices and emotion. How I see it is that people pay money for audiobooks and audiobooks usually are pretty long so at the very minimum, they ought to get a show. Emoting is important to me.

Black female narrators only. That includes transwomen and non-binary, I want them to apply also. Same for darker skinned narrators, please apply because colorism is a problem in acting also. I’m not the Disney channel, I would love to have darker skinned actors because I don’t see them as much as I would like. It means I have an actor to return to again and again (the more range and versatility you have for diverse roles, the more I am likely to hire you) and I really love that. You get more jobs, I get less work, life is beautiful.

How to apply? Use the Contact Me form below and mention “Harlequin auditions” so you can get your audition sheet and don’t forget to show me a site that has your demos. It can be a dedicated site, it can be a youtube channel, it can be a soundcloud page, I don’t care as long as I can hear your voice. If you lack one, you will still get an audition packet but I super stress that you have some little corner on the internet where you can showcase your talents.

If you are a Non-Black Narrator of Color who applies, I will let you know that this wasn’t the role to apply for (paying attention to directions is a MUST for me) but if it is actually a half decent audition, I may shelve your audition for a later, suitable work. May. I also may not. Depends on my mood and your skill – and if your skill can top the fact my mood is soured from someone not following directions. Don’t risk it. If you just want to be on my radar, simply say so (Example: “I know I can’t apply for this role but I’d love for you to see work I have done”) and leave me your site. I assure you I do bookmark and check those throughout the year regularly. And will be checking social medias thoroughly (as I do for everyone who works for me) because I’m not interested in picking up an Awkwafina or Lily Singh type either.

If you are a White narrator who applies, just like last time, you’re permanently blacklisted from MMP, for all audio and audio-visual productions related to my works and me. That means even if any of my works become film or a game, stay home on casting day because if a White actor somehow is needed, it won’t be you. Again, I am not a fan of people who can’t follow directions (do you know many directors and producers who are?) and you are actively taking roles from people who get less opportunities than you on a systemic level. Unless you can out-act Sir Ian McKellen or outdo Tom Hank’s monologue in Philadelphia, go be an entitled jerk elsewhere, Hollywood is already full of them. I cannot stress it enough. Yes, the amount of overall roles are declining but most of them are still getting filled by White actors, so you still have a better shot systemically and statistically, than your actor of color counterparts. Plus, the acting I need is one that require realistic ability, not Imagined Black English or verbal blackface. I want an audition of acting skill, not of how you’re going to be difficult to work with. Read and find a different role elsewhere to audition for.

Thank you all. Auditions will be open until Winter Solstice (Dec 21). Again, please use the Contact Me form below to request an audition packet. Do not forget to include your demo reel site if you have one.

Submit a form.

Getting Dragged Down the Boulevard of Other People’s Broken Dreams

I have learned that if you tell people you are trying to be published as a fiction writer, you get a lot of remarks. The one that I definitely get is “oh, I always wanted to be a writer.” And occassionally get a longer bit after that: “but I had kids/lived in a stuffy environment/took an arrow to the knee/etc.” Basically, the person is mourning their past, which is fine, but why am I invited to the funeral? Especially from people I hardly know.

I don’t know if it because I work in libraries, have some background in the music business (which is weird for me to say because it’s just weird) but hearing “Oh, I would have been a writer/rocker/whatever” always annoyed me just a little. I think it is because it is self-limiting. And the excuses are extensive. Now, when it comes to the field of the Fine Arts, it is a difficult field. Not as difficult as it used to be back in the 90s because you were super beholden to publishing companies (record and books) picking you up if you wanted anyone to see your stuff besides your cat. Access to production materials (editing or production materials or software) was harder. But it is still tough. Otherwise, I would have less to gripe about.

However, it is a little easier to create and put your work out there. You can upload a draft of your work for the world to see, you can chase after agents and traditional publishers. But a lot of people seem to be stuck at the “writing” part. Like, actually making the work of text.

Lol, wut?

I certainly get that life gets in the way. And if it does, that’s just what it is. However, there is still writing ideas down in your phone (plz eventually transfer to paper or back it up, in a cloud) or something of the like. I have heard people say they need to be in a cozy house with an always-hot cup of coffee on a comfy couch out in the forest. That is how you “be a writer”.

No. I mean, you can do that if you can get your hands on a tent and go out in the wilderness with your journal and pen. But it’s not really necessary. All you need is a paper & pen or a functional keyboard and screen.

Usually, when I hear the whinging, it isn’t usually due to legit “I can’t write because life is specifically in the way via illness, childcare, circumstance” but because it seems to these folks that self rejecting is better than never taking a chance at all.

Then put all those emotions on a random (or not-so-random) person who achieved the mopey wannabe writer dreams (that they long self-rejected) … as if that writer’s accomplishment is the lightning rod reminder to the wannabe’s insecurities and failure.

That random/not-so-random person is usually me.

Dun like it.

How Spoopy! I mean … “Spooky”

One thing about being a horror writer that some probably might find odd:

I’m squeamish about horror stuff

I instinctively worry when people say they’re disturbed or scared from my works.

Two things but who’s counting?

When people say my works bother or disturb them, I have the instinct to go into apology mode, lol. Very “I didn’t mean to cause you such a frighten”.

Me, basically.

It doesn’t always dawn on me that my works are pretty dark so when people tell me they’re scared or disturbed by what they read, I usually respond with an “awww, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” by reflex.

I write horror.

Not uwu horror. Not cozy horror. “It’s obvious I watch really messed up stuff and think about messed up stuff” horror. Then again, I usually don’t know it counts as horror until friends read it and go, “This is horror” or it gets accepted to a horror magazine, which is what happened to my short story “Null(Void)” for Nightlight. Sometimes I can tell but apparently I think my horror is a lot lighter than others take it. Mind you, I will happily watch security camera videos of mass shootings with zero filter or mosaics, zilch problem whatsoever, so probably what I find disturbing is possibly different from others. I don’t mind discussing dark subjects because it’s part of life, whether people like it or not. Horror is about fear and what we fear and I have two trauma disorders so, welp, I have a pretty thorough understanding of that. And then there’s the fact that what may frighten one person up a wall may not bother someone else.

I’m not really a horror fanatic, either. No horror magazines. No horror movies. Nada.

I’m too squeamish.

When I watched a video of an eye doctor discussing how to put in and take out contact lenses, as well as doing it, I was so squeamish! Augh! I’ll watch a hard hitting documentary about Cambodia’s Year Zero with no issue but contact lens placement and removal? No no no no no nono.

I can’t watch a needle go into so someone, too squeamish. I’m a fright to work with when I have to get vaccinated or go to the eye doctor. I have frightened other patients when I would go to get my eyes checked (yay, wearing glasses) and thus have to get checked for glaucoma or any other test that requires stuff being near my eye. I remember seeing one kid who looked mortified in his seat because of all the yelling I did behind closed doors. I never stick with the same eye doctor twice because I’m such a delight. Well, except for the one eye doctor who also knew Wing Chun just like me. Then they moved their practice.

I don’t watch a lot of horror films because I’m squeamish – but I’ll play horror based video games like Dead By Daylight, where I play as the killer instead of the survivor. I’m not as squeamish of horror movies now like I was before, thankfully. I think learning how those kind of movies are made kind of helped. I tried sitting through one, Hellraiser.

It confused me.

As a kid, when it first came out in theatres, I thought Pinhead, the bad guy, looked fascinating and thought he was the good guy, kind of like how the movie The Crow works. If I saw the film as a kid, the gore would have definitely bothered me – because I was a kid. Now as an adult, some of the movie magic seems pretty obvious so I can focus on the story … which baffled me.

I then learned something I also kind of felt about horror movies: They’re usually Anxiety Dreams of Christian or Christian-Influenced White People on Film (Particularly White Men). I’m a Black, Pagan, queer nonbinary woman* with disorders (one of which is in too many inaccurate horror movies, dissociative identity disorder**) so the story usually falls apart pretty fast on me within the first 10 minutes. I also have a background in media cultural deconstruction so I’m usually disecting these movies instead of enjoying them. The “Jesus wept” at the end of *Hellraiser* still baffles me and I even looked it up. I was raised Christian but I switched religions about 20 years ago so that’s all a faded memory. I bet if I were still Christian, the film would have more of a punch with me. Actually, I remember saying that a lot while watching it. “If I were a White guy, this film would probably have me gripping my seat.” “If I were still Christian, this scene would probably have more impact to me.” Etc etc. Instead, I was too confused by the storyline to be scared, it just looked super disjointed and like the creators jumped around on bloody, slapdash versions of Bible school moral stories.

And these are made by the same group of people who would think “Get Out” was a comedy – which means every Black person who was in a theatre full of White people got a horror 4D/XD experience no one would ever want.

It’s about audience, basically. I’ve seen bits of “The Shining” (I don’t think I’ve ever completed a single Stephen King anything in my life. And this includes stuff that was given to me as summer reading schoolwork) and the stuff that seem to earn its “ooOOooOooooOoO” factor kind of fell flat to me but that’s because I think Kubrick sucks as a director (it took him over a 100 takes for a single scene and created an abusive environment for his female lead because he somehow can’t communicate well, that’s brilliance? Pfft. That’s pathetic). I can see where the horror can live in being a woman trapped with a deeply narcissistic guy who is so caught up in himself he’s considering giving “serial killer vibes” a dry try but I already have seen films like Battered, which is about real women (including women of color) living that life and the very real difficulties of leaving, especially as a woman in that era, where you couldn’t even open up a bank account with out a husband, father or male family member there. And I think both of those films were made in the 1970s. Yeah, I’m a woman but I can tell a guy wrote the story, given how hapless the woman is. It seemed like a great film to make guys who probably are more like the ax-wielding jerk-off than they would like to admit to feel “I could have protected her if I were there, how awful for her” but it sucked if you were anyone else.

I’m not that cut out for horror media, frankly. I write it but I don’t really look at it. It’s not that I avoid scary things or things that are upsetting, but this stuff doesn’t really ring me. Especially when it comes from people who think me talking about my day as a Black person is obscenely frightening but will watch Jason Vorheeves all day.

Actually! I watched a walkthrough of a horror attraction, Field of Screams. My sister would go to one every year and her tales were more interesting than what I saw. It seemed more of the same milquetoast White people horror, but make it in-person. Stereotypical insane asylums, rednecks going wild, dazed-eyed characters played by actors who are not always the best at doing a dazed eye, stuff like that. I genuinely do hope the actors are having fun because that’s what it is, high-velocity acting. Jumpscares, bang-clang noises and dark rooms, stuff that pretty cheap and quick in low grade horror. That stuff can be genuinely scary, that’s why Field of Screams is full of it. They have only about an hour of your time to spook you. Granted, the IRS can terrify by surprise with just a five minute email on a bright Wednesday afternoon. A landlord “just popping by tomorrow, got a call about something” text in the middle of morning coffee can be haunting. And those are things that are more likely to happen to you in regular real life than some distorted looking clown holding a chainsaw.

It’s also probably why I’m sometimes a little caught by surprise when people find my work very dark or disturbing. I don’t think I write too dark and I am not big on splatterpunk, blood-blood-everywhere. Blood does show up in my works but I’m not over the top, Rob-Zombie-eat-your-heart-out gory about it. I’m probably a bit super gothic about it, if anything. I listen to My Chemical Romance and Korn, what? I don’t go “What if people of color were allowed to exist unharassed or have full civil rights? ooOOoOOoOOoOooOoo” or “What if women could do what they want with their bodies? OoooOoooooOOOoOoOoO” or “What if queer people just existed in peace, no harm no foul oOoOOOooOOoOOOoOOoO” things like that in my works lol. I just write the story however way it will go and that sometimes means occasional slashy-slashy, either of the self or of someone else. People murk people in real life. People harm people in real life. People harm themselves in real life. We get to see it all the time, sometimes painted as a good thing, sometimes painted as a non-issue/”why do you care?”, things like that. So it does catch me a bit unawares when someone gives me a “oooh, this does me a frighten!” about my works. I think because I don’t go “I’mma make a horror!” when I start a work. It just turns out that way.

I think the most horror writer thing about me is the fact I have bunny slippers based on my blood type, which I did have to gouge myself with a lancelet a few times to learn. The slippers are total adorbz tho and they’re from the bunny blood type line from Hello Home.

I’m also into menhera, which is a fashion style/lifestyle based on having a mental illness – it’s living vent art, basically. Vent art is exactly what it sounds like, art that is meant to vent your feelings. Vent art is really impactful to me because it details the frustrations of having a disorder but moreso the greater frustrations of trying to get it treated, to be treated like a human being or get treated seriously. Yes, it’s going to be filled with art where people glorify suicide and being in full-on mania from time to time, it’s about venting about life with the disorder, not pretending it doesn’t exist so ableists won’t treat you like dirt or patronize you as if you’re their life inspiration story. It’s very dark but at least it’s honest. I love things like that. It’s unsettling and disruptive and very point-blank. Short, sweet, straight to the point. No “Here, call 988 to get some stranger who doesn’t care to talk to you”, it’s very raw and I prefer it. I guess when you’re used to seeing stuff like that, it can be a surprise when you hear from others what you make can unsettle them.

I still don’t fully know how to take “your work scares me” outside of blather apology, even tho friends have mentioned “isn’t it a good thing that your scary work scares people? Why apologize? It means you’re good at writing”. I get that it’s a good sign as a horror writer to horrify people but still, I didn’t always know it was a horror.

*Non-binary is a very wide umbrella. Read about it
** You want to know what horror looks like? Try having DID and exist around people who treat those horror movies about DID as scholarly training videos and academically-based life documentaries. And let that be about 98.99999999999999999% of the people you meet, including employers and doctors

Working on New Stuff: The Harlequin – Plus! First Look: Full First Chapter Preview

I recently worked on the formatting of my next novel, a YA/NA dark fantasy horror called The Harlequin. It is expected to come out March 14, 2025.

Snapshot of formatting

The print book and ebook are both about 97% done (sans the cover, that’s being worked on now by Edge). What’s will be left will be audiobook recording.

What is The Harlequin about? Read on:

Rosalyn loves her books, they are her sole refuge in the world of today. All she wants is to be surrounded by the world of fantasy. 

Then she meets The Harlequin, a fanciful, majestic individual who showers her in adoration and brings the world of fantasy to life. He even calls her his “Midnight Maiden”. 

Swept off her feet, Rosalyn doesn’t see the dangers ahead.

Few do.

Here is also a small first look into The Harlequin, the first chapter:

The Harlequin (Super Smol Preview)Download

A longer preview will be available on the front of this site when the cover is done, just like with all my other books.

This one has a bit of Black history folded in but not in a “When They See Us” kind of way. Medicine stories are very important – but they’re not usually for readers of color, they’re usually for White readers about people of color, like little “how not to be terrible people to the people beneath you” guides. They’re usually loaded with race pain/race trauma and other things that just sour the story for readers of color. It’s ok to talk about history without the “won’t someone please slow walk the White people” bullsh#ttery added. They don’t have to be centered in every little thing. They’re not deities. At all.

There will also be a history page added here to coincide with a qr code that will be in the book. The basis of the town in this book, New Tulsa, is Tulsa itself. Namely, the Tulsa Massacre. It’s not a must to know the dirty deets about the massacre for the story to be understandable at all, but if I’m going to bring it up as a reason for a town to exist, it’s only fair, ethical and sensible to bring up the original event itself instead of do the classic “A thing happened – a Very Bad Thing – and we’re not going to talk about it because I have the spine of a willow tree, please just go off the pretend goOd ViBZeeezzzzzzz” that I regularly see. If you’re too weak to talk about it, then don’t write about it.

Fear not for readers of color, The Harlequin won’t be The Watchmen series (Regina King was amazing in that, by the way, as Sister Night) or Cloak & Dagger tv series. (In case someone thinks I watched The Watchmen series and then drafted up The Harlequin, The Harlequin is actually a Legacy Story. Meaning it’s been in my head for about 20 or so years, since I was a teenager – so roughly since 2003 or whenever Flyleaf started putting out music, the sonic backdrop of what inspired the story.) Now, what this all means is that The Harlequin is not going to be a deep sea dive about the wrongs of racism and how messed it is up dealing with White supremacy and anti-Blackness and telling the story in a way that’s primarily a soft social teaching tool for White folks. I’m Black, we already know what happened and the fact it was messed up since day one, the end. New Tulsa is simply a place where things are different, it was merely borne from the massacre so the massacre is as about as much of a backdrop of New Tulsa’s history as the Revolutionary War is for the US. In other words, New Tulsa is simply a city that just has a bit of history. As anyone who lives in a city knows, a city is way more than its history. There’s also the people who live there. And the entities around them.

More details later!

Tomorrow! 6PM EST/3PM PST – Virtual Live Reading of The Glassman at Black Girl Gamers with Narrator Alejandro Antonio Ruiz!

If you’re part of Black Girl Gamers, don’t miss it! Especially if you can’t attend the Megan Thee Stallion in-person LA event today. Oct 31 at 6PM EST/3PM PST, Stage One on Discord.

For everyone else, the event will be recorded and live on the Black Girl Gamers’ socials afterwards.

Accessibility, Skill, and Price – Or “The Most Money Doesn’t Mean the Most Skill”

I was checking out wood rasps for my bookbinding adventures and I noticed something – bookbinding is a lot cheaper to start with than when I started almost 20 years ago! There’s even full sets that includes pressers, needles, awls, strings, a thimble of questionable material, curved needles, straight needles and book cloth. All it is missing is the paper and decorative cloth and that’s it. There are even extra tools that are coming into existence, such as book spine spacers and things like that. I’m used to using pencils as spacers, it’s nice that there are other, better options.

Bookbinding is getting a lot more accessible than what it was. I originally had to purchase all of that separate from each other, which did eventually add up. Now, it can be procured for almost 20 bucks. That’s a good thing, in terms of accessibility. Granted the average presser I have seen presses from the corners and not from the center (which can potentially make for an uneven press and the boards could bend) but still it’s something more than what was available when I was 19-20.

For me, accessiblity is very important. It should not take a bunch of money to start bookbinding. In its most stripped down form, it really just takes some folded paper, thread and a needle and you’re done. No one should be made to feel that they have to dump a bunch of money to get started. This isn’t a field where the person with the most money is the most successful. It’s more fair than that and relies on something people who think money is everything usually lack but just about anyone can procure: skill. Skill is the most of what matters here. And that takes time.

I noticed this trend also in fountain pens and in writing groups that are crammed packed with newbies – they think dropping a lot of dollar equals skill. Which is remarkably stupid if you think about it for a second because poor people are pretty capable at a lot (they have to, no money to motor boat on). You can have the nicest material but that doesn’t mean you’ll be a better writer, it just means you’re a very good fat pig to bleed fiscally. Because writing is a skill. You can get that from just reading a very wide (and diverse) array of books and actually pay attention to how the story is told as well as the fact it isn’t (and shouldn’t) be the same everywhere. Constantly I would hear from people “What computer do I need to write with?” Any with a functional keyboard and screen with a notepad or wordpad function on it, bare minimum. “What fountain pen should I get?” The kind that actually lets you write, there are $5 fountain pens and $9 bottles on ink that should last you years. I write excessively and I have yet to exhaust a single bottle. Not even of the smaller ones. I haven’t even bought new ink in months because I genuinely don’t need it. I’m more likely to buy an ink bottle because it has an interesting bottle design with some fancy color, not because I need it. A fountain pen is from the era of when things were built to last so you most likely won’t need to upgrade a fountain pen unless you significantly destroy it. One is all you really need. You can have a $1000 fountain pen, supplied with a $60 small bottle of ink or a $3000 computer with all the bells and whistles that even NASA or NIST doesn’t have – and still come out a super sh#tty writer. I know because I’ve seen them. AI could write better than them, completely abject at storytelling – but they’re wonderful ATMs every time they talk to a sales rep for something.

Remember, this is all a skill. Just about anyone can learn a skill. It’s not like money where you can spend something and, poof, it’s there. And when you’re beginning a skill, cheaper is usually better because A) you’re not even that sure you’re going to stick with this, why sink so much money on something that could be a one time thing B) you need to learn the skillset, you’ll eventually note what needs to be upgraded and what doesn’t C) not everything in life needs to have a hefty price tag, stop being around greedy people and you’ll notice that.

Things are different from how they were 20 years ago. The internet made a lot of info more accessible so people who were usually barred can learn and learn for free. If you’re paying for it, there’s probably a money-sucker in the mix, especially if you’re paying a lot. For me, accessibility is important. Part of making things accessible is to make sure those who are not always financially well-off are not gated off. Money isn’t an equalizer.

Some things are probably going to cost something, like a computer (or you can visit a library, where the computers are free) or a paper and pen (or you can just nab a pen from the post office and paper from flyers, napkins, from work when the boss isn’t around*), or bookbinding supplies, but it shouldn’t sink you fiscally. Spending more doesn’t usually mean the skill is somehow better. Not everything should be purchased at crater low prices because you don’t want to get materials that are a deficit to your skill procurement but at least be sensible in what you get.

It’s nice to see that I don’t have to spend myself ultra broke just to have a plain hobby.

*If they’re paying you so little that you can’t afford to buy paper or treating you poorly, it’s their problem that you’re yoinking it. If they didn’t want that to happen, they should probably pay their employees better and treat them better also. Kindness costs nothing and better paid employees are happier.

MultiMind is on Threads & Exclusive Live Reading Event of “The Glassman” by the Narrator for Black Girl Gamers

Yep, I needed a spot that will automatically port my blog splatters posts to wherever I microblog and it seems of all social media thingys I use for MMP, Instagram is the one I use the “most” (as in “not the least/at all”). So Threads makes for an easy jump, skip and hop for anyone who wants to view my momentary word vomit on top of my not-so-momentary picture vomit.

Also, I had zero idea Twitter was getting rid of its block button. That’s not good. Wow, amazing to see how Twitter goes out, I still remember the Fail Whale. Now the entire thing is a gargantuan fail whale.

Follow me on Threads!

In other news:

There will be an exclusive live reading and Q&A on Halloween by my narrator of The Glassman, Alejandro Antonio Ruiz, for Black Girl Gamers, a gaming group that strives to make a safe space for Black girls in gaming. Ruiz is not only the narrator of my work but he also is the voice of Gekko in the video game Valorant.

The event will be hosted live in the BGG’s Discord but it will be recorded and eventually shown on BGG’s social medias for everyone’s viewing.

As the name suggests, you have to be a Black girl to join the Discord. They include transwomen and non-binary femme but those are the two boxes you have tick off: – Black Girl – Gamer. (If that makes you ticked off, please feel free to scream at your local White person or local guy because none of this would have to exist if racism, sexism and misogynoir didn’t. Remember: Gamergate happened. Twice.) The video will be eventually up since not everyone is on Discord so hooray for that.

There will be 10 free audiobook copies to give away during the event so if you are part of Black Girl Gamers, be there!

Also, the event will pretty much finish up all promo for The Glassman for a while – there is a duology coming, after all – which means things will shift towards my next book, a YA dark fantasy horror, The Harlequin. Meaning we’re getting ready to leave Chula Vista to visit New Tulsa. Details eventually on that later.

Fan Art & Fan Fic Policy for My Works

Might as well get this out the way.

Fan Art Policy

I don’t mind fan art but please have your skin tones correct. I don’t want to accept any colorist (also known as “shadeism”) fan art, it will be returned. I’m a Black writer, I regularly depict my characters with medium and darker skin tones and the main characters are on the cover usually so there’s a visual guide there. If you struggle with accurate tones for darker skinned people, it’s ok to just not give me the art or only do so after you work on it. (If you can tone lighter skinned people but struggle with darker skinned people, that’s a concern.) I write characters that have seen sun, basically.

I don’t want to reject any fan art because I know a lot goes into making it, speaking as someone who has made loads of fan art myself (not drawings but other things), so I think it’s best to simply say this all here where people can see it. If I spot characters that are shaded way too light, I’m most likely going to say so as quick con-crit and hand it back. There’s plenty of free guides on how to shade skin tone correctly so look for those.

Fan Fic Policy

Rule One: Always remember my art belongs to me, the fan’s interpretation of the art belongs to them. I don’t mind fan fic depictions of my works but I don’t look for them. HOWEVER, I am not a fan of my characters used to exhibit racist, sexist, misogynoiric or queerphobic beliefs. Obviously no adult-youth romantic relationships. Do not drag real people into any fan-fic relationships either, adult or otherwise. I do think that fan-fics are like the training wheels of writing, they’re great for those who are trying to learn how to be a better writer or simply tell a story creatively, but for my works, I do have some lines that are definitely Not Okay.

I don’t want to squash anyone’s creative fun as they play in the sandbox of my ideas – but it is still my Intellectual Property at the end of the day, I’m happy if someone loves my characters but I’ll always be more than happy to send a lawyer if something deeply concerning comes across my digital desk. Remember, just because I’m not looking for it doesn’t mean it can’t ever cross my path. I’ve written fan fic before, so I’m fine with most versions of it (including lemons/raunchy material – never wrote but I have totally read it) but I do want those basic guidelines followed, especially since I don’t think they’re very difficult at all.

In conclusion, I appreciate anyone appreciating my work but I have seen in my personal experiences of spending time with artists of different professions, from musicians to writers, accept fan gifts that they would reveal privately they didn’t want. Some for nit-picky reasons, some for legit reasons. They all wanted to be nice and appreciate the fan work, and so do I – thus, I think this is a pretty ok thing to point out. I don’t want to risk embarrassing some fan simply because they didn’t know something since that’s not ok for them and I also don’t want to take on art that I know I’ll never let see the light of day again since that’s also not ok for me or them.

Mind you, anyone who abuses this policy is most likely not a fan, just a rabble-rouser, so I’ll most likely be very scathing since I’m not lancing apart a fan. And if it’s infuriating enough, that’s what copyright lawyers and IP lawyers are for. I rather focus on making books, not people purposely trying to catch a potentially devastating lawsuit for their personal enjoyment.