K. Tempest Bradford's Blog, page 8
October 1, 2019
Originality podcast episode #27: Once You Know the Rules You Can Break the Rules
In this episode Aleen and I talk about the line between inspiration and appropriation. We also dip into the nuances of drawing from different cultures, how to interrogate what really interests you about that culture, and what to do when you mess up.
September 30, 2019
Originality podcast episode #26: Everything is Really Difficult
We discuss how we use bite-sized goals and rewards to keep working, why “grit” is super annoying, and the importance of taking time to step back, look at the big picture, and be kind to yourself.
Continue reading Originality podcast episode #26: Everything is Really Difficult on my blog
September 29, 2019
Originality podcast episode #25: You Are Not Alone
In this episode Aleen and I discuss bring creative while under the mental toll of life in America in 2019.
Continue reading Originality podcast episode #25: You Are Not Alone on my blog
September 28, 2019
ORIGINALity podcast episode #24: Bury Your Shoulds
In this episode Aleen and I discuss the dreaded 'shoulds' and how to bury them so you can focus instead on what you want to be doing.
Continue reading ORIGINALity podcast episode #24: Bury Your Shoulds on my blog
September 18, 2019
September Microfiction: The Moon Fell Off The Night Sky And He Went Looking For Her
She didn't so much fall off the night sky as she allowed herself to detach, come away, to drift. She wanted, just for a little while, to see things from a different perspective. So much time above the little blue and green planet, watching over it, playing her part in the push pull of water and energy. Acting as a light in the darkness.
August 31, 2019
Take a Peek at Ruby vs the Big Red Bug
If you follow me on social media you likely know that I recently completed the draft of a middle grade novel. YES, I FINISHED SOMETHING. I'm over the moon happy about it. And I really love the book. I've been posting chapters of the first draft on Patreon -- one per week. You can join my Patreon if you want to read all the chapters.
Continue reading Take a Peek at Ruby vs the Big Red Bug on my blog
August 28, 2019
Daily Writing Exercises – NaNoWriMo Warm-Up 2019
Getting ready for NaNoWriMo? Or just want to try building a daily writing practice? Join this class and get a short writing exercise in your inbox every day for a month.
Continue reading Daily Writing Exercises – NaNoWriMo Warm-Up 2019 on my blog
May 31, 2019
Big Bad Con 2019 and Me!
A bit of awesome news! The folks running Big Bad Con have invited me to be part of their event, thanks to the efforts and introductions of the ever wonderful Ajit George. After hearing all about BBC from Ajit this past weekend at WisCon I got excited to be part of yet another convention that cares about inclusivity and works hard to make the space welcoming. So not only did I agree to come to the con, I also agreed to run a Writing the Other workshop there.
March 3, 2019
Can We Talk About Pronoun Declaration Best Practices?
I want to have a conversation about pronoun declaration and best practices around it sparked by this aspect of the issue coming up 3 times in the past month: that asking or semi-requiring people to declare their pronouns in public can be harmful to non-cisgender people.
This is not an aspect of the issue I'd come across before. In all other discussions of declaring pronouns (usually in the context of convention badges) the general idea I got was that non-cis folks declared so that people wouldn't accidentally misgender them and folks who are cis or cis-passing were encouraged to declare to normalize the practice and not put all the work and markers on the marginalized group in this equation. This all seemed reasonable to me.
I don't remember how long ago we started, but for at least a year I've been asking Writing the Other students to declare their pronouns where their name appears in discussion areas or video chats. Just before the last class I got an email from a student concerned about this practice because they'd had discussions with nonbinary and trans friends about how pronoun declaration made them uncomfortable in situations where they might not want to be out to people about their gender.
Continue reading Can We Talk About Pronoun Declaration Best Practices? on my blog
February 12, 2019
February Microfiction: The Locket
"This makes no sense," Tulla said. She'd said about five times up to that point, as if repeating the statement would manifest someone who would then make it make sense. But that wasn't going to happen because it did not make sense.
The locket on the sidewalk was not a picture. It also wasn't a mirror, yet it was a reflection. Just of someplace that didn't exist.
Continue reading February Microfiction: The Locket on my blog
