#WNDB: I Write Diverse Books – Here’s Why. (AKA Yes I Write LGBTQ Books)

There’s just enough hope when it shines

To go one scared step at a time

The amazing and brave Leah Raeder wrote a post the other day about her upcoming BLACK IRIS and I realized I needed to attempt to write my own, and talk about a few things I have planned for my books, as well as my philosophy for 2015 and beyond. I recently posted about the books I want to write and publish this year, but I wanted to do a separate post for another topic.

Books Aren’t Done – They’re Due

Probably the second best advice I’ve ever read, and one that has come to really resonate with me. I’ll probably elaborate on this more in a future post, but for now, suffice to say this is helping me realize that I can’t hold on to my books forever. I have to let them go eventually. I have to realize I’ve edited as much as I can, I’ve done the BEST that I can, at that time.

I have to let them go, even if it means some people will hate them. Some won’t connect with my characters, because I write realistic characters who make poor choices and are sometimes broken, and who don’t always do what’s expected of them. They have flaws, they curse, they’re sex-positive. They second-guess themselves or others. They take awhile to get the heck out of their own way. They learn and grow. I guess I write unlikable heroines. That? Is never going to change. Which leads me to…

 

Writing the Books I Believe In

Here is the crux of my post.

I love As You Turn Away more than I ever knew I could love a writing project, but I got in my own way a lot with it. It was my first book, and has some first book mistakes. The hardest thing I ever did was when I let go of it, knowing it was on its own. I never realistically expected all positive reactions, of course, but it was a new experience, getting to the point where I realized that even negative reviews are a blessing.

I have no designs to be famous. I just want to be read, because that truly IS a gift. Whether my books are for you or aren’t, if you give me a chance, you deserve mad love. 

So TL; DR: 2014 was what I made it. It was an incredible debut year. I learned a LOT. I realized I didn’t know much (nothing?) at all (Jon Snow.) It was a great year personally. It was a weird year personally. I made new author friends and reader friends. I lost a few friends. I published two books. Some folks loved both books, or just one. Some hated one or both. All of those reactions are totally valid and appreciated.

2014, I have one thing to say to you in terms of where my headspace was for too long:

 

2015 is for writing as much as I can. 

2015 is for challenging myself to grow as a writer, reader, person. 

2015 is for continuing to write character-driven books with more cute banter and thoughtful moments and feels. 

2015 is for writing the books that scare the shit out of me. 

2015 is for continuing to champion NA, while realizing that *my* NA does not have to be *your* NA, or yours or yours or yours, that it can be whatever we each want it to be. 

2015 is for celebrating small victories, for not obsessively checking my sales rankings, for making my Facebook reader group a fun place.

2015 is for firsts, mainly my first f/f romance. You’ll see me talking a lot about One Breath At a Time this year. It’s a standalone f/f book that, Dear God, I pray won’t get tragic on me. I think we NEED – and LGBTQ folks DESERVE – books where f/f romances or m/m turn out happily for a change. So yes, I’m writing a f/f NA book about being out in a small southern town and saying fuck the haters and girls kissing girls.

Five years ago, I couldn’t have written this book. Two+ years ago, I came out and realized I never wanted to go back to hiding who I was…and that if I can help others shine a light on who THEY ARE, I will. My family is not accepting of who I am. They do not accepting my relationship with my girlfriend. Teens, young adults, new adults, adults – no one should have to feel this way. It’s my goal to at least try to help even one person feel less alone and more accepted and loved.

So here’s the truth…

All of my books from now on will be diverse, and not in a “I used a checklist to make them that way,” but in a “This comes from my heart to yours” way. I won’t get in my own way anymore. I won’t be scared to write the kind of books that could have helped teen me. 

Maybe that diversity will come in the form of LGBTQ characters. I’m bisexual, and it’s important for me to represent that in my books. To write about bi girls and lesbian girls, bi boys, and gay boys. To break the stereotype that you can’t know you’re gay/bi/etc if you haven’t been in a same sex relationship. To write them kissing and banging and being cute and happy together. To write their relationships and beautiful and normal. To NOT fade to black, to reinforce the idea that ALL sex can be beautiful and positive, and NOT just hetero sex.

That diversity may come in the form of disabled characters. I have plans for a 2016 (maybe 2015 if I can get to it) book featuring a disabled, kickass redhaired MC.

That diversity may be characters who are POC. I’m scared to write this, just like I’m scared to write a disabled character, but I’ll do my research and try my hardest to fairly and accurately represent POC characters, because they deserve that.

I can’t promise I’ll get any faster at writing books, or that you guys will love every single one of them. I can’t promise I’ll ever write what’s expected from the category I write in. I can’t promise I’ll always only write NA (more on that soon.)

I CAN promise: banter, feels, (much) masturbation, girls kissing girls, guys kissing guys, unlikable heroines, character growth, Southern-isms, oversharing, flirting, sex-positive girls and guys, a road trip book, interracial relationships, a baseball book, positive/supportive friendships that involve dance parties, characters meeting in the same place when it comes to power in the relationships, and much, much more. 

 

So, are y’all coming on this ride with me? I sure hope so.