Q is for Queer (Sci Fi)

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Contributed by J. Scott Coatsworth, author, publisher, and community organizer.

When ACatherine Noon asked me to write something for the Writer Zen Garden, I had no idea what I should write about. And she was no help whatsoever, giving me only the letter Q as a prompt.

Fortunately the word “queer” came to the rescue.

Queer has a long history in Western Culture. Probably coming from the German word “quer,” it meant something odd or perverse. It wasn’t until the 1900s that it became attached to sexual orientation, specifically gay men, and by the 1950’s it was a fairly widespread slur for men who preferred the company of other men.

As such, it became a source of great pain for gay men who grew up in that era, and who heard it sneered at them by straight men, often accompanied with threats of violence, or worse.

I was born in 1968, and grew up after the word queer had fallen out of general use as a slur in most places. The word faggot took its place for my generation, and I still have a hard time even writing that vile word. So it gives me a window into how the word “queer” makes the baby boomer generation feel even now.

In the 1980’s the gay and lesbian community (later the GLB, GLBT, LGBT, LGBTQ, and LGBTIQA, but that’s a whole ‘nuther conversation about evolution and inclusivity) decided it wanted to reclaim the word, and began using it themselves to remove the sting. Even so, it’s still fraught for many folks to this day.

Marissa Higgins at “Bustle” describes the inherent difficulties in the use of the word well:

“As I remarked before, whether or not someone identifies with and uses the word “queer” is an intensely personal decision. For myself personally, the word ‘queer’ is one I use comfortably when it comes to academic discourse and discussing the ‘community.’ I avoid using it as a way of describing others, and generally avoid using it as a way to describe my own orientation, as I prefer a more specific label. Admittedly, as a woman of the Millennial generation who grew up in a relatively liberal area, I never experienced ‘queer’ as a slur, so I have fewer negative feelings attached to it than many of my peers, especially those in the older generation.”

When I created Queer Sci Fi in 2014, I was looking for a word that would encompass the entire community. I chose “queer” because “rainbow” and “lavender” were so overdone, LGBT seemed insufficient for inclusivity, and LGBTIQA was such a mouthful.

But the generational divide over the word is real and persistent. I’ve had some of the older folks in the community take great offense at the use of the word “queer” in the Queer Sci Fi moniker. It hasn’t happened in a while, but a discussion in 2018 about which words we should use as a community showed that there was still a fair amount of disgust with the word “queer” among our elders.

I am a big fan of reclamation, and also of inclusion. “Queer” serves both those purposes, and so It works for Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink.

But we must always be mindful of the history of it, and the harm it once did to our community.

We still have a lot of work to do.

P Is For… Poetry! … Or Is It?

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Contributed by Jessica Lea.

P is for poetry, my current passion. But, of course, P also stands for PANDEMIC. Which I don’t want to write about…but how can it be avoided? Worlds turned upside down – or inside (not out).

Everywhere I turn, there it is. An infestation tainting art, music, poetry. News. I am just so tired and want to escape, read my books about the fae and dream about hiding in a forest wearing these incredible handcrafted shoes I can order from Australia that look like leaves.

My seven-year-old daughter and I are roommates now because she can’t fall asleep, stay asleep, or have a good night’s sleep without waking with nightmares. I am in an alternative universe – the separation of work and home gone replaced by four furry co-workers and two students. Everything is in slow motion. And I don’t have extra time on my hands – just extra responsibilities. And anxiety.

Former in person meetings and classes are now on Zoom. All screens flash with free art and writing classes, museum and zoo tours, authors reading their work. Expectations that we artists should be (even more) productive proportionate to the increase in free time due to being “stuck” at home. So many options to spend this elusive increase in time being creative that it is completely overwhelming.

It’s National Poetry Month and I had a very serious goal to write at least one poem. Every. Single. Day. Newsflash: goals may not reflect reality despite the encouragement and good intentions of books, blogs, social media, email lists, and meditation apps. I am not helping to pave that road.

So, I have done some things. Maybe not as much as I expected or pressured myself to. I am enough. I am going to go at my own pace – and this is your permission to go at yours.

O Is For… Out of the Box!

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Contributed by Suzie Brown.

I grew grew up very much in the box, many of them actually. The Christian box. The perfect daughter box. The A student box. The best friend sister box. As I grew older, it seems, I grew more boxes too. The perfect mom and wife box. The nurse box. The martyr for everyone box.

There were always little cracks in these boxes and I worked hard to hide them, to fix them. I had premarital sex, bad. I hated housekeeping and cooking, so bad. I cheated on my husband, practically evil.

Until one day my boxes just exploded. I left my husband in a spur of the moment decision. My kids stayed with their dad and I was no longer behind any walls. I started drinking, doing drugs, and sleeping around, a lot. I was so far out of the boxes of my past that I got totally lost.

After about a year Walter and I found each other. I truly believe we saved each other. With Walter and I there are no more boxes. I feel free to do and study whatever I want. I’m free to re-invent myself and my world however I want. I’m now the wife, the mom, the nurse, and the spiritual being I’ve always wanted to be. I’m doing, learning, and believing many things that those still in their boxes don’t understand.

The best thing about about being out of the box is that I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I’m free to be me without walls and I can honestly say I’ve never been happier. So if you, too, are peeking out of the little cracks in your box, trying to find the real you, I hope you find the strength and courage to explore the world outside your box. If you do or don’t know that I will love you just as you are.

Peace!!

N Is For… Needs, Noodles and Nowhere…Living in the time of COVID-19

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Contributed by Piper Strick.

First, let me tell you who I am and what I do for a living. That will set the stage for what’s to follow. At my core, I’m a helper! I try to help people see new perspectives, try new behaviors, examine their thinking, be more effective…essentially become a better version of themselves. My job requires this of me as I’m responsible for talent management and development. Even some of my friends and family have come to rely on me for these skills. What’s been interesting recently is the need to learn to help MYSELF. For some reason, that’s harder…much harder. So I’ve employed a journal and some guided exercises from the experts. Here are some of my lessons from working in a world with Coronavirus over the past several weeks.

Needs

At the start of all this, five weeks or so ago, I found myself whining a bit. My mental monologue included statements of fact like, “But I NEED to be with people!” “I need to wear all the cute shoes in my closet.” “I need to be somewhere other than my house.” Pretty quickly I found that my perspective was quite negative. And upon examination, I realized these weren’t actually needs but wants. From then on, when I feel like I’m missing out on something I ask myself, “Is this a need to have or a nice to have?” If it’s merely a nice to have, I put it on a list to keep track of it for when I can do that thing or have that thing again. If it’s a need to have, I ask the next question. “Do I need this now, or in the near future?” If now, I figure out a way to get it, or at least something close to it. These questions have allowed me to let go of the expectations that aren’t realistic during a time of crisis and stay at home orders.

Noodles

I’ve found food to be important for my mental health as well so with NO guilt, I’m eating what makes me feel good (in moderation). What can I say? Noodles are delicious and make me happy. So do nachos, nectarines, and nuts. I make sure to get the healthy stuff in my diet regularly, too, of course. Recognizing how the foods I eat affect my mood and my body has been quite helpful. When I know I feel better after eating a salad than I do after eating a toaster strudel, I make a better, more conscious choice. But, don’t get me wrong, noodles are necessary!

Nowhere

Often these days I feel like I’m going nowhere. I’m sequestered and feel that my freedom has been taken away. What has helped with this is taking a few minutes at the end of each day to write about what I’m grateful for in my journal. It helps me realize that I DO have choice, over many things. And whenever I feel stuck I go outside because nature is beautiful. Soak it in. Recognize it. Revel in the wonder of a night sky. I hope this post has given you something to noodle about (see what I did there?).

M Is For… Motivation!

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Is there such a thing as self-motivation? Perhaps, but a shared load is halved, right?

It’s tough enough to stay motivated on a good day; shelter-in-place is making it harder for most of us.

How do we motivate when our new normal is commuting 20 feet to the home office? Except for a few video conferences most of us are cut off from motivational confabs with the coworkers.

I know of one executive who is attempting to make a go of it in a more excellent way than just getting through another day. His wife also is working from home and they have small children who need to get schoolwork done. They motivate each other by keeping a routine: wake and sleep times have stayed the same as before with both spouses taking turns keeping the kids moving while the adults work through their day. Easy? Not really, but definitely stimulating.

I keep a routine as best I can (never have been good at it). My husband and I lavish motivational praise on each other for completing even the most mundane tasks. Keeps us going!

I also make it a point to share motivational texts with a few besties during the day: quick snappy messages that are joyful and encouraging. Keeping it short can still connect you without being disruptive of your work schedule. You can always have a longer, more relaxed chat after the workday is done.

So, who can you share a motivational moment with? What positive reinforcement can you gift someone?

You’ll feel less isolated and more productive by sharing motivational forces with your household loved ones and your remote partners-in-captivity.

Go on, enjoy sharing some positive motivation, have a delightfully productive day.

Bio:

Jonni Lukenbill-Bowles is a Career Counselor and Lifestyle Coach in the midwestern United States. See more about Jonni on sageprairie.net and her blog at sageprairiestudio.com . Write to Jonni at CoachJonni AT CoachJonni DOT com.

L Is For… Learning About Tropes; and Theme vs Trope vs Motif, and What About How?

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Contributed by Sela Carsen.

I’ve been writing romance for… well, let’s just say a long time. A very long time. I write this genre because I love it. For all the ups and downs and ins and outs, the vast variety of stories speaks to me.

But that doesn’t mean that I’m done learning. Even things that sound simple aren’t always easily understood, so it’s important to constantly study. Just last week, I had an epiphany around a word I thought I knew, until I began to examine it more closely.

Let’s talk about tropes. But to do that, we’re going to work our way through motifs and themes first.

Thesis: I’ve come to believe that we typically call a “trope” might be more usefully defined (at least for my own purposes) as a plot motif.

Theme: What’s the heart-meaning of this story?

Motif: What symbols, metaphors, or characters can I use to reinforce and illustrate that meaning?

Trope: What commonly identifiable plot structures can I use to reinforce and illustrate that meaning?

To take an example that’s commonly misidentified as a trope: “billionaire romance.” This is, in fact, a motif, but it is neither a theme nor a trope.

“Billionaire romance” hinges on a commonly recurring character, so it’s sort of a motif, but really, it’s little more than a job description that we use as shorthand for a specific type of character. It’s not even a particular archetype of a character, except as “hero,” and then it doesn’t really define which type of hero very well. Is he the hard working and polite hero? The trickster rogue hero? The hero who was born under a lucky star?

It says nothing about the story itself. It’s just… a guy with money, which isn’t especially heroic, in and of itself, but it’s often touted as a romance trope. How does “guy with money” make the leap to being called a trope?

It doesn’t. It’s just a character. A character is not a trope, and it’s only a motif inasmuch as the character archetype illustrates the theme of the story.

By that reasoning, then, we can take away all the “this type of character” elements of romance that we love – biker, geeky heroine, virgin hero, boy next door, kickass heroine – and put them aside as Motifs, Not Tropes.

So how does a trope compare to a theme? Are they the same thing?

Nope. Theme is more like “what’s the meaning of this story?” Is it trying to teach a lesson, or illustrate an element of human nature, or, to use that high school lit class question, is it man vs man, man vs nature, man vs himself, etc?

The literary world uses the word “theme” like a 20-lb sledge hammer. “But what does it MEAN?” they ask, as if the question itself has meaning.

“Is it about how beauty rots from the inside?”

“Does it boil down to the meaningless nature of life?”

Oy. Some people need to get over themselves.

But the sharp stick up the literati’s collective ass doesn’t negate the idea that a lot of romance is based on the central themes of Hope or Redemption or Truth or any number of wonderfully positive ideals.

But an ideal or a theme doesn’t tell you how the story is going to go. That’s where plot comes in. And that’s where tropes come in. If we take the idea that a trope is really a plot motif that fortifies the theme, let’s work it out with some examples.

Let’s take the theme of “Truth.”

One way you could illustrate the theme is by using the trope of “Fake Dating.” It’s usually employed because one or both parties want to pull the wool over someone else’s eyes. They’re lying and the plot hinges on them working their way up to telling the truth – to themselves, to each other, to everyone else.

You could also illustrate the theme of Truth by using the tropes of “Marriage of Convenience” or “Love Triangle” or “Secret Baby.” Those are the vehicles you use to get to the main idea of Truth.

Let’s do another one. Say, “Redemption.”

My favorite Redemption storyline is “Beauty and the Beast.” The Beast can only be redeemed – become human again – by learning self-sacrifice and pure, giving love. So the trope, the storyline, the plot of Beauty and the Beast is one way to illustrate the theme of Redemption.

Another possible trope/plot motif to illustrate the same theme would be “Second Chance.” One or both of them screwed up earlier and now they have to forgive. They have to redeem their chance to love again.

So there are many different tools that can be used to illustrate the same theme. A trope is simply the commonly identifiable plot structure you use to get there.

Bio:  Sela Carsen is an award-winning author of paranormal and sci-fi romance — with or without sex and dead bodies. Your pick. She maintains a permanent nerd-on for fairytales and mythology, and openly hoards reference books about obscure folklore. Born a wanderer, she and her family have finally settled in the Midwest. Until they move again, at least.

K Is For… Knowledge, and Other Smart Things!

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Image from airplane window while flying over two snow-capped volcanos in Washington State USA

Noony here. As I write this, the U.S. passes the half-million mark of those infected with COVID-19 and my state, Washington, is still under a Stay Home, Stay Healthy order until the end of the month at least. It’s hard to overestimate the trauma caused by this situation: to individuals and families, forced to shelter in place; to the millions experiencing job loss; to the small businesses facing stoppages; children not able to attend classes, prom, and sports games; and a host of other things. This doesn’t even mention the families who have lost loved ones or are currently facing illness.

During a time like this, unprecedented in its scope to us in modern society, it is incumbent upon us to follow the best knowledge that we can. Here are a few ways to do that:

  1. Remember that the media companies are in business and their business means they need your attention.
  2. Constantly focusing on the negative, whether it’s politics or a health crisis or something else, is unhealthy.
  3. If you do want to find out what’s going on, use good data sources:
    1. In the U.S., that means the doctors who specialize in epidemics and viral disease, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci.
    2. The World Health Organization.
    3. John’s Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
  4. If you want to learn about the disease itself, The Great Courses Plus has some excellent classes available to subscribers. In the U.S., you can access them through Kanopy via your public library’s electronic learning, or you can subscribe directly to the courses (which I enthusiastically recommend).
  5. Beyond that, ignore the news. Stop focusing on it, going bananas about what this or that person is doing or saying.
  6. Make something.
  7. Meditate.
  8. Garden.
  9. Nap.
  10. Take it easy. Trauma is exhausting. That’s meant literally: it makes our bodies physically tired. Get more rest, and if you’re tired, take a nap.

 

Knowledge is power, as the saying goes. Read books, write in your journal, and use your mind. It’s easy to become scared in a time like this, particularly if you go online and find so many other scared people. But we need to take a deep breath and remember: we were given a mind for a reason. Use your knowledge. Build your knowledge. Keep calm and carry on.

It worked for the British during World War II and it can work for us, now.

Stay well, my friends.

P.S. Wash your hands.

J is for… Jadoo

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jadoo, n.
Magic, conjuring.

Pronunciation: /ˈdʒɑːduː/
Etymology: Hindi jādū, enchantment.

Oxford English Dictionary, March 2020

Every time I turn on the news, it seems like we’re even deeper into the Bad Timeline. Economies crashing, plague spreading, terrified people locked in their homes. It’s a whole lot of awful, no good, very bad days.

And this is where we need some magic, because we have to figure out how to make it through this madness. Now, Magic (big M) is for things like miracles and sorcery and other things found in all my favorite fantasy and sci-fi books/films. Perhaps also in my favorite Wiccans, but that’s another story. Mostly I’m talking about magic (little m). The magic of ordinary people, living average lives. Ordinary and average don’t sound exciting, do they? There’s no thrilling heroics or saving the day. There’s just getting on with all the things that make you, well, you. Then again, in an age of quarantine and social distancing, maybe a little bit of normal sounds downright miraculous.

So, magic is all the wonderful, tiny things in your life that you love. Maybe even things that no one else would notice. But you do, because it’s the magic you conjure. Reading a good book that makes you happy-sigh (hint: romance novels are awesome), wearing your favorite fuzzy socks, ticking things off your to-do list that you never have time for when you’re allowed to venture outdoors without a mask.

The last few weeks, I’ve been working from home (and I know I’m hugely privileged to be able to do so), and I’ve had to focus on those things that make my strange new normal pretty damn wonderful (because, let’s be honest, the other option is going stir-crazy). There’s the cup of tea my husband makes me in the morning before we start work, the fact that I can be in a meeting with a professional blouse on top and my comfiest yoga pants on bottom and no one knows over Zoom. There’s the spendy yarn I scored online on clearance that’s knitting up into a beautiful sweater. There’s raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens…you know, the good stuff. To me, focusing on that instead of the whole world going pear-shaped…that’s magic. That’s enchantment.

That’s jadoo.

Wishing you all a little bit of jadoo today and every day.

~Crystal Jordan

Find me online:

I Is For… Imagination!

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Contributed by Becky Kapjon.

According to the dictionary imagination is the action of forming new ideas or concepts of objects not present to the senses. What does this truly mean to each one of us? When asked this question each person will have a different answer.

I will tell you what imagination means to me. My imagination is my inner place where my stories live and where the visions I have for them take place. It is the place where my stories come alive. Before I start to put my stories down on paper, they play out in my head. I can see how my character will react and feel to different actions. I can also see the settings where they are taking place, so I can try to capture what they are doing. As the story unravels in my mind I start to make notes, so I don’t lose the essence of what I am about to create for my readers. I can be in the most unlikely places when I think about something that would be great in one of my stories. As I am there I can see it playing out in my story or I can hear my characters talking to me. My stories always play out as if they are a movie in my mind, so I can see how each action and reaction happens as I am developing the story before I start to write it. I let my imagination run wild in hopes of a good story.

I am working on getting what’s in my mind’s eye onto the page. Sometimes the translation takes a bit of time to get just right. I want people to be able to read the words and feel as if they are in a corner watching what is going on in the story or better yet a part of the story. I always thought it was great the way authors would paint a picture of their story, so their reader feels as if they are standing in the corner watching as it happens. My goal is to be as imaginative as they are and paint that picture with my words for my readers. I hope my imagination comes through when people read my stories. I’d love to hear how your imagination works?

You can find Becky online in the following locations; stop by to say hello!

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/beckykapjon1/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beckykapjon/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/BKapjon

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Becky-Kapjon/e/B07N8JRPY6/

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18815014.Becky_Kapjon

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/becky-kapjon

Website: https://wordpress.com/stats/day/beckykapjon.wordpress.com

H Is For… Hope & Happiness = Health

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Contributed by Tammy-Lee Moore.

Health has become a global concern.  Many of us are overwhelmed by the rapid changes occurring each day with new information on Covid-19 happening almost hourly.

We’ve all learned about hand washing, disinfecting, physical distancing (at least 6 feet apart) and the need to stay home.  This has been and continues to be the gold standard to help stop this virus in its tracks.  What I wonder is, have we been allowing ourselves to be so overwhelmed with the fears, changes and information overload that we are living in a state of anxiety and/or depression and been allowing our immune systems to be compromised?

While we can not control what is happening in the world around us, we can put some of our energy into focusing on what we can do to help ourselves feel better and improve our immune systems which in turn will help us stay healthier during this corona virus pandemic and beyond it.

There are two very important areas to put our focus on right now. HOPE and HAPPINESS.  I know many will look at those two words and think, “Yeah right.  How am I supposed to feel hope and happiness in this shit storm that is happening worldwide?”  The answer to that question is moment by moment and small action by small action.

At first glance, HOPE seems like a nebulous concept.  You keep thinking, “I hope things get better”, “I hope this pandemic ends soon”. Yet those thoughts don’t make you feel any better.  So how in the world is HOPE supposed to help me?

Once again, the answer is moment by moment and small action by small action.  Did you notice that your thoughts on HOPE were general and evoked no feelings?  Did you notice that there was no action involved in the thought? I bet you only thought those hopeful thoughts once!

Moment by moment means that you need to address what you are feeling moment by moment and take a small action in those moments to help yourself feel better.  For some of us, we need to do small actions frequently and regularly throughout the day to keep ourselves from spiraling into a pit of despair.

Let’s take the first thought of “I hope things get better” and turn it into a small action.  Grab a pen and paper and write out “I hope things get better” at the top.  Now take a few deep breaths to relax and then write down what things you hope get better.  Write as many as you can.  Once you have your list, take the first item, read it, then close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and then imagine in your mind that this item is better. Let’s say your item is being able earn and income from home.  What does working from home feel like?  What does it look like? What are you doing? What do you smell? How does your body feel? Get as many details in your mind as you can.  Then do the same thing for every item on your list.

Once you have finished imagining all the items on your list, how do you feel? What thoughts are flowing through your mind now?  I bet you are feeling uplifted and hopeful and even thinking about what small action you can take right now to help move you toward improving these items on your list.  This is the powerful force of HOPE.  Just this small action has improved how you feel mentally, physically and emotionally and boosted your immunity.  Each time you find yourself feeling hopeless, take one of the items on your list and do the imagining process and help yourself harness the power of HOPE.

HAPPINESS is a concept that many of us find confusing.  Is it a destination? A journey? A feeling? A state of mind?  The answer is yes.  Happiness is all those things.  The role HAPPINESS plays in health is more vital than many of us can imagine.  Like HOPE, HAPPINESS is a powerful force that we can use to help us improve our immunity, thus improving our health.

I bet you are thinking “That’s nice, but how can I feel happiness when my whole life has crumbled around me?”  And again, I answer, moment by moment and small action by small action (are you sensing a theme here?)

Even during the darkest times, we can find moments of HAPPINESS by practicing gratitude.  And now you are rolling your eyes at me and thinking “Gratitude, are you crazy? I’ve lost everything and you expect me to be grateful for that?”  Of course, I don’t expect you to be grateful for losing everything.  What I am suggesting is to take your focus off what you have lost and put it on what you still have.  When you are grateful for every little thing you have, moments of happiness arise.

Grab that pen and paper again.  At the top write “I am grateful for” and then list every little thing you can think of.  Even the fact that you can take a deep breath in and release it is something to be grateful for. Do you have food to eat and water to drink?  Do you have a roof over your head?  Do you have internet access? Do you have a bed to sleep in? Do you have family and friends? Do you have a loving pet? Can you stand up? Can you walk? Do you have clothes to wear? Do you have a voice to speak or sing with? Do you have crayons to colour with?  These are very simple and basic things to be grateful for.  I bet you could come up with many, many more.

Once you have your list, I want you to read each item out loud beginning with “I am grateful for…”  For example, “I am grateful for the ability to breathe deeply.”  I suggest that you do this twice a day, every day.  If you find yourself feeling unhappy during the day, grab your list and read it again.  While you may not feel happiness immediately after doing this, you will begin to find yourself having moments of happiness as you continue to focus on what you are grateful for.  As any activity or sport, this takes time and practise. Your health is well worth it! You will also find that the more you practice gratitude, the more you will have to be grateful for. This provides even more opportunities for moments of happiness to improve your immunity.

Using the power of HOPE puts our focus on what is possible and increases our strength of purpose for our lives.  A daily gratitude practice puts our focus on all that we already have which ignites the power of HAPPINESS.  With our energy being focused on HOPE and HAPPINESS we are igniting the power of our immune systems which will create and support our HEALTH.  I wish you all, HOPE, HAPPINESS and HEALTH.

BIO – 

Tammy-Lee Moore is an empath, writer, intuitive coach and a recovering people pleaser.  After leaving the corporate world, she began a journey of creative recovery and self discovery.  Today, the journey continues, and she invites you to join her and begin your own recovery and self discovery.  She can be reached at tammylee@wakingthecreativesoul.com.