When is Our "Moment"?

If able-bodied agents and editors are waiting in their inaccessible towers for disabled and neurodivergent writers to have our "mainstream moment" in the industry, it will never come.  Because they don't care about our accomplishments or see our triumphs now.  Because our talent means nothing to them without an arbitrary form of relevance they help foster.  It's like someone who is self-employed waiting with growing irritation for their workday to begin.

If our "moment" rolls in with the help of able-bodied publishers, what will it look like?  Inspiration porn derived from our successes?  Scraps of pity from their feast?  Our stories are already (often) twisted for mainstream consumption.  Will those involved center us, or just use us?

Anticipating an inciting incident for a rise in criplit smacks of a fad.  Our stories are merely a trend to chase—vampire erotica will wax and wane alongside heroines on crutches.  And, when the "moment" arrives, it will be full of able-bodied/neurotypical writers flooding the market with crippled characters in two-dimensional glory.  Our lives reduced to cardboard and forever "othered".

No group of people is ever a fad.  We are not frivolous plot points.  We are not the latest fashion you can discard in a dresser next season!

Just because "the mainstream" thinks we haven't had our moment, doesn't mean we aren't relevant.  We are the world's largest minority.  We have famous writers and artists permeating our history.  We have writers crushing the hell out of things right now!  Our successes are not anomalies and not confined to a tiny capsule of days.

Mainstream media will tell you we haven't had our moment yet and they're correct—we will never settle for such a short period of time.  We own the future.

8 MFA Alternatives

January brought social media announcements of disabled writers going back to college.  Between those posts, I saw others lament their lack of degrees.  A lot of us, it seems, desire(d) a college education without the ability to obtain one.  If what you want is knowledge (and not necessarily the paper), there are alternatives out there.

The eight options below take a variety of approaches.  For the best results, mix and match.  There are probably more positives or negatives for each option than listed.

If you're continuing your creative writing education without a traditional college path, how are you accomplishing it?

Alternatives to an MFA:

1.  The library.

Pros:  Free, numerous resources, librarians to assist you with research, Internet access, most libraries are at least somewhat accessible, go at your own pace.  Some even have Gale Courses.

Cons:  No consistent guidance, finding what you need might prove tricky, no critique or mentorship.

2.  Auditing college classes.

Pros:  Real college experience, guided learning, no pressure to turn in assignments.  Reduced cost (but not free).

Cons:  Accommodations might not be made for your needs, no participating in discussions, limited (or no) access to professors if you're struggling, timed commitment.

3.  Online courses.

Pros:  Stay home, certain classes have group discussions, more flexible schedule, guided learning, instructors may be available to help you.

Cons:  Time commitment required, some classes cost money, technology used might not be right for every disability.  Some places allow anyone to post a "course", so you have to be cautious.

4.  A critique/writing group.

Pros:  Free, feedback/advice, possible support outside the group.

Cons:  Time commitment required, local groups might meet in inaccessible places, you might end up using your energy on other people's work more than your own.

5.  Conferences.

Pros:  Connect with industry professionals/other writers, interesting panels, possible pitch sessions, readings.

Cons:  Most conferences cost serious money and aren't accessible.  Online offerings are meager.  Not great for long-term education.

6.  Subscriptions/services.

Pros:  Literary magazines can expose you to new work and styles; reading them also gives you insight into what they publish.  Writing magazines can keep you updated on publishing news and give you editing tips.  Some services submit for you and/or keep track of where you've submitted.  Delivered to your door.

Cons:  Costs money (and, with submission services, a lot), limited information, no interaction, you'd need quite a few different resources to cobble together a well-rounded experience.

7.  Workshops.

Pros:  Feedback/advice, instructor-lead sessions, some instructors might be writers you admire.

Cons:  Same as conferences, except there seem to be more workshop opportunities available online.

8.  Mentors.

Pros:  One-on-one advice/feedback, more relaxed interactions, can help open doors or shape a career.  Free (hopefully).

Cons:  A bad mentor can mess you up worse than a bad conference because of the trust and proximity of the relationship.  Finding the right one is difficult.

Applications for Mentors Open Today!

Disabled and neurodivergent writers, today we open for applications from volunteer mentors for our 2019 term! Established writers will agree to work with emerging ones in our community during the months of August and September.

Things you need to know:

1.  This program can't pay anyone involved.
2.  We'd like at least one mentor for teens this year.
3.  We try to check out everyone before accepting them. (No bigots, liars, etc.)
4.  Everyone participating should write in English. No geographic restriction.
5.  This program is for disabled and/or neurodivergent people only!
6.  Applications are due March 31st.

An overview of the program is here.
For application questions, please click this.
We have a FAQ page here.

Thank you for considering our program!  Without our hardworking mentors, this wouldn't exist.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. We can be reached via email (handyuncappedpen@gmail.com), on Twitter (@HandUnPen), or in the comments below.

A Gift of Ableism for the Holidays

"Editors are always interested in heart-warming, holiday-themed content.  Write stories of stray dogs finding homes and disabled people finding help."

"The disabled receiving Christmas miracles make great stories!  How about a young girl learning to walk on Christmas morning?!"

At least four different, able-bodied writers gave a variation of the above advice in newsletters or via social media last month.  Cripples are to be pitied, according to these writers.  We are as pathetic and helpless as stray dogs!  We are a gimmick (tug those heartstrings).  One writer went as far as to say able-bodied people should be the ones to fix or assist us in the stories.

We are seen as nothing but an abstract concept or glaring stereotype of sucking, horrid need.  I'd like to blame the existence of Tiny Tim—a sweet, sickly child with the temperament a Catholic martyr would envy—for this, but I just can't.  People should know better in our current age.  Research, if nothing else, would improve their impressions of us.

This is yet another consequence of our exclusion from society (as writers and as part of the general population).  I'd bet most of these writers only have whispers of interaction with a disabled person, if that.  They get their ignorance from misguided popular media and, in turn, guide other writers in creating more of the same.  Disabled people writing new narratives are often dismissed because they refuse to reinforce ludicrous notions or regurgitate stories of our oppression.

Next holiday season, don't regift your ableism... throw it the hell out!

Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Book Cover: The background is teal with faint, white equations.  In the top right third, a cartoon couple is engaged in a kiss (she is wearing a pink shirt and a black skirt, and he is wearing a white shirt and blue pants). They are standing on a blue division symbol. The title is in yellow cursive with the division symbol side running between the words "The" and "Kiss". The author's name is under the title in white capital letters.

Notes about reviewer limitations:  

1.  I'm not autistic.
2.  I'm picky with romantic reads.

Stella Lane is autistic, brilliant at econometrics, and lousy at love.  Due to pressure from her overbearing mother (and "relationship advice" from a sleazy co-worker), Stella decides to hire an escort to teach her proper sexual techniques.  Enter Michael, the sweet escort who desperately needs money.
~
First, if you're looking for a chaste romance, this isn't it.  There is sex.  Descriptive sex.  Naughty words in the descriptive sex.  There is more than one scene of naughty, descriptive sex.  It's vanilla sex, but there is still a fair amount.

The sex scenes were done fairly well.  Stella locks up and starts to cry (in the beginning) during intimacy, and Michael is patient with her.  He slowly works through her barriers, and is always considerate/gauging her responses.  It felt like fully-informed consent.

Rape trigger warning for this paragraph:  Unfortunately, Stella's response to sex leads to a scene I'd consider date rape early in the book.  Anyone who goes through with intercourse when someone is lying rigid with tears rolling down their face is scum.  (I'm not talking about BDSM, where intention and emotion can differ from non-kink.)  It isn't that Stella is bad at sex, but that the men she's with don't care enough about her to give her what she needs.
~
The main protagonists were solid solo characters.  I loved the way Stella's mind works—it felt like an authentic portrayal of an autistic woman to me (the author is autistic), and it was nice seeing her universe and confidence expand.  Michael (who is half-Vietnamese) has depth to him:  He loves his family, has geeky tastes and interesting hobbies, harbors a secret dream, and possesses a storied past.  I found our male protagonist had a bit too much angst for my liking (maybe I just don't like daddy issues).

The secondary characters ranged in quality.  Some characters were only there as plot devices or emotional vehicles.  One of the side characters the book spends the most time on (the sleazy co-worker) felt like a legitimate sexual predator.  I had a pretty unfavorable view of Stella's family, but I liked Michael's well enough (outside of the father we never see).
~
The romance portion of the book didn't feel quite as developed as the sexual one.  They still have cute moments together (there was a sweet scene at an ice cream parlor), but most of them didn't seem to last long.  It was enough for me to see the connection and want them to succeed.

They are interested in each other's lives and goals, though I thought Stella tried harder for Michael than he did for her, especially in regards to their families.  Stella, though, doesn't respect Michael's boundaries as well as he does hers.  No relationship is perfect.

When the couple hit their rough patch in the book, it's because they both think the other can't possibly love them for who they are.  This, of course, is a type of misunderstanding trope... something I despise.  For two people who are supposedly in love, a five-minute conversation shouldn't be impossible.  But, plot, I guess.
~
If you are looking for spice with a touch of sweetness and a good portrayal of an autistic woman, I recommend this book.

If you are looking for something with more romantic depth, this probably isn't the read for you.

I found it a worthwhile read.
~*~
Author biography:  Helen Hoang is that shy person who never talks. Until she does. And the worst things fly out of her mouth. She read her first romance novel in eighth grade and has been addicted ever since. In 2016, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in line with what was previously known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Her journey inspired The Kiss Quotient. She currently lives in San Diego, California with her husband, two kids, and pet fish. 

Market Updates

Inclusive Mainstream Publications Page

Added:  

Vinyl (Poetry & Prose)
Tiny Flames Press
Brine Literary
Dancing Girl Press

Removed:

The Journal (Click here for the reason we removed it.)
Tin House (Defunct) *Just the literary magazine is gone.*
Black Napkin Press (Defunct)
Devilfish Review (Defunct)
VOICES (Defunct)

Other Changes:  

Beecher's Magazine is now called Landlocked.
Paper Nautilus is on indefinite hiatus.
District Lit has a new link to their guidelines.
~*~
Magazines, Websites, Etc. (for Us) Page

Added hashtags:  

#HomeboundPhotography
#FilmDis
We're starting to add entries for other arts.

Removed:

Writing in the Margins Mentor Program (defunct)
Alt-Minds (charges reading fees)

Other Changes:

Exceptions has an updated link and is on hiatus.
Hospital Drive has a new website.
Tiny Tim Literary Review has an updated link and is on hiatus.

Resolutions? No.

If the one thing you can work towards for 2019 is staying alive, it's enough.  I know you want to accomplish great things.  It can feel like everyone is getting their wishes granted while you wait—like the entire world is moving while you remain frozen. 

But, you accomplish things every year.  You just might not consider what you do as memorable or worthwhile because it isn't what you hope for. It could be a smaller act you dismiss on the basis of size.  It could mean something more for someone else than it does for you.  Good things still happen because of you—because you exist and try.

~*~

As writers and artists, not being able to steer our careers with any consistency can rankle.  We feel like our art is doomed and anything we attempt is futile.  Taking a break to focus on our health is often seen as failure or an inability to be "true artists".  

We forget:  Everyone's path is different.  

Nondisabled/neurotypical painters can have a decade-long gap between gallery shows.  Some "healthy" writers never publish the novel they want.  Singers can be one-hit wonders.

There are so many factors in success and failure that no one can entirely predict.  Those three short stories a writer can manage to write a year could land them a book deal.  A YouTube channel can catch the eye of a talent scout.  No one knows when luck will strike.  

~*~

Do what you can as you can manage it.  You can't plan out your year, but that doesn't mean the pace you're working at won't eventually lead you to where you were meant to be.  And that's all you need, lovelies.  Happy 2019.