I loved Killjoys. It was one of my favourite science-fiction TV shows in recent years. I loved the character, the dialogue, and the worldbuilding. But one small thing always irked me. One of the main settings is a ship named Lucy, after the AI. And it’s a nifty ship design. But it has two levels … Continue reading
Category Archives: Crafting characters
Traditional publishing says it wants diverse voices, but does it really?
Traditional publishing says it wants diverse voices but when presented with them, they either tone them down to be more acceptable to the neurotypicals, or they make them so ridiculous and centre the neurotypicals, or worse, when speaking of POC, they center whiteness. I am very proud of a novel I wrote, which I have … Continue reading
Me and OCD
Mild spoilers for the movie Soul ahead: Everyone is talking about Soul. The Pixar movie, released Dec. 25, 2020, is the first Black-led Pixar movie in the company’s 25 years of making films. It’s been lauded by critics for its messaging and direction, as well as criticized for its depictions of Blackness, mainly the fact … Continue reading
Intersectional Me
Editor’s note: Nicole’s piece was submitted on December 13, 2020 just after our holiday hiatus began. We are happy for it to start off our blog for 2021! Light spoilers ahead for The Happiest Christmas, Uncle Frank, and The Prom: The advertisements for The Happiest Season are everywhere. Maybe it’s because Instagram knows I’m queer, … Continue reading
Drawing Me Out: How DisArts Tells My Story
If you’ve ever encountered me through video or in real life, the word most associated with my personality is “bubbly.” I love engaging with people and get energized by them. Making people laugh drives my joy. If you’re following me on Twitter, I’m also quite open about how I manage mental illness, such as agoraphobia … Continue reading
Charity™ and Disabled Futurity
Editor’s note: I invited Derek Newman-Stille to share with us their own experience with writing fiction, as some people might only know them as a champion in elevating speculative fiction authors and/or disabled voices. Their short story, Charity™, is the grand finale of the Nothing Without Us anthology. Most of my writing about disability has … Continue reading
Writing from Within
A few years ago, someone asked me if I would ever write a novel with a character who had MS. I told him no. My reasons for this at the time seemed simple. I already wrote a blog about living with multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. That seemed like enough for me. My thought at … Continue reading
I Built My First Disabled Community With a Fictional Character
I’m sure many of you will read that title and think: One too many cupcakes, Cait? Is all that sugar affecting your perception? Nope. It’s true. My first entry into feeling in community with a disabled person was when I bonded with Noola Quirk from Life in the ’Cosm. Okay, yeah, I know it seems … Continue reading
Becoming a Sensitivity Editor of Indigenous Content
The thing about sensitivity editing, and looking for content that might be inaccurate or offensive, is that no particular group is a monolith. This is the thought that entered my head when I was asked to be a sensitivity editor for any Indigenous content that appeared in the forthcoming anthology, Nothing Without Us. There are … Continue reading