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
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’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
Welcome! It’s your friendly neighbourhood editor-in-spoons posting this week. Today I wanted to give a shout-out to the Spoonie Authors Network contributors who are on the ballot for the Prix Aurora Awards. This is a prestigious award for Canadian speculative fiction writing. How exciting is this? Hint: super exciting. So, let’s begin! Best Young Adult … Continue reading
Content warning: This article deals with terms that can be hurtful to people who manage disabilities, mental illness, or other medical conditions. I mention these terms to educate about why we should choose other words instead. If the title of this article made you cringe, then I feel hopeful because you recognized a term originally … Continue reading
I recently watched the musical Wicked, and one scene particularly stood out to me as problematic. It tied into a few other problematic representations of disability that I have encountered in literature, film, and television. In Wicked: The Musical , the main character’s sister, Nessarose, is a wheelchair user. During the performance, she, at various … Continue reading
I’ve written over sixty books in multiple genres that run the gambit: short fiction, romance, fantasy, poetry, young adult, children’s literature, horror and suspense, even some science fiction. In all of those books, I have never had a character that was disabled—not in any of my books. I was born with cerebral palsy (CP). When … Continue reading
