Interview: Cornelia

Today we’re joined by Cornelia, who also goes by EveandJohnny online. Cornelia is an incredibly productive and talented fanfiction writer from Germany. She has written in a variety of fandoms, both in German and English. She has a great love for the written word, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I am a fanfiction author – at least that makes up the majority of my work. I also have two original long stories (not sure if you can call them novels) and an odd number of original one-shots. But currently fanfiction is what I am encouraged in the most. The fandoms included in my portfolio are Twilight, Harry Potter, Digimon, The Hobbit, Suicide Squad, Zamonia and C.H.I.X. As my native language is German I started to write in German. Some of the German stories I have translated into English respectively I started to write more stories in English.

What inspires you?

In the first place, of course, there are the original stories. For my Original Characters I usually start with imagining me in the particular original universe and what I would do there or how I see certain characters. That quickly develops into the OC taking its own shape with treats and quirks that I don’t have.

Very helpful is music. Depending on the fandom/the original story I listen to Symphonic Metal (Twilight), empowering/feminist music (Suicide Squad), film soundtracks (The Hobbit)…

I also like to take a walk, especially when looking for new ideas.

What also helps me is to write in the library of my university. I don’t really know why but somehow the more “professional” atmosphere encourages the flow of words.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I indeed have long wanted to be a writer. I have an affinity for words since I’m able to read and may say that I am quite eloquent. When I was in sixth grade I started with a fanfiction about the German youth novel series C.H.I.X. (“Die Wilden Hühner”) which quickly developed into a very long going project. Since then I have written rather regularly though I have periods where I don’t have the energy or the ideas to write and periods where I can finish a chapter in an hour or so.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

The most common trait in my stories are strong, independent female characters. In the first place it’s probably because I am female myself and so I know what I’m writing about. But in retrospective it’s also a feminist act. All of them are white, I have to admit, but I think that I cannot properly display what other groups of humans feel and think so I would never arrogate to write about it.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

“Never give up” is probably the one you should always remember. It doesn’t matter if you ever get to publish your work professionally and can make a living with it. It’s more important that you believe in yourself and keep doing what you love. I know, it sounds cliché but it’s true. I have received very little feedback, regardless on which platform I look at. But that doesn’t make me retire. When I go back to what I’ve written already I cannot help but feel proud of myself. It feels good to see the amount of pages “piling up” in my digital storages. Because it is also what I love about books. You open a page and dive into something so much different than your own reality. I bet that counts for every other art, too.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

Though I’ve never had a partner before I am heteroromantic asexual. I am not sex-repulsed but thinking of having sex myself just seems somewhat unearthly. I can perfectly well live without it. But I am longing for a relationship – just without sex.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

The biggest ignorance is probably that sex is still regarded a major plot device. Maybe that’s also what I want to show in my own stories: I don’t have sex scenes in my plots, not just because my characters are asexual (there is only one OC openly asexual, all the other ones are not or not openly) but because it’s not necessary.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

I have personally not encountered a misconception because I’m not openly out as asexual. The people who know it are queer themselves and although there are restraints against us even in the queer community those people understand or at least don’t harass me or anything. But what I can imagine is that many people mistake asexuality for celibacy.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Despite any negative feedback you get yourself or see in the media or even hear in philosophical discussions in the Gender Studies (I’m studying Media Studies where GS are a major part) ignore it. Some people think they can discuss your identity but they cannot. Your identity is yours. And if you don’t really know who you are – don’t worry. You are no less a valid person just because you’re not really sure who you love and how.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My stories can be found on archiveofourown.org (here), wattpad.com (here) and fanfiktion.de (here) under my pseudonym EveandJohnny.

My Tumblr is rockthistowninsideout.tumblr.com if you have any more questions.

Thank you, Cornelia, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Mel

Today we’re joined by Mel. Mel is a fantastic writer who writes a variety of things. She mostly writes fanfiction, but also writes a lot of original fiction. Aside from those, she also dabbles in songwriting and poetry. It’s very obvious that she’s incredibly passionate about the art of writing. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m a writer who mainly writes fanfiction, original fiction, and occasionally songs or poems. Writing is one of my main hobbies, and even though my anxiety can make it harder to start on a piece, it’s something I adore doing. I’m also a singer, but that doesn’t play as big a role in my life as being a writer does.

What inspires you?

I get inspired by a lot of things. Going to see a movie in theaters almost always gets me going with a brand new ideas or a brand new perspective on the old ones. Reading and watching shows in general also tends to gets me writing more fanfiction!

My main genre is fantasy (urban fantasy especially), so a lot of times when I’m reading or watching other fantasy it helps me fine-tune my own world—what I like, what I want to change, etc. For example, right now I’m rereading Harry Potter, and since my fantasy has a similar concept of magical beings living among humans (albeit a very different execution), it’s really useful for figuring out how the world works for my characters.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve always been a big journaler, and I was writing fanfiction before I knew what it even was! The first “real” story I can remember writing was basically a Peter Pan ripoff that’s pretty laughable now, but it was an honest attempt back then. Over the years I’ve had various projects, ideas and characters running through my head. Some of them work, some of them don’t, and all of them are hard to get on paper/document!

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Many of my stories tend to take place in one of the two cities I made up, Lilac and Maverick (both of which are somewhere in or near New England, where I grew up). I invented them partly to give myself total freedom over what’s in them, and partly so I don’t have to do any research on location! Lilac is fairly large and somewhat unwelcoming, particularly to anyone involved in magic, while Maverick is smaller, kinder, and easier to blend into, due in part to the many magic-users and non-humans living in it.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Don’t worry too much about getting it right the first time. Having a rough draft in front of you, even if it’s so bad it makes you cringe, is better than having it stuck in your head, especially if you want to do something with it. Drafts can always be edited, sliced, diced, and polished til they shine like you want them to. Also, remember that if you never get around to actually using some of your ideas, that’s okay. The important thing is that they making you happy. And if you’re pretty sure you’ll never have any ideas as good as that one, you can A) remember that you’ll have many, many other ideas that are probably just as good as that one, and B), feel very smug because you know something awesome that nobody else will (probably) ever know.

Now if only I could just take my own advice…

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

As ace as can be, and sex-averse. Romantically I’m arospec (really aroflux but not confident enough to use that term whenever I’m feeling more confused than usual), heteroalterous and bisensual. (I only ever want to be in a long-term, semi-romantic relationship with a guy, and I think girls and guys are really, really pretty and I just want to cuddle them a lot)

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Not that I can think of.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

Well, going by my real life, that it doesn’t exist. So much so that no one even knows or uses the word.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

It’s okay to be different. You’re not broken, and you’re not alone. Figure out what labels fit you best if that’s what you want to do; move on if it’s not. Either way, celebrate who you are, right now, regardless of how you may change in the coming weeks, months, and years. You’re amazing just the way you are. 🙂

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My main Tumblr is alterouspotato if you have any questions. I also just started a sideblog called thewritermelodyjaikes, where I’ll be dumping whatever writing I actually manage to get done. I’m also on Fanfiction.net as MelodyJaikes, and hopefully I’ll be able to get an AO3 someday soon.

Thanks for reading, and thank you so much for the interview!

Thank you, Mel, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Carmilla DeWinter

Today we’re joined by Carmilla DeWinter. Carmilla is an absolutely fantastic fantasy novelist from Germany. All her original work is in German and she also writes some fanfiction in English. She also blogs about a variety of subjects, including feminism and fantasy (a fellow genre feminist? Yes, please). Carmilla is an incredibly passionate writer who displays this amazing amount of enthusiasm, which is always wonderful to read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Cover for “Albenbrut” (loosely translates to “Elfspawn”)

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

As I’m probably telling everyone, even those who don’t want to hear it: I’m a writer. Most of my writing is novel-length fantasy, followed by blog posts – both German – and some fanfiction, which is in English. Original fiction-wise, I’ve published one gay fantasy novel in two parts with a small press so far. I’m currently looking for an agent.

What inspires you?

People. I find the stuff we humans do intensely fascinating, and sometimes funny, so a lot of my writing is about trying to understand why other people do what they do.

Why most of my fiction ends up being speculative is harder to explain. First, I absolutely love setting up the experiment from near-scratch by reading a lot about history and then putting it through a what-if filter (aka world building). Second has to do with the what-if. So what if I imagine a medieval “Europe” plus magic, minus Christianity? The interesting part starts when magic makes women independent, and thus half the kingdoms there are actually queendoms.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Once I knew how to read, it quickly became my favorite pastime, and thanks to understanding parents, I was always encouraged to let my imagination run wild. So, in hindsight, writing as the art of choice seems kind of inevitable. Plus, thanks to my dad and a distant aunt, I always had SF or Fantasy novels to read as a kid.

I won’t claim I’ve always wanted to be a writer – I made that conscious decision at age 19 – but even before that it was always the creative outlet I’d return to, from my first bad, unfinished Jurassic Park rip-off at age 12 to atrocious poetry to slightly less atrocious song lyrics. And no kidding: I get grumpy when refused a creative outlet.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

No – that is, there’s nothing to reveal, really. The only thing that is perhaps recurrent is that I tend to feature at least one aromantic character per longer original work, and in fact did before I knew aromanticism was a thing.

Nowadays, I try to include at least one asexual character per longer work – that is, someone who states a clear lack of attraction or disinterest in sex, not some ambiguous “could be read as”.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Most parts of writing can be learned. It’s a craft. There’s courses, online resources, writing groups, books in the library. I’ve found it useful to create some stuff first, then learn more, then critique what I wrote in light of what I learned.

Learning how to tell a story well is way more difficult than writing beautiful sentences, though.

Search for people who will give you honest feedback about what works, and not just go “squee”.

Otherwise, writing means that you’ll need to spend large portions of your life inside your own head, which is not for everyone. Finishing a novel also requires time, patience and a heaping helping of determination to make it to “The End”.

Albenbrut 2 cover

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

Asexual. I’m also aromantic, but that’s more an aside to my identity than a central defining feature.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Actually, my fellow writers have been quite understanding so far, though there’s been a handful of people who like to argue about feminism. Or about whether sexism actually is real.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

When doing vis/ed, mostly it’s people assuming that either I’m recruiting or that asexuals as a group are somehow disordered.

I actually kind of get the first response, because it hasn’t been that long that homosexuality was classified as a sickness. Given that a lot of people still believe that belonging to a minority orientation is a choice of lifestyle, the fear of being recruited tells me a lot about the amount of homophobia in our society. Most of the time you can counter that misconception by being respectful and reading up on the issue, though.

The second assumption – that we’re all suffering from an illness, a disorder or whatever – tells me a lot about the popular narratives and how pervasive they are. Asexual people never get a story, thus they can’t exist, and everyone who says they’re ace has to have A Reason(TM) to be like that.

When talking about being an ace writer, most people’s minds boggle at the fact that I write about characters who occasionally do have sex, sometimes on-screen. As if that’s somewhat more outlandish than someone else writing about things they never did, either, like living in a historical time-period or serial killing or whatever else.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

You are not alone. There’s others like you out there. They may be found online or offline, though you’re obviously not required to be an active participant in the community.

You’re probably scared, and that’s okay. Our society likes to draw a lot of lines into the sand about what is normal and acceptable behavior. Most of those lines are completely arbitrary, but it can still be very intimidating to step outside those boundaries, even if it’s just in your own thoughts.

Your feelings are valid. You’re not broken. The majority however might prefer if you felt that way, because it’s a sure-fire way to keep you quiet.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

There’s my German blog, where I ponder the intersection of fantasy, feminism and other forms of marginalization. I’m not doing in it English, because it’s something long overdue in Germany. There you can also find links to my original fiction (or at least to the shops where it’s sold): http://carmilladewinter.com

If you want English stuff, I’m one of those people who joined the Pit of Voles a decade ago and have yet to leave: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/906810/Carmilla-DeWinter

Thank you, Carmilla, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Tah the Trickster

Today we’re joined by the Tah the Trickster. They’re a fantastic and versatile writer who writes poetry and prose. Their prose tends to be LGBTQ themed YA fiction. Tah is also a fanfiction writer and they have an awesome love of werewolves. It’s quite apparent that they’re passionate about their work, which is always wonderful to see. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m an author of both poetry and prose! My prose consists mostly of LGBT-themed Young Adult fiction, though I also write a great deal of fanfiction, particularly in the RWBY and Skyrim fandoms (still heavily queer, though!). My poetry is an ugly sort of visceral writing, leaning heavily on themes of depression and rage, which seems to resonate with a lot of people. I write in a lot of different genres, but I have a heavy leaning towards urban/low fantasy, particularly with regards to werewolves. (I’m a big fan of ‘em.)

I currently have written one YA queer romance novel, a book of poetry, and have had some of my work featured in the zine Werewolves Versus! I’m also working off-and-on on an encyclopedia of werewolfery!

What inspires you?

Music is a big one; I love listening to hard rock and heavy metal and drawing words from the lyric material and feelings of the songs, and trying to capture those feelings.

I also take inspiration for fanworks from other fanartists. I have several friends within the fandoms I’m a part of, and we frequently swap ideas for material to work with.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’m not sure that I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I’ve been writing for many years now. I was big on reading as a kid and young teenager, and most of my formative years were spent reading J. K. Rowling and Tamora Pierce and the like. I found pretty early on that reading so much at a young age made me prime writer material, and since the surprising success of my first novel Singer, I’ve been writing daily (or nearly) since then.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I don’t really have any special secret to my work, but I suppose I’m unique in that I write almost exclusively in the first person. This does turn some people off, I’m afraid, but more often than not I get comments saying that I’ve made a handful of people change their minds about first person narratives. Which is, you know, a huge confidence booster for me.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Writers don’t just write; they read. If you can, try to read lots of things in the genre you want to write in. Learn the ins and outs of the genre. See which parts of those books work, and see what doesn’t work. Figure out why you like the parts you like. Learn to use them in your own work.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I’m an asexual enby (non-binary)! More often than not I’m agender as well, but sometimes I feel more masculine or feminine than I do other times.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

The most prejudice and ignorance I see is on the internet in general, not just in my specific field. I see a lot of people arguing that the A in LGBT is for asexuals, not allies, (which is true) but then see the same people labeling heteroromantic asexuals as “not really being queer,” which is kind of bizarre to me. More often than not I can ignore it (I’m not heteroromantic) but it does tend to rub me the wrong way.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

The most common is probably that whole “just because you’re asexual doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy sex” spiel. That’s great for sex-positive asexuals, but for sex-repulsed asexuals, it can be a frightening and overwhelming experience that you’re still expected to go through with sex if you’re with an allosexual.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

It’s okay to be asexual. It’s okay to be asexual as a result of a religious upbringing. It’s okay to be asexual as a result of trauma. It’s okay to be asexual for no readily-apparent reason. Being asexual is not a bad thing.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

You can find out about my various projects and order my books on my website at http://tahthetrickster.com/!

If you want to read my original works, you can check them out on my FictionPress here: https://www.fictionpress.com/u/640126/

If you want to read my fanworks, you can read those on my AO3 account: http://archiveofourown.org/users/TahTheTrickster

And of course you can always follow me on Tumblr or Twitter: tahthetrickster

Thank you, Tah the Trickster, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Daniel Clarke

Today we’re joined by Daniel Clarke.  Daniel is an incredibly talented writer who writes both fanfiction and original work.  They dabble a bit in digital art to create covers for their work, but their passion lies in writing, which definitely shows in their interview.  My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

Well I’m a writer, mainly of fanfiction. I have high functioning autism, so I’ve always been one to obsess. So writing has been how I express my feelings on a certain topic. So my “special interest” has been Marvel and The Avengers for the past 3 years. So my main work is on the Avengers. I also have smaller special interests that I love, but I’m not quite as absorbed in. And I have a lot of works for those too. But my main book is a series called the Driven MAD series, and there are 4 books. I’m currently working on the 3rd one. The first two books are currently unedited and uncondensed, so the first draft for book one is 895 pages long, and book two is 912 pages long. Combined, those two have a higher word count than the entire Harry Potter series combined. So… You could say I’m just a bit wordy.

What inspires you?

Well, aside from the movies or shows themselves, I would say that my biggest inspiration is reading. Whenever I get the chance to just sit down and read for a few hours, I find my desire to write double, triple, quadruple. I see the success in other authors and I just think… Yes. I can do that too.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve always been into writing. Ever since I was a little kid. I started writing when I was in the 3rd grade. It was this horrendous, ten page story about a girl and a boy who fell madly in love, only for the boy to move to freaking RUSSIA and she builds a plane out of mushrooms and flies to him. Yeah, I was a weird little kid. It was so bad. However, it slowly became more organized, got a little better. By the time 6th grade rolled around I’d written about 7 books, all of them being between 100 and 400 pages long. And then, in 7th grade, I started my MAD series and that’s when things started to get interesting.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in our work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Ever since I came out as asexual, I try to hint at or blatantly say that at least one of my characters are asexual. So right around the time I came out, I made Sharon Carter asexual, and it’s since become sort of a big plot point in her relationships. And I’ve recently started a Hannibal fanfiction, and I made Will Graham asexual. And I’m starting to include my romantic orientation as well. So I have about 4 or 5 pansexual characters in my Avengers fic. My gender and sexuality don’t define me as a person, but it’s an important part of me that I like to express in my writing.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Don’t stop writing just because you think someone else is better than you. I know I got discouraged a lot when I first started because I thought R.L. Stein was the coolest person ever and I thought that my books would never be as good as his. But trust me, your work will get better the more you practice. The more you write, the more things you notice. You notice what sounds good, you start to figure out how to better organize your ideas… And eventually, this:

“After eight months in Paris I was finally aloud to go back and visit my parents and bring back three friends. When I got there GABE ran up to me and hugged me. Then he kissed me! “Kat! I missed you so much! I can’t believe you got a plastic leg and now you can walk again! Oh I missed you so much!” He said to me. He spun me around! That was a sign of true love. I knew that I had to turn him down. “Gabe, I don’t know if you remember this but we’re sort of over. We can still be friends though.” I said. That had to be the hardest thing I’d ever said. “Kat.” He started. I shook my head. “I used to love you but I sort of got a boyfriend.” I told him. It was true. His name was John Luke. I’m only dating him because his name is a combination between my brothers’ names. I really hated him though. “So you don’t love me anymore?” he asked. I shook my head. There was a long silence between us. “I still want to be friends though.” I said to him. He nodded and we went our separate ways.” (Book 3 of some series I wrote in 4th grade. CRINGE.)

Will turn into this.

             She didn’t hesitate a single moment. She just grabbed the remains of the bottle, grabbed a quick swig, then dumped the rest of the bottle on his head, burning his eyes and stinging his lungs as he choked. She smiled sickly, perhaps cruelly, as she poured it over him, letting him choke and sputter on the alcohol and blood and sweat and tears… He was HYDRA. He was the enemy. And he deserved it.
“Still don’t want to tell me?” Sharon hissed.
He just bit down on his lip and shook his wet head violently. She sighed and turned toward the desk again, where a pack of cigars and a set of matches were sitting. She grabbed it quickly, opening the pack and taking a cigar, setting it carefully just between her teeth like she’d done God-knows-how-many times before. When she was a rebellious teenager, she had been addicted, but after awhile, once she grew up and joined S.H.I.E.L.D, she’d gotten clean, been clean for years. But still, the feeling was familiar. The feeling. The taste. The warmth. The smell.
“The first time I ever smoked a cigar,” she started, “was in the fifth grade with Marlene Smith. Funny little girl, I adored her. I thought she was so cool because she was in the seventh grade. I smoked then, and then all through high school. This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve put one out on someone…”

And this:

             Broken glass shattered around his feet as he cautiously stepped into the apartment, the cracked remains of vases and photographs and all of the other things that you were supposed to have when you were married splintering beneath his feet. Inside sat Bobbi Morse, hair matted and mascara smudged and clothes torn, near-empty bottle of vodka still in hand. She laughed manically, coughing as she did so, sputtering out what seemed to be vomit as it dribbled down the corner of her mouth, just before she spewed it out all over the carpet. “We’re all going to die, Clint Barton.” She slurred.

And this

              “You are not understanding, Thanos. Your army is weak. The Avengers destroyed them in one afternoon. There were six of them. We have an army, Thanos. The Asgardians, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, what’s left of the Avengers. We are strong, Thanos. You may have the power of the Gods in your hands, but we have the power of the people. And maybe I’m wrong, but I have never believed in a God. Here’s my proposition. The people create the Gods as a crutch. And when those Gods turn on us? We kick the crutch and fight back.”
“I am not some manmade thing, meant to make you petty humans feel better about yourselves. I could care less if you follow some moral conduct, because morals are for the weak, for those who want to be good and pure, for those who can’t accept that the way they live will land them nowhere but Hel. It matters not how you live, how you wish you could be. I am no expectation, longing, no mark. I am… I am. I am the God of this grave new world. And I am no crutch. I will eliminate you all before you touch me, before you kick your imaginary crutch.”

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I’m just asexual. Plain and simple. I used to think I was demisexual, but I’ve been in a few deeply committed relationships, including the one I’m currently in, but I don’t feel any sexual attraction to her. In terms of my romantic orientation, I am panromantic. I’m also agender, but that’s not really connected to my asexual identity.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I don’t experience a lot of acephobia in my work, other than the occasional question about it. I write my ace characters in a lot of different ways. When I write Sharon Carter, she’s something of a badass and is pretty sex neutral. However, when I write Will Graham, he’s extremely sex-repulsed and has a lot of trouble with touch. So I’ll get people who think that all ace people are this way or the other, but it’s not true. If you meet one asexual, you’ve met one asexual. It’s not a “know one, know them all” situation. So I try to explain a bit, but I’ve only gotten a few questions on that. People aren’t quite as ignorant as they used to be.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

Asexuals just haven’t tried it yet. Yeah, I’m still a virgin and I plan on staying that way. But that’s like saying that you can’t know you’re straight until you’ve had gay sex. Or like saying you don’t know that you don’t like BDSM because you’ve not tried it. It’s just a common misconception because “oh my god who doesn’t love sex?” We live in a sex crazed society, and those who live without it are alienated.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

You are valid, you are beautiful, and you don’t need anyone else’s approval. You’re not broken, and how you live your life is entirely up to you.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

All of my work is posted on my Wattpad.

https://www.wattpad.com/user/MARVELousThor

If you want to know more, feel free to message me on Tumblr as well.

http://harleys-lil-monster.tumblr.com

Thank you, Daniel, for participating in this interview and this project.  It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Alex L.

Today we’re joined by Alex L.  Alex is an amazingly talented and versatile writer.  They have dabbled in a number of other arts, but writing is where their true passion lies.  Judging from their enthusiasm, Alex is a writer with a very bright future ahead of them.  That’s an incredibly exciting prospect as the world will always need more ace writers.  My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Wolf Vase

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m primarily a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and fanfiction. Although I’ve dabbled in drawing, acting, photo manipulation, and even pottery, I always come back to writing. It’s what I do best and what I’m most comfortable with.

What inspires you?

That’s always the question, isn’t it? I can’t pin down what exactly inspires me with 100% certainty. An idea can crop up from something large like another artist’s work or even something as trivial as a random question from a friend. I suppose, if I’m being entirely honest, the people I see and the struggles they face often crop up in my stories through analogy and symbolism.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series was what got me into fiction to begin with. Much of what started my interest in writing grew from my love of reading stories. What really pushed me to actually open up a notebook and start working was actually finding out that Christopher Paolini (author of The Inheritance Cycle and one of my favorite authors at the time) was a teenager when he wrote his first novel. It got me thinking and if he could do it, why couldn’t I?

As to whether or not I’ve always wanted to be an artist, I’m not entirely sure. I’ve always been drawn to art of all forms, but my memory is unreliable when it comes to when I was little.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in our work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Nothing really comes to mind as far as signatures or symbols. I do tend to write a lot of stories revolving around strong, well-developed (at least, I try to develop them to the best of my abilities) women/feminine-presenting people, but I think that’s more because so little media actually has characters along those lines. Grey morality and the idea of fate (whether or not our actions can change it/if it even exists) pop up a lot, too.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

In general: don’t let yourself discouraged when your art turns out lower than your expectations. Everyone starts out with mediocre work and gradually grow from there, some slower than others. Take a step back and don’t worry yourself over losing inspiration or not having very much feedback. It will come to you eventually.

To other authors: it’s okay not to plan everything out entirely. It’s okay to plan everything out entirely and end up throwing out half of it anyway. It’s okay to let some stories get away from you and write themselves, but also to leave some stories unfinished in your files forever. Those little ideas that remain unwritten everywhere but in your head are just as important as those that you finish entirely.

Alchemist Excerpt

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I’m a panromantic, non-binary asexual who lies somewhere between sex-neutral and sex-repulsed. I don’t like to be touched unless I’m completely comfortable around you, but I’m also a helpless romantic at heart.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I’ve had a few people ask me how I can write romance when I’m missing “the most important part of a relationship” in real life, which lies in the vein of “write what you know”. I usually reply with a) that if we all wrote what we knew, science fiction and fantasy would not exist and b) if your relationship relies mostly on sex to function properly, and you’re not an aromantic who isn’t romance-positive, you really need to reevaluate your relationship because that’s kind of depressing.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

Much of the misconceptions I’ve faced about asexuality go hand-in-hand with my race. But the one unrelated misconception I’ve found most annoying is that asexuals are automatically considered the same as aromantics. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to explain the difference. The runner up would be that people inherently want sex. I can’t even begin to explain everything that is wrong with that idea.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Never let anyone’s opinion invalidate what you believe about yourself. I know it’s difficult, particularly if you’re surrounded by acephobia, but please try. You will feel ten times better about yourself with the mindset that the people around you can’t say what you are/aren’t because they aren’t you. And always be comfortable with yourself. You are beautiful and deserve to be happy, and sometimes you have to be the one to bring yourself happiness. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise just because they’re uncomfortable with your orientation. You were never broken.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

All of my fanfictions can be found on Fanfiction.net and Wattpad. I’m slowly moving to Archive of Our Own, as well, but it’s slow going. Sometimes I post excerpts from both my original and fan works on my Tumblr page (http://sevenshadesofa.tumblr.com/). All four are under the same username (Seven Shades of A, often with underscores or dashes instead of spaces).

Thank you, Alex, for participating in this interview and this project.  It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Joey

Today we’re joined by Joey.  Joey is an amazingly talented up and coming artist.  She has so many ideas and aspirations and that enthusiasm comes through in her interview.  Joey is mainly a writer, who is interested in creating original work.  She’s also a student at the Art Institute working towards her Bachelor’s in Graphic Design.  If her art is anything to go by, she has a bright future ahead of her.  My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I write mostly (okay, all the time). I have loads of ideas; I dabble in fanfiction a little, but I’m usually more inclined to write something more original. I’m actually working on a Peter Pan re-telling right now, and a book that I hope to be finished within the next couple of months or so.

I’m also a student at the Art Institute, currently getting my Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design. My art is mainly digital based, using Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, but sometimes I sketch things when I get bored. I’m actually trying to get an online magazine about a queer podcast called “Welcome to Night Vale” off the ground right now, which will chronicle every episode in the form of articles and wtnv fanart. My main goal is to reach a broader listener-ship through the magazine by giving people who don’t like podcasts or who are Deaf the chance to be a part of a fandom that is perfectly imperfect.

What inspires you?

A lot of things inspire me actually. But its LGBT issues that inspire me the most. My writing and my art heavily feature a lot of LGBT themes because, honestly, that’s what I am. I’m a part of the LGBT community and I want to put those issues that we as a community face out there for the world to see. TV shows, movies, and podcasts also inspire me. I’m always coming up with new ideas or ways I can express my art or writing.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Ooooooh gosh. Here’s where the story begins. I’ve been writing since I was in middle school, and I started to get more interested in doing art (mainly digital art) when I got into high school. How I got interested in writing is actually a pretty funny story, because it involves Twilight and myself thinking I could write a MUCH better vampire romance than Stephanie Meyer could (by my standards I think I’m doing pretty well). Art, well, I’ve just always liked it actually. My mom was an artist when she was younger, and her dad is a professional portrait painter.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in our work that you’d be willing to reveal?

In my art I sometimes use Pride symbols, like rainbows and such. In my writing…. Well, I don’t know if I have a special or unique feature really. I know I feature LGBT themes a lot, but I think I mentioned that already. I think maybe it’s that I put a little piece of myself or what I’ve always wanted to be into each of my favorite characters. Or maybe it’s that I’m very passionate about the things I write and you can see that in my writing.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Advice? I can’t even follow my own advice! But if you insist! I’d say the best advice I can give is just write or draw from yourself, meaning take all those things you believe in, all the things you love, all the things you admire, and try to incorporate them into whatever you do. I read a lot (I have three bookshelves full) and when I find something I like in a book, or something that connects with me on an emotional level, it stays with me for a long time and it impacts the things I write or draw. Like… okay, for example, I have depression and I’m part of the LGBT community, so those two things play heavily in whatever I write or draw. Those things are what I’m passionate about and, in turn, something I want other people to be passionate about as well.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as a Genderfluid Panromantic Asexual.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Well, not in my field, but personally I have. An ex I was dating at the time when I figured out I was ace reacted very negatively, and my best friend refuses to acknowledge the fact that asexuality exists.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

That if you’re in a relationship, it’s not a true relationship if you aren’t having sex.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Just be honest with yourself. Don’t hide who you are. It’s not fun. I tried to deny myself as ace for several months after coming out because people kept telling me it didn’t exist. But ya know what? It DOES exist, and the next time someone says it doesn’t, why don’t you just give ‘em a good kick in the kneecap?

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

You can find me at a lot of places actually!

Deviant Art – http://tryingnormal.deviantart.com/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/TryingNormal

Archive of Our Own – http://archiveofourown.org/users/TryingNormal42

And finally, my Tumblr – http://tryingnormal.tumblr.com/

Thank you, Joey, for participating in this interview and this project.  It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Johanna

Today we’re joined by Johanna.  Johanna is an incredibly talented and versatile artist from Sweden.  She enjoys artistic pursuits judging from the variety of mediums she works in.  She definitely has a creative spirit and it shows in her work.  My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

There is some mature content in this interview (and in some of her work on DeviantArt)

Bilbo

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m very diverse when it comes to the mediums work with. I write, draw, paint, knit, photograph, crochet, embroider, quilt, tat, and do pottery. My style is admittedly a bit naive, but that is mostly because I don’t just focus on one thing long enough to perfect it. I often feel like a need to do many different things at the same time and can’t contain myself before starting something new.

What inspires you?

At the moment it’s mostly fandom stuff. I enjoy most of the Marvel movies, Sherlock, and of course Harry Potter that was my major gateway drug in to fandom. I’m a huge slash-fan so often it’s the relationship between two male characters that inspire me. What fascinates me about slash is probably because it is about two men and as a cis woman I don’t have any way to identify with them sexually, only emotionally.

Outside fandom I mostly look to nature or music for inspiration, or just my own imagination.

My dream is to write an original fiction and then illustrate it, working towards that goal is very inspiring.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Ever since I learned to read at about age four or five I wanted to be a writer. I guess it comes from there, being able to create worlds and images not only with words but with drawings as well.

My mother taught me how to knit, embroider, and quilt, otherwise I’m self-taught through books and inspired experiments.

For fandom and slash it was Harry Potter that got me sucked in (I came for the Harry/Severus and stayed for the Harry/Draco). Though I must confess that I was seventeen when I read the first book and I didn’t know about fanfiction, or even the possibility of pairing characters -let alone male ones-, until I was about twenty-six. I have made up for lost time though.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in our work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Not as such, but I do have a special flower that I often return to in my drawings. The style and shape of my initials JLB are also quite fun to play around with.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Don’t ever think as you get older that you are too old to enjoy something because you think you should grow out of it. I once met a woman of almost eighty who was the biggest and proudest Dr Who-fan you’d ever see. I want to be her when I’m that old.

It’s also okay to change things up and move from the things you love to try new things. The best thing about art is that leaving one thing behind is that it’s still there when you want to return to it.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I just identify myself as asexual. I can sometimes get momentarily aroused at the fantasy or imagery of sex, but any attempt to do something IRL have either disgusted me or left me feeling nothing.

I’m not sure where I identify on the romantic spectrum. I have never been ‘in love’ in the sense that love is usually described, but I have had several crushes, mostly on males but some on some female and trans-people as well.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Not per se. Since I’m diagnosed with depression and anxiety, most people I associate with have some kind of psychological disorder or have experience with disorders. Not that I see asexually as a disorder in any way, but I think that people who have met with prejudice are less inclined to give prejudice. The biggest ‘shock’ about me to other people is that I’m 35 years old and never had sex.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

I have met some guys that think that they can ‘cure me’ or ‘be my exception,’ they have a hard time to accept that asexually doesn’t work that way. People are also confused by me making sexual jokes, having crushes on celebrities, or me being so interested in sexual male/male relationships.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Just go with it. Being asexual doesn’t mean that you are broken. On good or bad, asexually isn’t as openly stigmatised as homosexuality and more often easier to ‘hide’ in public.

I think the biggest problem with being asexual is the more likely prospect of being alone in older age. Don’t sacrifice your comfort for a partner. Sitting around feeling sorry because you can’t find a comparable partner doesn’t help you one bit. Try to find good substitutes, like friends, pets, hobbies, or classes.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My art can be found as Naturegirlrocks on both Tumblr and Deviant Art. (My main Tumblr is multiplefangasms were I mostly reblog fan things. I also have asexualstripclub on Tumblr were I reblog asexy things.)

My newer fanfiction can be found on http://archiveofourown.org/users/naturegirlrocks, (the older ones are on fanfiction.com)

Thank you, Johanna, for participating in this interview and this project.  It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Sandr Spade

Today we’re joined by Sandr Spade.  Sandr is an incredibly talented and versatile artist.  They mostly write fanfiction, but are working on some original work too.  Aside from writing, they also compose music using chipspeech, UTAU, and Vocaloid.  My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

                                                                              Self-Portrait

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I mostly do writing of the fanfiction variety but I also am working on a few novels in the young adult science-fiction and fantasy genres. I also compose music using synthetic singers like Vocaloids, UTAU, and chipspeech instead of my own voice.

What inspires you?

Oddly enough, older, less…good attempts at writing. I can always look back on my older works and smile and say, through the haze of embarrassment, that I can always do better than this. And I do. It’s surprisingly cathartic.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I love books. I love music. I love reading books while listening to music. They just fit so well. I was once a huge weeb so Vocaloid was an eventuality. (I still have some of the older Vocaloid songs like Triple Baka and Magnet on my iTunes account…)

To be honest, I want to make a living writing and music is more of a paying hobby for me. But ever since I started playing songs by ear on the piano and flute, I like making up music. Also I was really big into poetry and lyrics during my high school years and they just needed music!

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in our work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Well I have a very specific narration style when it comes to writing even third-person where it comes off very stream-of-consciousness. And I love antiquated and polysyballic words. As for music, I tend to write vocals in the lower register because I love throaty, low female voices.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Always keep your old works guys! Embarrassment is one hell of a motivator! Also, if your writing seems predictable or your music seems boring, it’s cause you wrote/composed it and you’ve listened to/read it multiple times. It’s gonna seem that way to you and you may be able to pick out the flaws but I bet you a billion dollars that Jane Doe from down the block thinks it’s the damn bee’s knees.

                                                                                         Queer

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I am a triple-A. Asexual (autochoris), aromantic, agender. It makes for some really good puns.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Yes and no. On one hand, I have written songs about both being genderqueer and aro/ace and they’ve been well-received. On the other, I want to write a story about other people in the queer community and I’ve seen some hate towards someone who is “straight and cis-passing” writing characters that are not.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

“[Asexuals] are just running away from relationships!” (Actual Thing my dad said to me.)

Not true. I had a relationship for five years. I just realized that it was better for him if I said we’re done. Now he’s married with a kid and I’m still happily single.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Asexuality is a weird thing. You may not even be what is considered traditionally asexual! You might be grey-ace, demi, akiosexual, lithsexual, or autochorissexual but that does not devalue your place in both the asexual community and the queer community. There are more people like you than you think. You are not broken, trust me. And even if you don’t turn out to be asexual, that’s okay! I thought I was asexual panromantic at one point so keep looking! You’ll find your label eventually!

Also, don’t sweat it if you don’t ever find a label and just waffle back and forth. Maybe you’re something we don’t have a word for yet! Just hang on and you should be good!

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My Bandcamp: http://clockworksinger.bandcamp.com
My personal Tumblr: http://clockworksinger.tumblr.com
My professional Tumblr: http://sandr-spade.tumblr.com
My professional Email: clockwork_singer@aol.com
My Twitter: @sandrlives

                                                                          Arrow-Ace

Thank you, Sandr, for participating in this interview and this project.  It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Rinshuu

Today we’re joined by Rinshuu.  Rinshuu is a versatile and talented artist from Denmark.  They are mostly a visual artist, but also enjoy writing fanfiction.  They’re also interested in music and their enthusiasm for all these fields is wonderful.  My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

Although I am not a professional, I like dipping my feet into all kinds of arts. I mostly do fan work, but I have also done original work for smaller projects and so on.

I am mainly a digital artist, musician, writer, and game creator. I am mostly inspired by Japanese art (in the shape of manga, etc.), but I appreciate all kinds of art when I see them.

As for the things I draw, it’s mostly manga and I’ve taken commissions for this as well. I also animate sometimes, but it’s not something I’m especially interested in.

The musician part is kind of abstract. I use the Japanese vocal synthesizer software “VOCALOID” to create covers of existing songs. I also like remixing, arranging, and covering songs as well.

My writing and game creation is closely connected, since I write visual novels and illustrate them myself. It’s not really anything serious yet, but I’d love for it to become something more serious in the future.

What inspires you?

Personally, I think other people inspire me a lot – and this is both my friends and other artists. I love creating things for my friends, especially at special occasions. I also like being recognized for what I do, because who doesn’t, really?

When I see some really good art…. Or play a really good game… or listen to some really funky music… I just feel like creating things for myself! I want to create things that make other people feel inspired too. To be honest, it’s quite a give-take situation, just in a much nicer way than the words insinuate.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve always loved creating art. Ever since I was little, I strived to be better and better at drawing and I wanted to show my art to people. When I was younger, I wrote stories for my family to read. I also made art and hung it up around my school so people could see it. It’s always just been deeply engraved into my being.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in our work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I don’t really have anything in particular. I create what I think feels right at the moment and then work out the details later. I really like incorporating eyes and people into my works, but it’s not something I necessarily focus on.

When it comes to writing, I admit that I somewhat biased when it comes to genders and sexualities. I try my hardest to include all kinds of people into my work, because I believe in diversity in things like that. I also have a certain affection for asexual characters, since I feel like I can relate to them very easily.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

I would just tell them to keep doing what they like and improving their arts! Art shouldn’t be tedious, or at least not to an extreme extend, so have fun with it. There’s lots of time to improve, explore and broaden your horizons, so focus on having fun while doing it.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I am completely asexual (is that even the correct term?), but I am panromantic. I have never felt sexual attraction to anyone, not even people I have loved.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I haven’t actually met any prejudice about asexuality. I’ve had some of my friends I’ve come out to question it a bit, but it was never actually anything offending – just curiosity. My lack of prejudices might be because I am somewhat quiet about my sexuality. It’s not like I am ashamed about it or anything, I just don’t see any reason to bring it into every conversation. However, I make sure to always inform new friends about it, simply because I like giving them the upper hand.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

The most common/annoying (yes, they’re the same thing) is that all asexuals hate sex. Or find it disgusting. I especially hate when my friends ask things like: “Does that mean you find sex disgusting??” No, it really doesn’t. I just don’t feel like partaking in the activity.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Don’t worry too much about it! If you think you’re asexual and realize you’re not, it’s totally okay! Discovering who you are is an important step of your life, and although some people might have some elitist ideals about sexuality (“How can you be bi when you’re dating a woman?? You’re obviously a lesbian!”), it doesn’t matter. What matters is how you feel about yourself.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My Tumblr is thegourmettsukiyamashuu, my Deviantart/Pixiv are Rinshuu. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!

Thank you, Rinshuu, for participating in this interview and this project.  It’s very much appreciated.