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@jandkwriting
What's New at J&K Writing
Greetings, Seekers! It’s been a minute since you heard from us (sowwy). If you follow us on social media, then you know we haven’t been idle. Here’s a quick look at what’s new at J&K Writing. Lesbians in Space Anthology Jonathan and Kristina each have a short story in Space Wizard Press‘s sapphic sci-fi anthology Lesbians in Space: The Sapphics Strike Back. In an exciting development, the first…
Have you felt lost and adrift since season three of The White Lotus ended? Are you already pining for more of Apple's hit show Severance? Keep the award-winning vibes going with these book recommendations based on your favorite current TV show
Etherea Cycle Book 2 Preview
Can’t wait for the sequel to Trials of the Innermost? Here’s a teaser from the first chapter of book two (code named ROTP) of the Etherea Cycle. It’s a behind the scenes of our process as this is the raw, unedited text. Final version may vary. Chapter 1 Waverling burned. The perpetual golden light from the sun on the horizon behind the Shrine of Laphrim sent rainbow beams from the crystalline…
Game Review: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Jonathan reviews the latest installment in the Dragon Age series: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Hello, Seekers! I (Jonathan) have been enjoying a respite from work travel and have taken full advantage of it by delving into the latest installment in developer BioWare’s iconic fantasy role-playing video game series: Dragon Age: The Veilguard (or Veilguard for short). Known for its companion romances, rich lore, and making players face the consequences of their choices, the Dragon Age…
Autumn Anthems: Songs for the Fall
Brat summer is over. What songs will define autumn? Check out Jonathan's recommended songs for the fall.
Brat summer has ended. A new season awaits its christening. What sounds will define the fall season? We can’t predict the future, but we can recommend some current and past jams that pair well with jack-o-lanterns, apple cider, and a brisk breeze. Behold our list of autumn anthems: songs for the fall. “Casual” by Chappell Roan We would be remiss to not include something from the artist who took…
A New Main Character
Ansgar Farheart (artwork by Gabriel Wilson) Greetings, Seekers! Those of you who follow us on social media know that we’ve been hard at work on the sequel to Trials of the Innermost. TOTI is a multi-point-of-view (multi-POV) story related through the eyes of its main characters. If you’ve read to the end, then you know we lost one of those perspectives. And you may be wondering, with the death…
Author Highlight - Michelle J
Today's author spotlight is with Michelle J, author of the dragon fantasy novel The Divide that Binds Us. She also talks tea and video games! #YaFantasy #author #interview
Welcome to another Author Highlight, a series where we feature authors like ourselves. You’ll find author interviews, tips, stories, poetry, and more. We aim to entertain, promote, and inspire. Other interviews can be found here. Michelle J Screenshot Michelle J (she/her) is the author in upstate New York working in Human Resources. Her debut is the YA fantasy novel, The Divide that Binds Us,…
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Author Highlight and Historian's Record - R.D. Pires
Today's author guest is fantasy author R.D. Pires with a historian's record of a character from his book Design of Darkness. You don't want to miss this sci-fi and fantasy-fusing tale of rebels and evil kings.
Welcome to another Author Highlight, a series where we feature authors like ourselves. You’ll find author interviews, tips, stories, poetry and more. We aim to entertain, promote, and inspire. Other interviews can be found here. Tyler Edwards Joining us in our post today is R.D. Pires, author of Design of Darkness releasing June 21st! R.D. is taking over our blog today with an exciting…
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Book Recs Based on Your BG3 Romance
Worried that you'll never find more content that lives up to the epic-ness of Baldur's Gate 3? Fear not! We have book recs for you based on your BG3 romance guaranteed to make you feel like you're back in Act 1.
Hello, Seekers! You may recall that Jonathan and Kristina are avid gamers. Jonathan, like many, got swept up by the juggernaut of a video game that is Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3). This role-playing game (RPG) set in the Dungeons & Dragons world of Faerûn boasts an elaborate storyline, complex characters, and a plethora of romance options. If, like Jonathan, you have completed several playthroughs and…
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#mayworldbuilders Day 10 In the Etherea Cycle in the light realm… So that the enemy can’t listen in, to be silent and to be discreet out on desert rides, the Sentinel warriors use hand signals - an abbreviated set of words and meanings for patrolling, danger, fighting etc.
In the same realm, the Keepers (think bookish researchers and record keepers) have a much more complex set of hand signals for communicating when needed or to be secret.
11 Fantastic Siblings in Books
11 Literary Siblings to Celebrate National Brothers and Sisters Day. Mr. Darcy and Georgiana, the Pevensies children. Who else made the list?
Bringing you book siblings! National Brothers and Sisters Day, observed on May 2, is a celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters. This special day provides an opportunity to reflect on the memories shared and appreciate the relationships that only siblings can have. Fiction has captured some fantastic sibling interactions from wild antics to heartwarming moments. We have ten to share…
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Don't Fear Criticism
Creating homosexual characters can feel like planting an active grenade in the middle of your story. You start to fear bad reception of your work - even before you start!
But really, there is no need to worry. The fact that you're concerned only proves that you care.
You probably won't get it the first time.
You probably will get some criticism.
Only remember that it's perfectly normal to make mistakes. After you punch out your draft, have beta readers who are part of the community and incorporate their feedback.
No Diversity Shopping
Yes, diversity is important, but it's no checklist where you need to list all possible sexual orientations and have at least one character for each.
First of all, it would be quite impossible.
Second, that is likely to make all of them underdeveloped and stereotypical.
Check if you really need the character in your plot.
If they turn out to be homosexual, let them run their own course and shape their path. If your story's theme is related to the character's sexuality, think about the message you want to convey.
Quality over quantity, always.
Go Beyond Sexuality
Your characters exist, and they happen to be homosexual, not the other way around. This doesn't mean that it won't be an important, or that you should downplay their sexuality.
Strike a balance by showing readers their hobbies, interests, likes and dislikes, relationships with their family and friends, etc. The more holistic they are, readers are going to be convinced that you have an actual character, not a scarecrow holding up the #diversity tag.
How do their sexuality play into their broader narrative?
Develop a Backstory
Every homosexual character must have thought about their orientation and identity, with a process of how they came to recognize their sexuality.
Whether you're character is a confused teenage girl, or a middle-aged gentleman with a stable relationship, think about what brought them here.
Backstories don't have to be tragic. They can have supportive parents and find escapism in online communities who accept them for who they are.
There isn't just one "gay life". Get creative.
Normalization is Important
Sometimes, your story world will not accept homosexual people as normal. That's okay!
However, there is a difference between other character treating them unfairly and you as an author normalizing homophobia in your narrative.
Word choice and tone would play a key role.
When a likeable character is homophobic, avoid normalizing it by making it a flaw. Show that your conservative medieval village is narrow-minded when they treat them as outcasts.
Homophobes may not necessarily be the evil guys.
It's enough to state (clearly) that it's wrong.
Make Use of Tropes
Stereotypes aren't just an issue with gay characters, but when used successfully, have created wonderful retellings and spinoffs that are refreshing.
You can purposefully overplay stereotypes to show how silly they are. Deconstructing stereotypes can add humor to your narrative.
You can also use them to explore the expectations that readers have for those kinds of characters. The Gay Best Friend might be a trope, but you can get them to go deeper than the typical sidekick to realize their true potential as a cast member.
Religion and Homosexuality
In the real world, religion and homosexuality are often presented on far opposites of politics, and that makes me sad. Homosexual characters are free to be religious, find peace, support and mindfulness through any religion of their choice.
Vise versa, deeply religious characters can have wonderful relationships with homosexual characters.
It all comes down to how your characters interpret religion and homosexuality in light of those religious values. Though I'm an atheist, I believe all religions have the ability to embrace diversity at their core.
If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸
Unveiling the Magic: Unicorns and Dragons
Do you have a favorite mythical creature? Today, J&K talk about the enduring fascination with mythical creatures and some of our favorites. From myths passed down orally, to stories written down as a blending of myth and facts like Homer’s Odyssey (hello Cyclops and sirens), to the purely fantastical books created by fantasy authors, magical creatures have fascinated humans from the dawn of time…
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If our novel had a stats card like video game characters or a D&D character sheet.
A good breakfast
Would play a cozy game based on this aesthetic alone.
Spoiler-free review of the last book J finished: My Heart Is Human, by Reese Hogan. See why it’s vaulted to the top of his read books of 2024. http://jonathanandkristina.com/book-review-my-heart-is-human/
Jonathan reviews Reese Hogan's post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller "My Heart Is Human," in which a single father becomes host to an illegal AI.
So a free tool called GLAZE has been developed that allows artists to cloak their artwork so it can't be mimicked by AI art tools.
AI art bros are big mad about it.
Seeing as Twitter is gonna legally steal your work now, please use glaze to protect what you make.
Guys did you hear about Nightshade?
Using both Glaze and Nightshade would corrupt the generation of pictures mimicking artist AND mess with the AI's recognition of what everything is. Like it would generate a dog when you ask for a cat.
And it would be hell for AI bros to remove the cloaked pictures from their database ʕ 👀人ʔ
