QUILTBAG general thread?

Rhoda Nightingale · May 10, 2013

@Kim: That's so stupid. But not something I'd worry about. Titles in general tend to recycle themselves all the time. It's not that big a deal.

Funny story: the original title of the manuscript I'm revising right now was "Lucid," since it takes place in a dream world. Then this happened--literally as I was wrapping up my first draft. I flailed for a bit, but shit happens, so I got over it and decided to retitle the WIP after my favorite entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise instead--at least until my publisher (whoever that turns out to be) inevitably changes it to something else.

Was a good lesson, I think, to not get attached to titles.

And to make this post relevant to the discussion, my main protagonist is a lesbian. (It's kind of a twist on Sleeping Beauty.)

maxmordon · May 11, 2013

I finally had the circumcision last Friday. Details in white.

The doctor said that because of my fatness, my penis is slightly sunk under fat. Also, that under no circunstances, I should had erections for a month. This morning I had one, the bandage fell off and I called the doctor. He asked me if it was bleeding, it wasn't so we left the appointment until Monday.

The problem now is that the gland is partially sunk and I don't know how serious this is. I don't know is all that bad, but again I assume it's not normal for a circuncised penis to look like that.

Gosh, sometimes I just really hate my body.

kuwisdelu · May 11, 2013

maxmordon said:
I finally had the circumcision last Friday. Details in white.

Eeyouch. Hopefully it's all fine.

maxmordon · May 11, 2013

kuwisdelu said:
Eeyouch. Hopefully it's all fine.

The sad thing? I'm more worried about my thesis than my penis.

kuwisdelu · May 11, 2013

maxmordon said:
The sad thing? I'm more worried about my thesis than my penis.

And for some reason, your avatar reminds me of Orson Welles.

maxmordon · May 11, 2013

kuwisdelu said:
And for some reason, your avatar reminds me of Orson Welles.

You know, you're the third person who have told me that. I do see it, especially in the jawline. I generally get Jack Osbourne or John Lennon's assassin.

I do look like a different person without the glasses, I think.

kuwisdelu · May 12, 2013

maxmordon said:
You know, you're the third person who have told me that. I do see it, especially in the jawline.

Partially the stern expression, too.

You should go practice reciting some Shakespeare.

J.S.F. · May 12, 2013

maxmordon said:
I finally had the circumcision last Friday. Details in white.

---

Funny, you don't look Jewish.

God, I always wanted to get that line in somewhere and now I got my chance. Thanks, Orson...Max.

On a serious note, though, what's with the circumcision? Is it because of a health reason or something you put off doing? I ask, as a friend of mine (Roman Catholic) got married to a Jewish lady a few years back and he opted for the circumcision. I didn't ask him why, just knew it had to be painful...and your post in white proved it.

Hope you heal fast. Srs on this.

maxmordon · May 12, 2013

J.S.F. said:
On a serious note, though, what's with the circumcision? Is it because of a health reason or something you put off doing? I ask, as a friend of mine (Roman Catholic) got married to a Jewish lady a few years back and he opted for the circumcision. I didn't ask him why, just knew it had to be painful...and your post in white proved it.

Hope you heal fast. Srs on this.

It's because I suffer (well, suffered...) phimosis, so the doctor recommended it. Basically, my foreskin was too tight, so much that it gave trouble peeing and erections trapped.

Circumcision is odd enough here to the point neither my mother nor my grandmother undestood at first, they tought they would cut my glans.

J.S.F. · May 12, 2013

maxmordon said:
It's because I suffer (well, suffered...) phimosis, so the doctor recommended it. Basically, my foreskin was too tight, so much that it gave trouble peeing and erections trapped.

Circumcision is odd enough here to the point neither my mother nor my grandmother undestood at first, they tought they would cut my glans.

---

Fair enough. I grew up in Toronto and back then pretty much every kid regardless of religion got circumsized. Jewish boys have it done on the eighth day after birth and Muslims have it done (I think) on the thirteenth day after they're born. I guess the culture in Venezuela doesn't go in for that.

Your prior condition sounded painful...glad to hear you're on the mend.

maxmordon · May 12, 2013

As far as I have heard, only the US and Canada are the countries with a Christian majority where circumcision is the default. Mostly due to the belief in the Victorian era that it reduced masturbation.

Venezuela doesn't have much of a Jewish community outside Caracas and the more common Middle-Eastern population tends to keep traditions mostly to themselves.

Kim Fierce · May 13, 2013

Oh that's weird, slhuang. I don't know much about the Amazon review system. But I decided maybe the reviewer was drunk. (This is my excuse for a lot of things. I usually think the people who accept my stories are drunk too lol.)

emancipatorr · May 17, 2013

Hi! I just wanted to introduce myself really fast on this thread. I've been lurking on AW for about a week and just joined.

My name is Veronika, and I generally just identify as bi-. Though I seem to only be attracted to certain kinds of personalities, no matter what they identify as gender/sexwise. Really glad that there is such a welcoming QUILTBAG community here

Rhoda Nightingale · May 17, 2013

Greetings, Veronika! That's about my situation as well. The QUILTBAG is a chill place. As is the rest of AW.

emancipatorr · May 19, 2013

Yes, I've noticed

I'm excited to get to know everyone!

maxmordon · May 24, 2013

Never had noticed the clerk at the indie bookstore at the mall was so cute until today. I think he must have thought I was a creep for keep looking at him by side glance. I was going to comment on his arm tattoo (an ivy with flowers) but never had the chance.

Ah well, I know that would have mounted to nothing.

kuwisdelu · May 24, 2013

maxmordon said:
Ah well, I know that would have mounted to nothing.

I don't know if you meant "amounted" and accidentally stumbled onto a hilarious pun, or if it was intentional, but either way :roll:

maxmordon · May 24, 2013

kuwisdelu said:
I don't know if you meant "amounted" and accidentally stumbled onto a hilarious pun, or if it was intentional, but either way

I'm so witty that I make puns without realizing.

Six Alaric · Jul 20, 2013

Evening, all. Bi male here. I have a question for the community. Feels like it fits in this thread more than it needs one of its own.

Writing and 'BAG membership or affiliation in mind: how do you guys feel about non-hetero/non-cis villains in fiction? Is it always offensive, or does it depend on how it's handled?

(Is it offensive? I suspect it is, but I'm awful at judging these things.)

J.S.F. · Jul 20, 2013

Six Alaric said:
Writing and 'BAG membership or affiliation in mind: how do you guys feel about non-hetero/non-cis villains in fiction? Is it always offensive, or does it depend on how it's handled?

(Is it offensive? I suspect it is, but I'm awful at judging these things.)

---

I think you answered your own question. I'm straight (writing lesbian-themed novels, though) and in the past I've read some novels where the villain was gay or lesbian. The way the writers handled the issue was crude, to say the least, a total stereotype.

Would it be offensive? If it plays up to the expectations of the straight homophobic crowd it might be accepted, but I suspect that the non-hetero crowd would cringe at any stereotypes offered. All I'd say is handle the issue with care. If you make your villain a well-rounded character, you could bring it off. Just my take on this.

lastlittlebird · Jul 20, 2013

I don't think it has to be offensive, if handled the right way.
I agree that such a villain should be well rounded, but I think it's also necessary to have other QUILTBAG characters in the roster who aren't evil/ethically challenged. And other evil characters who are straight as sticks perhaps.
That's how you show that it's not teh gay that's making the villain evil, it just happens to be one of their attributes.

J.S.F. · Jul 20, 2013

lastlittlebird said:
I don't think it has to be offensive, if handled the right way.
I agree that such a villain should be well rounded, but I think it's also necessary to have other QUILTBAG characters in the roster who aren't evil/ethically challenged. And other evil characters who are straight as sticks perhaps.
That's how you show that it's not teh gay that's making the villain evil, it just happens to be one of their attributes.

---

This post is a definite "yes". You should show a contrast between the darkness and light no matter what orientation you're writing about. It's all about the villain being evil, not teh gay in him/her making them evil. (I know you didn't mean this, just tossing it in there). The orientation shouldn't really matter unless it's a huge factor WHY they're evil to begin with (i.e. society crapping on them) and even then, I'd tread carefully.

Six Alaric · Jul 21, 2013

J.S.F. said:
I'm straight (writing lesbian-themed novels, though) and in the past I've read some novels where the villain was gay or lesbian. The way the writers handled the issue was crude, to say the least, a total stereotype.

This is what raised my concern in the first place. The concept interests me but I've seen it handled more clumsily than well in the past – often due to the 'Depraved (insert orientation here)' trope taking up most of a character's personality. The result can be something offensive and hard to believe, neither of which are things I want to write.

J.S.F. said:
Would it be offensive? If it plays up to the expectations of the straight homophobic crowd it might be accepted, but I suspect that the non-hetero crowd would cringe at any stereotypes offered. All I'd say is handle the issue with care. If you make your villain a well-rounded character, you could bring it off. Just my take on this.

All good points. Give the character depth and don't turn them into a walking stereotype. I'm definitely not aiming to please the homophobic crowd.

lastlittlebird said:
I don't think it has to be offensive, if handled the right way.
I agree that such a villain should be well rounded, but I think it's also necessary to have other QUILTBAG characters in the roster who aren't evil/ethically challenged. And other evil characters who are straight as sticks perhaps.
That's how you show that it's not teh gay that's making the villain evil, it just happens to be one of their attributes.

Balancing the cast by adding a straight villain is a great idea! Including other QUILTBAG characters sounds like a wise move too. I think this is what has troubled me when I've seen it done before: the villain is often the only person in the story who isn't straight, so an unsettling message is implied (basically the opposite of your last line there) even if the story isn't explicitly saying it. It leaves me wondering what the writer was getting at, and that's what I want to avoid.

Thanks for your thoughts, folks. You've been very helpful.

maxmordon · Jul 21, 2013

As long you don't use his/her/hir/hes queerness as a source or consequence of villainess, you're on the safe side.

Kim Fierce · Jul 22, 2013

agreed with other comments. Especially on adding more QUILTBAG characters on both good/evil sides.

QUILTBAG general thread?

Vampire Junkie

Penúltimo

Revolutionize the World

Penúltimo

Revolutionize the World

Penúltimo

Revolutionize the World

Red fish, blue fish...

Penúltimo

Red fish, blue fish...

Penúltimo

Attack me with everything you have.

Vampire Junkie

Penúltimo

Revolutionize the World

Penúltimo

The terror, the terror

Red fish, blue fish...

avem narrans

Red fish, blue fish...

The terror, the terror

Penúltimo

Attack me with everything you have.