REFLECTIONS
Jun. 23rd, 2020 11:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrockwellWriting
Nothing new to report here, really. I imagine, with the spike in cases in AZ, any remaining appearances we had tentatively scheduled for the year will probably also be cancelled, or we will choose not to attend, based on having kids and being ourselves folks with underlying conditions.
But I do have something I wanted to share, and it's too long for Twitter (which is probably the best place to follow me if you want more than once-in-a-quarter content, heh), so here we are.
A Rant-Adjacent Thing
So, I have this book I've written, and among other things, the main character (a middle-aged woman) is fat. I tweeted a brief pitch for the book wherein I listed being fat as one of her "issues." I was promptly scolded by some lovely ladies who felt I was doing a disservice to the body positivity community by describing being fat as something a character might view as an issue to be overcome, as opposed to (I guess) something to be accepted and embraced.
Now, I am all for body positivity: I think we need more of it and, sure, let's lead by example where we can. I RT the hell out of ladies who love their curves (love you, Lizzo!) and I think it's awesome they've gotten there. I am a fat girl and I am not there yet. Perhaps more importantly, in this context, my CHARACTER is not.
I was told that words can hurt and that I have a responsibility as a writer to...I guess maybe only use nice ones to describe fat people? (I'm honestly not too clear on that, and I obviously wasn't (and still am not) looking for a prolonged conversation, so didn't ask for clarification.)
Ummm...the thing is? I'm really not.
Setting aside that this is fiction we're talking about, I am under NO obligation to reflect anyone's truth but my own, and my character's, in my story. I am not writing a YA novel or an after school special. This is a dark fantasy about a woman who is dealing with mental illness and trying to get her life on track, and, it may come as a surprise to some people, but folks who are depressed, anxious, and suffering from PTSD don't always have the best body image. Sometimes, recognizing that fact and working toward self-love and acceptance is part of their healing. That's my character's path, in part, and that's what I've shown. It would be the height of disingenuousness for me to portray her as a character who starts out loving who she is. She doesn't. That's not her story. That's not what this book is. That is not the experience I am trying to reflect.
I understand some people may take exception to that, and to those people, all I can say is, respectfully: This is my mirror. There are many like it, but this one is mine. If you don't like the reflection you're seeing, please go find another. Life is too short to waste on things that make you unhappy.
Which is why I am ending this now. Ahem.
Everything Else
Day 6,245 of Quarantine. Still no COVID. Still no cannibalism. We'll call it a win.
Nothing new to report here, really. I imagine, with the spike in cases in AZ, any remaining appearances we had tentatively scheduled for the year will probably also be cancelled, or we will choose not to attend, based on having kids and being ourselves folks with underlying conditions.
But I do have something I wanted to share, and it's too long for Twitter (which is probably the best place to follow me if you want more than once-in-a-quarter content, heh), so here we are.
A Rant-Adjacent Thing
So, I have this book I've written, and among other things, the main character (a middle-aged woman) is fat. I tweeted a brief pitch for the book wherein I listed being fat as one of her "issues." I was promptly scolded by some lovely ladies who felt I was doing a disservice to the body positivity community by describing being fat as something a character might view as an issue to be overcome, as opposed to (I guess) something to be accepted and embraced.
Now, I am all for body positivity: I think we need more of it and, sure, let's lead by example where we can. I RT the hell out of ladies who love their curves (love you, Lizzo!) and I think it's awesome they've gotten there. I am a fat girl and I am not there yet. Perhaps more importantly, in this context, my CHARACTER is not.
I was told that words can hurt and that I have a responsibility as a writer to...I guess maybe only use nice ones to describe fat people? (I'm honestly not too clear on that, and I obviously wasn't (and still am not) looking for a prolonged conversation, so didn't ask for clarification.)
Ummm...the thing is? I'm really not.
Setting aside that this is fiction we're talking about, I am under NO obligation to reflect anyone's truth but my own, and my character's, in my story. I am not writing a YA novel or an after school special. This is a dark fantasy about a woman who is dealing with mental illness and trying to get her life on track, and, it may come as a surprise to some people, but folks who are depressed, anxious, and suffering from PTSD don't always have the best body image. Sometimes, recognizing that fact and working toward self-love and acceptance is part of their healing. That's my character's path, in part, and that's what I've shown. It would be the height of disingenuousness for me to portray her as a character who starts out loving who she is. She doesn't. That's not her story. That's not what this book is. That is not the experience I am trying to reflect.
I understand some people may take exception to that, and to those people, all I can say is, respectfully: This is my mirror. There are many like it, but this one is mine. If you don't like the reflection you're seeing, please go find another. Life is too short to waste on things that make you unhappy.
Which is why I am ending this now. Ahem.
Everything Else
Day 6,245 of Quarantine. Still no COVID. Still no cannibalism. We'll call it a win.
