Friday Freeday: Being Black in Writerville

I alluded to this in my Wednesday post and am actually writing this on Wednesday because I won't be at my office.

But first, Happy Friday, and HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEENNN, ooooooo!!!!

Teehee. Now...

So, I'm black. haha (DUH, right?!). I don't call myself African American. I've often called myself an American of African Descent. That's more accurate. Africa's not even a country, so...anyhow.

Writing is already a profession/hobby/passion for which people give you strange looks when you tell them you do it. When I temped at Del State, an HBCU with a predominantly black staff, I used to work on my WIP at my computer. One of the ladies asked me what kind of stuff I write, and when I said fantasy, she was extremely confused (she kept asking me, "Like Star Wars?" which, duh, is science fiction). Black writers who do more than poetry and erotica? What?

Like, seriously, I had to Google black writers just now because the only one I could think of that wasn't Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, or the other classic writers was Zane. I know there are more because my cousin suffers through the WORST Netflix movies, some of which were based on books she'd read. I could be jaded, but in my opinion, black people tend to only read books that show them the "black experience": the streets, non-suburban, racial struggles, sex, hip-hop. I know that's partially untrue because my mother loves Shakespeare and Jane Austen, so I know there are more black people who do.

*raises hand* I didn't have the typical black experience, and I can't fit comfortably or truthfully into that kind of box, so I won't try.

There are 318.9 million people in the U.S. About 13% of them are black. About 190 of THEM (even though, some are probably nearly dead, and they counted Oprah, and I can't stand Oprah) are writers in some capacity. ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY! How many of THEM are speculative fiction writers?

There are 6 essential ones, according to Troy L. Wiggins. So that's 3% of black writers...What's the math on 6 out of 318.9 million? I feel like there will be an e next to the number (THERE IS! 1.880924913477454e-8).

So, prologue aside, when it comes to writing what I love, fantasy, I feel like I have a double-edged sword to battle: how can I be accepted by black readers who may not even read speculative fiction (though I know they're out there because I'm one), and how can I be accepted by non-black speculative fiction readers of a world dominated by non-black writers, agents, and publishers?

Because:

Just read an old review that said moving epic fantasy away from medieval Europe makes it hard to relate to the characters. Harder for whom?

— Debra McKellan (@DebraMcKellan) October 17, 2014

That was in response to a review I read about Jemisin's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which I think has been taken down since I tweeted...I tried not to respond in a way that seemed attacking, but it was a serious question I had.

My WIP isn't set in a medieval European world, and when I had tried to do it even a little bit (Ghuli spoke straight out of King James's world), it sounded horribly forced. So there are elf-like people and giant-like people, but the world is an American Progressive Era world. The ones who lived in what would probably be considered medieval European were wiped out before the story began. You see mules and steam-powered vehicles more than horses and only one actual castle. The characters speak differently depending on their nationality, but there are no forthwith's or Your Grace's (though I do use howbeit and my lady). Will readers who love Euro-centric fantasy be okay with that? My main character is a young interracial (by our definition, but not by their world) woman whose main issue is borderline (or just completely) existential, but not because she is a person of color. Will black readers be able to understand her inner plight without needing her to be worried about her color?

Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory created a WONDERFUL non-medieval European world in their Enduring Flame Trilogy (it had dragons, but there were ZOMBIES, too!). I related so well to the characters and loved that trilogy so much that I penned myself after their legendary hero, Kellen the Poor Orphan Boy.

I want people to read my book and not be put off that they don't see what they're used to seeing. There are no knights and dragons and fair maidens that some relate to fantasy. The black and blackish people aren't oppressed or living in neighborhoods to which others relate. But I want PEOPLE, not just black and not just white, to be able to relate to the big picture. I want them, like we all do, to like my MC just for being her, and I want them to appreciate this new world I'm presenting to them without feeling isolated because of what I didn't do in the story.

I also want to be an inspiration to upcoming writers who, like me, want to be a voice that can break through the tropes and trends and do it successfully. SO, here's to hoping!

Thanks for staying so long, if you did. I hate long posts.

My WIP: Fantasy Betas

I'm bored, so I thought I'd pop in. :)

Tomorrow I go in for my second interview for a real position (last interview was my first in YEARS), and while I'm claiming 2014 will be Deborah's year financially, spiritually, and romantically (hey now), I need it to also be DEBRA'S year. I spent the last couple of years revising my fantasy WIP Save the Queen, and the last revision even came with a name change: The Crystal Bearer. My sister doesn't like it, but she also didn't finish reading it for me, so *sticks my tongue out at her*.

Even though I've decided to try to query my tribute sequel first (which entails, you know, working on the query), I don't want to all out give up on Ghuli's story, so I want to find betas for it. Hopefully, some of you who are reading this came from the tweet I will be attaching to this. Below is my latest query, with which I'm feeling more comfortable than I have with my prevoius query drafts. And if you're interested in being a beta reader, please comment or e-mail me: debramckellan (at) ymail (dot) com.

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All that remains of the most powerful people on T’orre is Ghuli, and with a metal army destroying everything in its path to get to her, she feels powerless.

Ghuli’s parents sent her away from their land before the army destroyed it. With the ever-present threat in the back of her mind, she grows up trying to live life, mainly by swinging from willow trees and aggravating her watchmen. She reads fairytales of safer lands to occupy her dreams, but the closer danger comes, the more those dreams turn to dark, abandoned castles, to ghosts and faces Ghuli’s never seen. At least, she doesn’t remember seeing them.

Once separated by shipwreck and alone in the world she has come to fear, Ghuli discovers her dreams are more real than she desires. They are glimpses of a time that she has reversed. The price: her consciousness, the part of her that contains her memory and the control of her erratic powers, has separated from her body. Ghuli’s consciousness guides her body towards a rune called the Great Scroll, the key to piecing her back together and becoming more than just the protected. She can help stop the metal army, but another price comes with regaining her full potential. She must discover whether or not she is the reason her people were destroyed.

THE CRYSTAL BEARER is a YA fantasy complete at 98,000 words. It balances the line between dark and light tones and has a slight horror element.

The Next Big Thing (Week 23)

I was asked by the awesome Aaron Bradford Starr to participate in the tradition of So You Think You Can Write a Novel: The Next Big Thing edition. It was a great honor, and I don't think I've done a Q&A about the novel I'm currently querying and have thrown into the trenches for the New Visions Writers Award Contest. *prays*

In the Q&A, we share what possessed us to write these novels. lol I'm almost sure mine are weird, if not a little different, so I'll dive right on in.

1- What is the working title of your book?
Save the Queen.

2- Where did the idea come from for the book?
It actually started with a very elaborate dream I had, and since either most of my dreams don't make much sense and/or I'm not that great at oratorilly telling my dreams to people, I wrote this one down so I could show my sister. Part of the dream became the opening sequence to the story, and another part of it was usable for a later chase scene.

3- What genre does your book fall under?
Young Adult Fantasy.

4- Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is the trickiest question for me, because I started this story when I was 18 or 19. At the time, I knew I wanted Zoe Saldaña to play a supporting character. I've unfortunately made that character younger at this point. As I got older, I wanted Jodelle Ferland to be the main character with Kristin Kreuk as her mother, but then I decided to make my main character black, so that went out of the window, too. I haven't even homed in on any male actors yet.

So long story short, I have no idea who would be playing my characters in a movie rendition.

5- What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
The princess of a dead race and her watchmen journey to defeat a vengeful spirit from the future.

6- Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I would prefer an agency. I want to be certain there are people out there who can see my vision, and throwing it out to the wolves on my own--there's no guarantee either way, but at least if I find an agency who believes in my story, I'm one step closer to knowing there are others who will, too.

7- How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The short answer is 8 years, 4 of which I was in school. I also edit and proofread while I write. A bad habit, I know, but I'm an English major.

8- What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
The voice and character atmosphere is very similar to that of The Enduring Flame trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory. I was very fortunate to stumble onto these books last year. There's a formality/Olde English-y mixed with familiar/today language that I feel both my and their stories possess so that you get a little of both worlds. The series was also pretty dark, not even underneath it all, it was overcast. As you get deeper into my story, I feel the same thing happens. There was some truly dark stuff going on that the world had forgotten about or just didn't know about, which is why the story is happening.

9- Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I took a year off after high school because I didn't want to go to college. Since I couldn't find a job, I played Final Fantasy IX and X just about every day. I realized I wanted to write a story as if the story from a Final Fantasy game, that obviously hadn't been created yet, was adapted into a book. Like how they made The Spirits Within. It wasn't a movie adapted from one of the games, but it had the same elements of a Final Fantasy video game. I wanted to write a book in the same way. My working title is even a weapon in many of the games.

10- What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
Well, if they like FF games, see #9. lol Otherwise, it's on the shorter side of an epic tale. My goal was to write a short fantasy. You get what you want, not what you'd rather skim over. I don't have the attention span to drag things out, and as a reader, I know how frustrating it is when you want to get to the point, but it's 50 pages away. Someone (don't know who) once said to write your novel so that there would be nothing to edit out in the movie adaptation, and that was how I wrote it. There's no filler. It's just the story.

Next week, November 14th, tune in to SC Author's and Revo Boulanger's blogs for another edition of The Next Big Thing.

Save the Queen: The Characters

I fell asleep at my desk, so...this should be a better use of my time in case someone walks by. Below are the main and supporting characters in the order they appear in the story.

Ghulien, also known as Ghuli. 17. Race: Crystal Bearer. 5'3. Slim. Long, thick, curly black hair, hazel eyes. Brown skin. Round crystal in each hand and foot, the source of her power. Timid, but impulsive and spoiled. Her powers are awakened when she meets others with the same powers or when she is in critical danger.

Cyan. 22. Race: Trollic, sub-class Hulk. 7'5. Solid but short by Trollic standards. Blonde hair cropped short, light blue eyes. Fair complexion. Weapon: Cudgel. Ghuli's 1st Lt. Watchman. Hot-tempered, constantly alert and worried. Cyan raised Ghuli from an infant and took charge of her when his commanding officer died.

Laris. 26. Race: Sprite, sub-class Bay. 5'8. Lithe. Mid-length red hair, green eyes and pointed ears (both racially exclusive). Tan complexion. Weapon: Crossbow and lightweight swords. Can heal himself and others. Ghuli's 2nd Lt. Watchman and Cyan's mentor. Quiet, sincere, likes to tell stories. Joined Cyan's mission after the death of Cyan's commanding officer.

Andyrsn. 22. Race: Human. 5'111/2. Cruiserweight. Mid-length, curly brown hair, dark brown eyes. Tan complexion. Weapon: Pistols and dagger. Becomes Ghuli's Junior Grade Lt. Watchman after meeting her. Soft-spoken, sarcastic, but light-hearted. Helps care for his nieces.

Brodie. 19. Race: Human. 5'9. Long and slim. Long, dark brown hair, dark brown eyes. Brown skin. Weapon: Rifle. A scholar who has also earned the rank of 2nd Lt. Watchman. and joins Ghuli. Quick-witted, judgmental, intelligent. Her watchman status conflicts with her family's traditional Scholarship role.

Avalegna, later nicknamed Lenne. 16. Race: Werebeast. 5'0. Petite but wiry. Long, unruly blonde hair, golden eyes and pointed ears (both racially exclusive). Olive skin. A friend of Ghuli's. Fast-speaking, hyper, fierce. Her race is needed to find and activate a Crystalline relic Ghuli learns she must find.

Current Manuscript: Save the Queen

My big fantasy novel that comes complete with a screenplay and soundtrack if you can create one of those image projectors that wire directly from the brain.

While I have sent what I feel is a good synopsis (Thanks again, Revo!) the query can...bite me to say the least. Shall we all rally together, hunt down the guy who decided they were a good idea, and beat him mercilessly? *Pitchfork*

So anyway, Save the Queen is a high fantasy paying homage to a series of video games called Final Fantasy. The title itself is the name of a weapon used in a couple of my favorite games from the series. And yet, it fits.

In a nutshell, the premise:
Ghuli, the Princess of a dead race called Crystal Bearers, has been safely hidden away for most of her life from the iron army that destroyed her home and continues to terrorize the continents. This army, the Contagion, has finally hunted Ghuli down. Its finding her initiates a series of events that in turn awakens in Ghuli the dormant powers of the Crystal Bearers. As she journeys to discover the origins and history of her people, she encounters someone who not only seeks revenge against her for past (or is it future?) wrongs, but who also controls the Contagion. Ghuli's journey becomes a struggle between what she knows and what is real; life and death; her protection and protecting the world.

Insert dramatic music.

It's a moderately dark novel...maybe mildly. I've always balanced on that line. One of those closet goth kids who likes to write about death and blood. Anyhow, that up there is the gist. I suppose my next blog can outline the main and supporting characters of the novel. I might even do it today. Work is slowing down.