One of my New Years resolutions was dedicating this year to leveling up, specifically as an author and artist. Or rather as an auteur. š
Breaking personal records and churning out more pieces than ever, I’ve spent the better part of the year in nonstop writer mode which of course is the equivalent of Puppet Angel.
As many of you know, June is the month of LGBTQ Pride and I couldnāt think of a better time to call out a few tropes that inundate comics and media when it comes LGBTQ characters/themes.
Tropes that if I never see again for the rest of my existence, Iād be eternally grateful. While this by no means covers every trope/issue/fail, it definitely hits the major ones.
Take thorough notes, Iām gonna move fast, and this will not be pretty. Class in session and youāre about to get schooled by Prof. Upkins himself!!!
Author Scott Tracey recently announced on social media that he is re-releasing his popular Witch Eyes trilogy.
A gent by the name of Josh Inman said it best, “Everybody wants diversity…….until it happens.”
Black Power: The Superhero Anthology
Originally published at Fangs for the Fantasy
A gent by the name of Malcolm X once said, āThe mediaās the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and thatās power. Because they control the minds of the masses.ā
Many people often wonder how Iām able to reconcile being a spec fic author with being a social justice activist. Malcolm Xās quote is that very reason.
Because while the media has the power to control the minds of the masses, itās also a platform to hold a mirror and expose inconvenient truths such as bigotry to a society who is still plugged into the proverbial Matrix of privilege and institutional oppression.
But in order share the truth, marginalized artists have to make many decisions that can play an impact on our careers, our art and its potential impact on society.
Continue reading “Navigating Through Race: The Plight of Storytellers of Color”
Originally published at Thagomizer
Recently I was having a conversation with a couple of friends and acquaintances regarding the release of my novel, Hollowstone. As I explained the premise behind the book, they expressed it was a novel they would be very interested in reading.
They then expressed that they donāt read books. As the conversation continued, they explained it was in large part to their horrors in school. Horror stories I was all too familiar with. The others elaborated that they hated being forced to read classic literature which usually translated works written by old dead white men and ergo deemed as the only type of āliteratureā worth reading.
Originally published at Twinjas Book Reviews
One of the questions I’m constantly asked (which admittedly I never get tired of answering) is whatĀ my process in terms of world building and developing complex characters.
My approach to world-building and character development ultimately corresponds to my overall approach to storytelling. As a writer, I personally belong to the school of character = story. What truth do we discover along the character’s journey? More than that, whether it’s fiction, articles or blog posts, I generally have three mandates which I dub E-Cubed: Enlighten, entertain and empower.
Needless to say that E-Cubed has led to other techniques which has only enhanced my storytelling abilities over the years.
Continue reading “My Steps To Creating Characters And Building Worlds”
One cannot truly celebrate #BlackExcellence and look to the future without taking a moment to honor those who paved a way for us to journey forward.
Case in point, author, philosopher, life coach and fellow Wakandan, Steven Barnes, who is celebrating a birthday today.
Ā Color Commentary is back and in honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re critiquing Ā the 2015 major motion picture, 50 Shades of Grey. In the tradition of Honest Trailers and Mystery Science Theater 3000, this commentary is done in complete satire, is intended for a mature audience and is meant for entertainment purposes. In other words, if you take any of this seriously, you are a fracking idiot.
