#there isn't enough Hunter content in this hellsite

[missqueenofeverything]

Hunter Sylvester - Metal Lords (2022) Gif collection |01| |02| |03|

[oblivions-dawn]

Hello, my friend and hunter of mean, nasty vampires. <3 I have been thinking recently (I know, dangerous), and thus, have been inspired to make my way into some writer's inboxes with the intention of sharing advice and information. After all, what good is knowledge if it is not shared? And what better place to share it than here where other writers might benefit from it?

Anyway, I was wondering if you would share with me and those of the Hellsite:

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you have been given/come across?

AND/OR

What is the most important thing that you have learned from your experience as a writer?

If you would like, perhaps you could also like to “pass” the ask onto some other writer friends?

Mean, nasty vampires I think you mean hot, sexy, would be their personal juice box vampires thank you VERY much, I will take no criticism here--

I would say that I will answer both of your questions, however I think both sort of go hand in hand with my answer anyways, which is a mix of advice and what I've learned--so take from it what you will!

The most important thing that I've learned as a writer--which has taken years and years for me to understand--is that I need to write for myself.

For years, I've written for other people. Essays and papers and even stories that were written for school, assignments, etc. My happiest moments spent writing were always for myself. Now that I've graduated, I've been allowed to FULLY write whatever I please, and I've remembered why I fell in love with writing to begin with. I never forgot it--I just needed that reminder again, that breath of contentment. It's important to spend time away from writing, but it was good for me to come back to it, too.

As for advice? Don't strive for 'perfection.' This will only hurt you. Perfection, in the arts, does not exist. Just as it does not exist in people's features, or personality, or even nature itself. Our reality is flawed and drowning in imperfections and it's beautiful. We wouldn't thrive without them--there wouldn't be art, books, music, if we lived in a 'perfect' world. Because it has to rain sometimes for flowers to grow.

In other words--write however the fuck you want. Write what makes you happy. Write in whatever style and format and font you want. What's stopping you? You ARE good enough. You CAN write. You are not an impostor. We all write differently AND THAT'S OKAY! That's amazing, that's beautiful, that's how it should be. I wouldn't read if everyone wrote like me. I wouldn't enjoy art if everyone did it like me. I live for the differences, for the flaws, for the humanity that comes out of creativity. Don't let that one person tell you 'Your writing isn't perfect', 'You should do it like this', 'That's not how I would do it'--fuck off. If you don't like it, you can write it yourself. I'm happy with what I have, with what I've done.

And that's good enough. You can't take that away from me or anyone else that's ever put a pen to paper, or a finger to a keyboard, or a brush to a canvas. Do it for you, for your worlds and characters. Do it for your happiness.

It took me a long time--too long--to understand that. To settle for good enough. To break away from the stupid idea of perfection and just . . . Be happy with what I can do with what I have. Everyone's a critic and I'm my own worst enemy; but I can't be against myself for my entire life. I won't publish anything otherwise.

Don't be perfection. Be human. Be good enough.

[sealwomyn]

Separatist Lesbrarian Post

As if my Goddess research book pile isn't big enough.. I've decided to make a post of my work-in-progress separatist booklist; there's essays, feminist sci-fi, lesbian novels, all-female societies, herstories, etc. Some I've read but most are TBR on the Storygraph. If any women know anything that would be a good fit, or praise or criticism of anything here, feel free to add suggestions.

Fiction:

Sultana's Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossein (only 11 pages and I love it so much)

The Wanderground: Stories of the Hill Women by Sally Miller Gearhart

Womonseed by Sunlight

Daughters of a Coral Dawn trilogy by Katherine V. Forrest

Return to Isis trilogy by Jean Stewart

Journey to Zelindar, Hadra Archives series by Diana Rivers

Ammonite by Nicola Griffith (this one made me want to go to the all female planet so much!)

The Demeter Flower by Rochelle Singer

The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri S. Tepper

A Door Into Ocean, Elysium series by Joan Slonczewski

*Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (I read this, cw for shameless racism)

Your Faces, O My Sisters! Your Faces Filled of Light, and Houston, Houston, Do You Read?, by James Tiptree Jr. (pen name of Alice Sheldon)

When Women Were Warriors trilogy by Catherine M. Wilson (too many men in last book, some weird scenes but good otherwise, would reread)

*The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley (read this, overall liked it but for the love of Goddess check reviews for content warnings bc idek how to warn for this)

The Carhullan Army/Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall (read, off-putting scenes esp gross het scene but interesting other aspects)

Banner of Souls by Liz Williams, added by suggestion! This looks interesting.

Sister Light, Sister Dark by Jane Yolen, thanks to @violetssunsets for the addition! unfortunately was warned about het content but also a society of warrior women.

Celaeno series by Jane Fletcher, thanks to @unified-multiversal-theory for the suggestion! Has an all-woman society so I need it in my life.

Herstory and Nonfiction:

Separatism and Women's Community by Dana R. Shugar (got this recently and excited to read this herstory)

Lesbian Land by Joyce Cheney

Sinister Wisdom #98: Landykes of the South: Women's Land Groups and Lesbian Communities in the South (have this, many listed are of the past)

La Luz Journal by Juana Maria Paz (actively seeking this one atm, racism and esp colonization issues wrt women's spaces on occupied land are something I want to see addressed)

Country Lesbians: The Story of the Womanshare Collective by Sue Deevy, Nelly Kaufer, Dian Wagner, Carol Newhouse, and Billie Miracle. (Billie gave me a copy of this when I visited Womanshare a few years back)

Weeding at Dawn: A Lesbian Country Life by Hawk Madrone

Amazon Acres, You Beauty: Stories of Women's Lands, Australia, edited by Sand Hall

Circles of Power: Shifting Dynamics in a Lesbian-Centered Community by La Verne Gagehabib and Barbara Summerhawk

For Lesbians Only: A Separatist Anthology, edited by Sarah Lucia Hoagland and Julia Penelope. (70 essays! I haven't finished it but I'm trying)

Wild Mares: My Lesbian Back-to-the-Land Life by Dianna Hunter

*Herlands: Exploring the Women's Land Movement in the United States by Keridwen N Luis (language in synopsis seems to favor male invasion of Female Sovereign Space so my expectations are low)

If any women here have read any of these please let me know your thoughts! I don't have anon on but I’ll redact asks if you want to write in anonymously, just say the word. Hoping to find more knowledgeable lesbrarians on our beloved hellsite than myself :)