Trunk Fiction, And Other Fear
I’m giving myself a week to finish up copyedits, more than enough time. Until that week hits, though, I am going to do something I have not done in years–take a break and write some just-for-me trunk fiction.
To me, “trunk fiction” is just like the trunk novel–with the important codicil that I understand it’s not good enough for publication, I’m just writing it to please myself. It will get shoved into a drawer if I ever finish it, and not brought out again–much like my first finished novel. This particular trunk novel is a demons-and-fantasy, sword and arrow and sorcery type deal, and it’s so horrid I laugh to myself through many sentences. But I love it and I’m going to work on it right now, even though I feel swamped with other things. I know I’m not as overwhelmed as I feel, and I can take three or four days to just work on something for me. I haven’t done this in so long, literally years.
So that’s what I’m doing today. In the meantime, here’s five lies writers tell about editors–completely hilarious, and (in my experience) utterly true. And Jessica Tudor’s essay today is about fear and writing. It’s worth reading. “The thing is, who loses if I don’t write? Only me. No one else will care if I don’t write.”
There’s something else I’m thinking about today. Here’s yet another woman stalked and harassed who ends up shot because stopping stalking isn’t a high priority in our society. Stalking is glorified by pop songs and plenty of movies. Every week there are news stories like this and it’s not seen for what it is–a war on women, because women are at base considered property instead of human beings.
Every time I read one of these stories, I vow to buy another copy of The Gift of Fear and give it to a woman I care about. When will we say “enough is enough”? Anyone who thinks we are living in a postfeminist world or a world where feminism isn’t necessary is literally ignoring these news stories and the horrific war being waged against women–domestic violence, rape, stalking and harassment, murder, need I go on? Isn’t that bad enough?
I know men get stalked too. Don’t drag that red herring up. The fact remains women are more at risk, and society at large seems content to ignore it. And that makes me angry and sad at the same time.
Over and out.
Related posts:
- REVIEW: The Gift of Fear, Or, Figure Out Who’s REALLY Going To Kill You
- On Stalking, Piracy, And “Literary”
- Dead Man Rising Fiction Contest Winners!
Tags: about me, questions from the edge, the goddamn Muse, what we know is true
May 7th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
You keep talking about that book. I’m going to have to get it. Maybe when I go to Kentucky in August for the long drive. I’ll need to stock up then.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
As they say, all artists practice. And maybe trunk writing is a kind of practice?
That means I’ve got a bunch of practice lying around on my hard drive and in folders in the filing cabinet…
- yeff
May 7th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
I think stalking has just become criminal offense in Italy, or is about to become.
We’ve had many cases in the past few years of women who kept complaining to the police about ex-boyfriends/ex-husbands/bosses/etc. who kept stalking them and ended up in the hospital or worse coz the police couldn’t do a thing, since it wasn’t a crime. >:(
Me, I’m for a more radical approach. I study krav. >:)
May 7th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Sting said that he wrote “every move you make” to be creepy, and it freaks him out when people tell him they played it at their weddings and stuff. I’ve heard an even creepier re-make related to working in the security field.
It’s hard to protect people from stalking. It takes a lot of manpower and it’s easy for the stalker to say “crap she’s got a cop with her” and wait till later. When they do get the guy, usually it’s going to result in a slap on the wrist because he doesnt have a chance to do something bad enough to get a real punishment. I’m not saying it’s not something we need to fix, just that it’s not easy, and assigning bodyguards isn’t always going to get anywhere. We need to go after the base cultural assumption that there’s a fine line between stalker creepy, stalker scary, and romantic. Men have to not condone it, and women have to not reward it. We have to punish it in a meaningful way. Once, that can be miscommunication, that can be he-said she-said. The second time he is dumb enough to be there when the cops are there, it’s time for a meaningful (and that means long) time in the company of other men, both inmates and guards.
I’m with mazoku, and a more radical approach. Call and complain about every incident so there’s a good record when you shoot him. If you live in a state where a record of harassment and stalking isn’t good enough to validate a defensive shooting, move.
May 7th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
So you are never going to publish it? And here I was hoping to start a whole ‘Oh no Lilith no!’ movement. ;P
And for the other thing, I hit people with sticks for fun and pleasure a couple of times a week. I even keep my kit in my car. And I live by a really deep trench in the ocean.
One of the biggest things we have to overcome when teaching new female fighters is to retrain them that it’s ok to hit, to fight back. In fact it’s encouraged and here let me show you how to snap your hips so you can really ring the other guy’s bell.
I think so many women would be better off if we, as a society, insist on teaching them at least the basics of martial arts in gym class in school.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
You want to hand those girls a book? If it was my daughter, I’d hand her a pistol and make sure she lived in a state where should could legally carry it (like WA). There is nothing on earth that equalizes the gender gap more effectively than a loaded gun; the second amendment is, IMHO, a HUGE issue of feminism. The number of women who die every year during state enforced mandatory “cooling off” periods would make you cry.
I’m local, so if you ever want to go to the range, I’m here to teach.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Manda: A gun is useless without the willingness to use it, though. And much better to avoid the whole situation by listening to the cues predators give, recognizing them, and taking appropriate steps to cut the whole thing off. And as soon as both of my kids are above 10 years old, it’s range lessons for everyone!
Sparky: No, no, never going to publish this one. It’s crap, but it’s fun. As much as I would enjoy the “oh Lilith NO!” movement. *grin*
May 8th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Why, oh why do you want to preclude us the possibility to make “Oh Lilith NO!” t-shirts?!
May 14th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I have never read the Gift of Fear but I am going to have to check it out. I know exactly what you mean about the dangers us as women face. I guess that’s one of the reasons I can’t enjoy a book unless it portrays women as strong, independent, and equal. If you like fantasy books you should check out one I just read called Forbidden: The Temptation. Samantha Sommersby’s Forbidden universe rocks with sexy vampires, wildly irreverent weres, and sassy kick-butt heroines.