The few people who follow me and care no that for the longest time I have struggled with where my body of work falls in the large scope of things. I have often felt on an island, alone (or with few others around doing the same thing). For some reason, I thrive on being defined in a group because I think that gives me direction and parameters to work under. It could also give me sources where I could see what worked for others and what hasn't.
I have searched and pondered the question and I have come to realize that though I have tried to place myself under the genre of transgender fiction, I really don't belong there. Transgender fiction has certain elements that make it what it is. Usually there is a focus on transformation, whether by simply cross dressing or have a full body swap. There is also an expected level of titillation for the transformation and a large segment of transgender fiction is either erotica or borderline erotica). It's not that I don't occasionally flirt with an erotic scene or two, but the bulk of my work simply doesn't fall under this heading.
So what is it that I am doing? I want answers. So I've been thinking (I do that often) about it. I think what best describes what I do would fall under Transgender Literature. It's a small change. Some might argue that literature and fiction are synonymous with each other, but I make a distinction. So I am stepping away of trying to fall under the banner of transgender fiction where I feel I don't fit and am unwanted any way and going to forge my own path. I've started, and there is more to come. I just wanted to bounce the idea off the board and see what people think.
Comments
Transgender Fiction vs Fiction
There is also another category... Fantasy.
Fantasy by definition is Fiction but Fiction is not always Fantasy.
It is possible to have the Transgender element in either.
There are some who would argue that History is Fantasy since History is usually written by the victor.
Is it possible to write a story where the transgender individual is not the victor? Yes, I would think so but then that might be too close to reality for many. Then too, there are all those nice in-between levels to life... Instead of a transgender hero/ heroine... what of someone who was the sidekick for whom the trip was not quite so prominent but still occurred? Of course we also have Fantasy... example: 'Aliens Are Us' which will be reinstated to the site soon.
Anesidora
It is not all about Transformation
There are some/many of us who will never transition. I've accepted that I'll never do it but that does not stop me writing about people who either have transitioned and their subsequent problems/adventures or those who lead a double life with their 'better' half appearing at odd intervals.
Most of my stories are about their adventures. I do have one on the drawing board that deals with someone transitioning but that is just a small part of the whole plot.
What I'm trying to say is that there is plenty of room under the title of TG fiction to write stories that deal with the real lives of those who have transtioned and are living their life as they want it.
you don't need erotical or tittilation. Frankly I've found these bits to be really hard to write well so I tend to ignore them. If the story is strong then you really don't need them.
I am sure though that whatever genre you end up writting in, you will be succesful.
Samantha
Liturature?
I don't feel that by just calling it literature, you draw enough distinction to be in a different category which is what I feel that you are going for.
I understand the need to market one's self but there are connotations as well as denotations involving any change in label.
I've always thought of the distinction between fiction and literature is the test of quality and audience. One may assume that a work is up to the standards of Literature if it is a best seller and awarded. It is only the test of time and recognition of the significance of the work to academics that make a work real literature. Is it a work which should be required reading for students due to what they will learn from it?
If you are serious about your work being beyond what you think of as transgender fiction then perhaps it is the first word that you need to augment instead of the second one. We might feel about our works that they are the equal to those which have been proclaimed literature. If it is only your assessment then what is to prevent others from feeling the same way about their work and proclaiming themselves in the same category as you?
It is a difficult category to describe. 'Lavender Rose Press' describes it as "real world fiction and biographies" and "stories about transition, self-discovery, finding acceptance, etc." And it needs to have a simple way of describing it without seeming to participate in self elevation. The category is valid without including a self assessment of the quality of writing.
The acceptance of a new category is an up hill battle as you already know. The question is if it is worth the battle to imply that the distinction is quality rather to make the effort to come up with a succinct way of describing the essence of the category.
Just something to think about, but I feel that the category should be called by some name that an entry level writer who wishes to tell that kind of story could use. (I don't think it is possible for an entry level writer to write Literature)
Something to think about and YMMV
All my hopes,
Sasha Zarya Nexus
All my hopes
Ariel Montine Strickland
TG fiction vs. TG erotica
This is what you are confusing. Most internet TG fiction is really TG erotica, you don't write that, you write fiction with TG characters.
Looking up the definition of Literature, I don't think you get to declare your own works as Literature.
Would that apply to BC
While some erotica appears here most of the stories published aren't in that category are they, or am I missing something?
I would agree with your point about literature, a description which would fit very few modern books and tends to be offered by later readers or assessors. But then who would rather write a piece of literature which might not be recognised for fifty years, or do a JK Rowling or Dan Brown and sell millions of books plus film rights for works which will never wear that appellation?
Angharad
No it doesn't apply here, at
No it doesn't apply here, at least from most of what I've read, but Katie's stories are generally well received here and not elsewhere. There are other places that also deal in fiction and not erotica, but they are the exception and not the rule.
It is possible to do both, be a successful author and have your work eventually recognized as "literature." (said with a upper crust British accent) Mark Twain was certainly highly successful during his life as an author, and some of works have been recognized as great literature. Perhaps someday some of the writers of today will be recognized as the great writers of the "schlock" period.
Classification and ego
While I don't believe that your decision to re-classify your work is one purely of ego, I would ask you to consider why exactly you felt it necessary to announce that you are no longer writing TG Fiction to a audience of authors and readers of TG Fiction. Over some time now, as you have written and released material on Amazon; I have watched you struggle with your identity and your confidence in your abilities as an author. You've been proud of the ranking of some stories and disheartened by the lack of sales in others. You've been excited about projects that have a lot of potential and struggled with the results of things you thought would be more eagerly received.
Ultimately, any story not founded entirely in reality that includes a character that spends some time looking at their gender identity can be classified as Transgender Fiction. Just as any story that tells the real life events of a character with some reference to gender identity could be considered Transgender Non-fiction. We can debate what specific degree of a story has to be artistic license before we cross that line between the two, but unless you are writing Biographies or reference material, your work is going to be Fiction (no matter how you personally want to classify it).
The word that you're really struggling with, I believe, is not the classification of whether your work is faux-Biography or Fantasy, or Erotica... it's legitimacy.
And this is a difficult position to be in, especially as a self-produced author who also writes for free internet release. Can you be a 'legitimate' author if you write for free release, are paid in Kudos and friendly comments, and self-publish previously released works? Can you be a 'legitimate' author if you only sell a couple hundred copies of your books? Can you believe 'legitimate' if you continue to write and associate with amateurs on TG Fiction story sites?
There are two easy roads we can take. We can be effusive in our praise, agree that you are a legitimate writer but that we would miss you if you aren't around any more so please keep writing for us and let us know when your next book releases on Amazon so we can all buy and review it. We could also make it simple for you to cut your ties by saying that self-publishing a book on Amazon can be done by anyone and the few sales to friends and family don't make you a serious author no matter what category you put them in.
As far as I'm concerned, both routes would be stupid and deceitful. It isn't important what category you think your stories need to be in... oh, maybe it matters for the purpose of being listed properly for the right results of searching for your books on Amazon... but those sorts of search parameters are artificial. They're also abused by far too many authors as means of getting themselves higher on a ranking somewhere. What does matter is that you are true to your story, that you always work to create the best work you can (given the market that you are preparing it for), and that you take pride in your accomplishments. Even if everyone else hates them.
One of the things that many people forget about amateur writing is that amateur is not a measure of quality. We run into this problem in theater often. Professionals and even audiences look down on community theaters as a 'lesser' version of the art. But often, a community theater production can be powerfully moving. Despite cheap sets or costumes pieced together from a thrift shop. In fact, sometimes everyone involved in a community production IS a professional when working for another company somewhere... but they were willing to put time and effort into a show where they didn't get paid simply because they love the work. Many online story sites and writing groups have people who are not professional, because they are not paid to create what they do... but not because the quality isn't there. And that's what an amateur is. Someone who loves something, despite not being paid to be involved. It is unfortunate that the word has also grown to mean, for many people, to describe something of lower quality as a result... because there are very many instances in life where the hobbyist is superior to many professionals.
There are authors who write TG Fiction who we all suspect have been paid published authors for mainstream print all along. I don't know for certain if they are, or not. I honestly don't care (though if they did reveal it, I would probably be inclined to go purchase their mainstream work). What I do care about is that they care about the stories that they write and I greatly appreciate that they've chosen to share those with us. And the fact that they release stories for free under a category of 'TG Fiction' or 'Fantasy' or even 'Erotica' doesn't have any impact in how I view their work. And... there are authors who self-publish for Kindle or Smashwords or paper publishing programs like Lulu... who are doing it purely for the ability to claim to be a published author. To make a few bucks off something they threw together.
When the only means of publishing was for a publisher to choose your material, it was 'easy' to know when you'd crossed the line into being a professional. Of being legitimate. But it is a brave, new world. So you need to decide on your own. Choose wisely. :p
Agreed
Eloquently put.
it's a lot to think about and
it's a lot to think about and you may be right. maybe I'm using the wrong easuring stick. perhaps my ego is easily bruised. it is hard for me to see another author have a release and sell in the hundreds and i sell single copies of a release. it hurts when a noted reviewer gives a 5 star review for glorified porn and skips by what i think is my best work. it makes me wonder what i am doing wrong or if I'm appealing to the wrong crowd. i know i tell a good story, so i wonder where i go wrong
Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)
Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life
wrong crowd?
Write what you love to write. If it sells, great. If not, it is what you love to write. You have the technical skills you need to be successful, if you write what you love; it will have an audience. It's just a matter of that audience finding it. Don't try to change who you are and what you love just to appeal to a larger, more effusive audience. Unless you're desperate for a paycheck. In that case, writing anything in the TG sub-genre is a mistake. Write some 'mainstream' urban fantasy... it's lousy, formulaic (like most Romance), and people are making a killing even on the bad stuff. But don't expect to enjoy doing it in the same way as writing what you love.
I remember when I first posted my "Glass" chapters here (it had only been available on Sapphire's before that). Someone commented that it wasn't normally their type of story, but they had happened to start reading it and got hooked. I suspect a lot of readers here are like that. They only tend to read certain authors or stories tagged with certain things because those are things they know they'll like. And they simply don't have the time or inclination to read everything (unlike maniacs like me who read like a cartoon Tasmanian devil). But despite that... and despite the Whateley readers who know me from Crystal Hall... I still don't get nearly the comments that certain other people do. Fortunately, comments and feedback are only a very small part of why I write.
What's most important to you? The paycheck? The praise of your audience/fans? Writing a story that you are proud of? Working out the tangled workings of your mind by turning thoughts into concrete words? That last is probably my main reason. I enjoy writing, but I honestly don't do it often enough to consider myself a legitimate serious author... because I usually only write when I HAVE to. And I mean that quite seriously... there are times when sitting down and writing is the only way to keep myself going, sanity wise.
But if praise and the paycheck are the critical things for you (and don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that); there are 'tricks' that you can use to draw praise for your stories. Ways that you can ensure you get move views and more kudos. There's always 'something' that you can do that changes how people see your work. But do you want to do that?
What am I looking to accomplish with my writing
There are several goals I have for my writing but really only one major one. I will start with the lesser ones though because it is not like they don't exist. I would like to be able to live off my writing. I'm not saying I want to be rich, but if I could bring in 2000 dollars a month off my books I think that would be awesome. I don't really have bills. I own my home (which really needs repairs right now) so I don't have a mortgage, my utilities are low and I have a loving bf who works.
I would also like to have a New York Times best seller. I thought I had a way of getting one vicariously by working behind the scenes on a certain someone's autobiography, but she is tangled in a legal mess. I might be on to something with my new biography which will actually list me as an author (by so and so with Katie Leone). I have had this dream ever since I was in the third grade, so it isn't something I just came up with. Maybe it's far fetched, but I rather reach for the stars and hit the moon than be satisfied with the status quo.
But this is what I really really REALLY REALLY REALLY want. I want to make an impact. I want to change lives. I want to make people think about things in new ways. I want to make people live better lives. I want people to read my words and go "wow, that's deep." The thing that brings me the most joy is like when Erin called me on the phone to call me a son of a bitch because I made her cry over a gatorade bottle (I'm proud of that). Or when people say they no someone like my character. Or they can really identify. I want to be relevant on a large scale. If I never made a dime but changed the world for the better because people finally understood that being transgender is not some kink, I would die a very happy person.
Yes, the sales are nice. Having the book of the year was pretty cool too. I love getting good reviews. I even like some of the bad reviews if it's for an expected reason (I expected people to be outraged over the ending of God Bless the Child). But in the end, I want to reach a lot of people with a message and usually that message is one of two things. Either it is the search of acceptance or the ability to overcome adversity in the name of truth (Finding Jenny is a prime example).
I'm not leaving the site. I'm not going to stop writing the stories I have planned. I'm just trying to figure out where I fit in. I want to reach the most people I can for to further the cause of transgender equality (I have my theories how fiction plays a role in that). I want to make people laugh and cry and think, for God sake do I want them to think. I also what the transgender community to know that God has not forsaken them. I am an eclectic collection of things that usually don't belong together, it probably shows in my writing, but one of my biggest demons and why I appear so easily bruised, is a lifetime of feeling like I just don't belong anywhere and maybe if I told a good enough story that would change.
Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)
Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life
Film rights?
no one mentioned film rights!
Do you know, I'm not even sure I know what 'erotica' is, I've read books that claim to be erotic fiction but they cover a veritable smorgasbord of styles and types of story from science fiction to period pieces to manga comics. A dissection of my library would turn up a wide range of material, in many genres but nothing, not a single volume, of transgender fiction - there maybe elements of the broader crossdressing / sex change scenario (some Robert Heinlein for example), even a bit of canoodling and sexual play (Janet Evanovich for example). Did you know that the Gaby stories are ranked higher on Amazon under sports than any other category? So apparently I write sport and travel stories best which may just have some transgender / crossdressing / erotic elements. I like it that way, I don't want my writing to be pigeonholed too tightly.
I for one would rather have lots of readers with varied reading tastes than a handful who are locked into a genre.
Madeline Anafrid Bell
duplicated
122
Madeline Anafrid Bell
(blinking blankly)
Of course you must do what you feel is write, but as for TG Fiction, you were *never* unwanted. I'm "soda" on Amazon and was one of your first reviewers and fans. I've read lots of your stuff, enjoyed each one, and your "transformation" work was delightful. So, I'll be sorry to see you go, but I'll be happy to read your new "literature". Unwanted, out of category? Nope. Never.
---
" It's terrible when the spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum is a fledgling witch with a mermaid doll !"
Genres, One Solution.
I have always felt that there is a larger audience with the general public, but I had things to say in the Transgender Genre. Some of those old stories had far more truth in them than most would believe, so I can't actually call all of it Transgender Fiction.
My latest story, still in the oven, has a feature that I have not done before. There will be two chapter one's. One will be solidly transgender, and the other will be for muggles. (Trans deprived folk) Yet, as I review both in my mind, I find that they may wind up nearly identical.
I'm trying to use an authentic feminine voice for the female characters in my stories. Women talk about the clothes they wear, but most had their first bra and panties yonks ago. So, things they know well, they just do not talk about.
I've grown to love so many of you in a very special way. I've needed to say that while there is yet time.
Still insisting that "Demented Tales" will be up at Amazon in September. For any who wish to follow the process of this book of stories, you can catch me on Facebook. I must give you the same boundaries that I give everyone. I do not say things that would make the general public uncomfortable on Facebook.
Much peace
Gwen
Just say fiction
Your struggle with labels reminds me of how Vonnegut rejected the term "science fiction," despite writing about time travel.
Model yourself on Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex, the bestselling novel about an intersex character that was pitched to the mainstream audience as general fiction without a specific genre. Don't pigeonhole yourself if you don't think you resemble the other pigeons.