Switching WIPs

This week isn't a book post.

I've decided to focus and write about my writing. Which I hardly do, but now felt like a good time because this is a big step that I'm taking in my writing journey. It's something that I've never done before and I honestly feel like I'm giving up on this WIP by doing this, even though I know I'm not. I love this story to death.

So I've come to the decision to put aside my queer fantasy WIP that I was working on. I'll still be writing it, but on the side. It wont be the main WIP I'm working on. I love this story and I've finally figured out where I'm going with it and what the plot is and I enjoy writing it. It's just hard to force me to write it when I'm not feeling creative and my muse has abandoned me. Instead of slowly writing and watching my daunting list of story ideas grow larger, I've decided to continue to write it when the inspiration hits and focus on one of my other projects.

This new WIP I'm plotting right now means a bunch to me, especially since I figured out what I wanted to do with it. I've always been thinking about writing this story but I think I've always been too scared because it would force me to evaluate my gender identity and what it means to me and that was . . . yeah, not something I wanted to do because of personal reasons.

But now I'm ready to write this story and I know what I want to say. I want to write this character for the me that was, is, too scared to be themselves. I've already outlined the first three chapters and so far I'm loving this story.

This one isn't YA like my other WIPs I have, this one is new adult. Which is also a change, but I feel a good one as I'm going into that stage of my life and facing all those problems.

I'm super excited to start writing this story and share my queer nonbinary pal Darcy and their crisis with dating, money, and looking how they feel with the rest of the world. This is my child and I will protect them with my heart but at the same time, you know I have to let them suffer a bit (I know, I'm a horrible person.)

My goal is to put all my hopes and fears into here and send it out into the world hoping people find themselves in this story.

That . . . was really hard to write and admit and write for people to see.

Happy Endings Vs. Non Happy Endings In Queer Books

I didn’t even know this was an argument that people stood behind one or the other. And yes, I am here to say that people actually do because I’ve seen people arguing over this and choosing sides on my main account.

And now I’m giving my opinion!

Both can exist simultaneously. They’re both valid. *shrug*

Some people like one more than the other or despise one side completely. Does it mean that side shouldn’t exist? No.

What I want is a variety of stories. Ones with happy endings and non happy endings. Why not have a variety for different preferences. Not every person is going to like the same things.

Happy endings are there to tell people that it can get better. Some people need to see that. As a queer person who struggles and has some fears about coming out to my dad, I definitely need to see happy endings in queer books, whatever that happy ending may be.

But do I also need to see non happy endings? Yes. Because they remind me that sometimes things don’t go as planned (and sometimes in a bad way.) that life isn’t going to go easy on me and that I need to prepare myself for some of the harsh realities of life. They’re like warnings sometimes, of things I shouldn’t do. Or reminders that not every experience is a decent one like mine. That some queer people have it worse than I do and that I should take a step back and remember that when I go to speak my mind.

I get that some people have had tough times and prefer happy endings or some people just really like unhappy endings because (and I’ve heard this before) they’re more realistic and not everyone runs off into the sunset on horseback. Everyone’s preferences are different and I respect that. Almost every reason for liking one over the other is a valid reason (Almost every. I've read some reasons that were just . . . yeah.)

We desperately need happy endings in queer books to show that our lives are not always tragic. We also need unhappy endings in books to show that yeah stuff does happen and it’s not all rainbows. 

So happy endings vs. non happy endings?
 

 

 

That’s my answer.

Which do you like better? Why (if you don’t mind me asking)?