**Both the newsletter and audio have been updated as of Dec 8, 2023 regarding a few things I’ve found about Crip Literature and Crip Fiction.
TLDR: *I’ve updated this newsletter +
I made a new thing(ish) +
I was interviewed on Uncomfortably Dark +
there’s an article I read and loved.
Morning everypony,
I’ve thought long and hard about how to succinctly describe my writing. I write all kinds of things, so I’ve just said dark fiction for a long time. Even my queer spec-fic romance, I Never Stopped, is heavy with grief.
But I’ve seen a theme coming through in a good deal of my books—sweethearts, Our Tragedy, Am I Olive?, Another Elizabeth.
And looking at my future books, the outlines or notes scribbled to myself, there is no doubt. I’m narrowing in. Not in a level of darkness or type of story. Not choosing between realism or fantasy. It’s about traits the characters have.
Whether it mild OCD or hEDS, writing chronically ill and disabled people into my fiction just feels so right.
It’s important to say that I kind of hate labels. Maybe it’s the goth in me (are you shocked that I would call myself a goth? I may not look it anymore, but trust that the teen with oodles of eyeliner and strappy pants has only changed on the outside).
Still, I recognized labels are helpful. Readers like to know what they are getting into without having too many spoilers. I’m a reader, so I am speaking for myself as well as what I’ve seen.
So I present you with a new way to talk about disability in fiction (rather than just saying “disability in fiction” or “fiction with disabled characters”).
It’s low-key in the world at the moment already.
I’ll be honest and say I thought I named it. I hadn’t heard it anywhere before. But more research and things came to my attention. So I suppose I hive minded the term.
When I decided to called it “Crip Fiction/Crip Fic” with subgenres like “Crip Horror” and “Dark Crip Fiction”, I based it on Crip Time, a philosophy that speaks to me.
Others who have used the term have listed other reasons, such as reclaiming the word “crip”. The result is still the same: genres with subgenres.
Alice Wong, the owner and creator of Disability Visibility, has been using the term Crip Lit since 2016. Derek Newman-Stille’s wrote an article calling for more Crip Fic in 2019. “Handicapsules: Short Stories of Speculative Crip Lit” was published by Brian Koukol in 2021.
But you don’t hear about it, do you? It’s not a term heard often or a section in the bookstore. We need it like we needed Queer Lit all those years ago.
So I am defining it in a straightforward way:
Crip fiction/Crip Fic is fiction that features a chronically ill/disabled main character or point-of-view. The content of the story is not meant to focus solely on the illness, syndrome, disorder, or disability.
And now, I’m asking for a change.
Let’s make this a thing. Let’s make this as common a term as horror.
If “pink horror” can do it, so can “crip fiction”.
Right now, my work is dark and twisty, with complicated characters. It features able-bodied people, physical and mental illness, disability, members of the queer community, people of color—you know, humans, but especially those who have been Othered.
That won’t change.
At the moment, I write dark fiction and crip fic—sometimes the books are both, but I have books that currently don’t fall under the crip fiction category.
I’ve said before that I won’t discuss my current WIPs. But I can say that I’m enjoying focusing on dark crip fic now.
It’s been that way a lot, but it feels like a calling to do it for most of my work now (though I do feel a little cheesy for saying that). Writing Another Elizabeth felt important to me, and I want to continue that part of my literary journey. Also, it feels like an extension of my activism.
I’m doing research, I’m speaking with people, and I’m making sure to respect the marginalized communities I write about.
NOTE: I am not representing anyone; there may be representation in the books, but I speak for no community. I believe only a rare few in our history have been able to do such.
I think you’ll enjoy the direction I’m headed.
And I can’t wait to share it with you!
An interview
Candace Nola of Uncomfortably Dark interviewed me with thoughtful questions about writing, being a disabled author, the importance of being seen, and my recent work.
If you have some time, I’d love for you to read it.
*Depending on when you go to read it, you may need to cntrl F for “crip” or “disability”. The interviews are published blog style, so it will slowly move down the page.
An article for the season.
If you are like me, you have horror movies playing around the clock during October.
I love bad horror, good horror, serial killer horror, creature horror… you get it. But there isn’t a ton of crip horror. We do get to be a side character a bit, though.
I found a delightful article about 40 movies that have disabled characters. Some are good or creepy or the fun kind of bad. Others aren’t great or are terrible representations/portrayals. The movies span quite a few decades, after all.
I’ll tell you what I tell the writers I’ve coached/taught, because it applies to all aspects of life really: use discernment. If you aren’t sure if something is acceptable, do some research. Use discernment before regurgitating things you hear or read. That’s not just crip horror or crip fiction. That’s everything.
No one needs you telling us that so-and-so has done such-and-such, when in reality, the image was photoshopped and they never met.
A little discernment, a little research, a pause to discuss the information can be all the difference in the world.
It’s also a lot of fun. Talking, that is. Talking is a lot of fun.
Currently Existing:
Eating: I made a pot pie pasta with red lentil noodles because the hubs is gluten-free now. It turned out pretty delicious. I’m so happy to be eating different kinds of food regularly.
Reading/Writing: I’ve been able to read some short stories from HWA members. Such talented people! And as for writing? Well, I’ve just started something new. I’m straight buzzing.
Watching: Emily in Paris with a friend, and what an unexpected delight it is!
Other: I’m at the beach right now.
🫀Elle M / just another Elizabeth