usullusa asks: Did you create the back-stories for your characters before you started writing your books, or did it come to you as you went along? Do you keep charts of people's lineages and histories? How about charting plot? Also, somewhat related, I know some writers will do things like write scenes out on note cards and rearrange them, or write the story out of order and then fill in the gaps. How do you work when you're writing?

The short answer: I start with a general idea and everything comes into focus as I write. I do keep a few charts, the Aurenfaie clans, for instance, but I don't chart the plot, except for a simple time line. No note cards. I'd just lose them.

Oh, and your books contain plenty of gay characters/themes or same-sex relationships. I know one time you said that homosexuality being so socially unacceptable was partly what made you write about characters that weren't straight. Can you elaborate on that? What kind of reactions do you get from people and how have you dealt with them?

There are a lot of answers to that one. I think it goes back partly to the 1970's, when the Equal Rights Amendment for women was being so hotly debated. The more excitable of those who opposed it, in N. Maine, at least, always seemed to devolve in their argument to the curious logic that if we passed an equal rights amendment for women, then gay people would be able to get married. It never made any sense to me, but I think that's when a connection between women's rights and queer* rights became ingrained in my mind. It's all human rights. (I dug into women's issues in the Tamir books)

So when I saw the usual depictions of women and queer people in fantasy, I took umbrage and felt called upon to buck the trend. If a woman character had taken command of my brain, I would have written somewhat different books, but it was Seregil and hi jinks ensued. But I've tried to portray strong women who are still women, as well.

I was also influenced by Mary Renault's books, the first writer I ever encountered who dealt with such things. I thought she was really brave, and her characters were interesting (and sexy).

As for reader reaction, I have, since 1996, received perhaps five direct reader communications taking me to task for "destroying the fabric of the American family with my gay agenda", as the most colorful writer, a prison inmate, put it. I've always responded politely, and that's been the end of it.

I'm sure it's kept some readers away from my books, and I have received some damaging feedback on Amazon.com. All that may have hurt sales and kept me from buying that castle I've always dreamed of, but I have to write what comes to me.

aeditimi asks: Without particularly bashing other fantasy authors who may or may [not] write gay characters (or out characters after the fact) because it's cool or shocking or something, how do you see the sexuality of your characters as social commentary or critique or anything?

I see how I portray gay or queer characters in Rhíminee as a statement of how I think the world should be, as well as an acknowledgment, in less open countries or minds I've created, of how it is. I try not to make reactions in any particular area monolithic. For example, while the concept of male/male love is obviously known in Aurënen, and has, in effect, legal standing, not all Aurënfaie agree with it, including Seregil's father. It's accepted in the greater society in Rhíminee, but not among the local Dalnans, and even among the accepting, it's still a topic of titillating gossip.

Do you feel any pressure from the gay community or the het community to present your charcters in a particular way? Is it ever tempting to give in to that pressure?

My agent and editor have always considered it a plus, something that sets my work apart from others, at least when it first came out. I wasn't the first, of course, but I did seem to strike a chord of some sort.

I'd be the first to admit that I am writing about these issues as an outsider, but have always gone on the theory that love is love when dealing with S&A. Other characters are not into relationships and just want sex, and that's ok, too. Even Seregil has occassionally drawn a distinction between sex and love, much to Alec's displeasure, good Dalnan that he is. One close queer male friend has made a few rumblings about the relationship not being all that realistic, but overall, the feedback I've had from the queer men who have chosen to remark on it have been very supportive, either because it's the way they wish life could be, or that they are glad to see their own experience mirrored in my work. I've had a number of men tell me that they used my books to come out, or to give people close to them have a better understanding of their orientation. So I must be doing something right for some readers. Each person experiences life their own way; I can't capture the experience of everyone with just two characters.

And of course, I have a strong following among straight women who like this sort of thing. But I've also had a positive response from unexpected sources, like some of the 70+ year old people I know. And of course, there are always those who "like my books anyway", even though they are not completely comfortable with that kind of thing.

The only real pressure, if you can call it that, I've felt comes from my editor, in regard to Shadows Return. It's her hope, and mine, that this book will reinvigorate the series and pull in lots of new fans. She's had me soft peddle the sexual issue in the first few chapters, and in things like the podcast, so we can draw them in and get them hooked on the story before springing that on them. I think her advice was "sneak it up on 'em like you did before." It's more strategy than pressure in my mind. I've never intended these to be "gay" books, and I've done my damnedest to not soap box on any issue at the expense of story. Seregil and Alec's relationship should have no more weight on the plot than that between Micum and Kari, or Tamir and Ki.

And I always keep in mind the comment I had from a very straight male reader, who was clearly confused about his ability to accept my gay heroes, and decided it must be because I didn't "shove it down his throat". Considering the context of the comment, I've always thought it both funny and telling.

In conclusion, I have always felt like I'm walking a very fine line, wanting to give queer characters their due, but not alienating the mainstream, either. Part of this is certainly a financial decision, but I also believe that it's beneficial to get my books into as many mainstream hands as possible, to capture hearts and minds, like the above mentioned man. Hey, maybe I am pushing a gay agenda, huh? Actually, I try to push a humane agenda, by what I hope are skillful means. ;-) I have always been encouraged by the fact that my fan base seems to span a very wide range of age, gender, and orientation.


*I've been given permission from members of the queer community to use the term "queer" and figure if I do so often enough, I'll get used to it.