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Young Writers Society


Tom's Journal



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6 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 752
Reviews: 6
Sun Oct 26, 2014 11:38 pm
TommyZ says...



So I am not doing NaNoWriMo this year because I'm working on three other novels and school is crazy this year and I'm starting two more projects with a friend and things are just nutty and this is a large run-on sentence and I don't like this and I'm just dragging myself in this further and further I can no longer see the light of day!

Anyway . . . I fear I may need some help on my second-newest novel. It's about a transgender teenager named Ty, and I'm really nervous about it because it's the first novel where the main character isn't "straight"/sexuality isn't mentioned.

So I'm going to keep posting about that; luckily I haven't gotten very far so if I'm doing something super wrong and have my trans facts messed up, someone can tell me. I'll post about my other novels I'm planning on starting sometime as well.
"You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." J.M. Barrie
My Journal The Island :pirate3:

Don't assume my gender
  





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6 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 752
Reviews: 6
Tue Oct 28, 2014 12:06 am
TommyZ says...



All rightie-o. Reviewing isn't really working for me today, so I'm going to post some stuff about my transgender novel, Call Me Ty.

Summary: Ty is a normal teenage boy. He has three close friends, two siblings who are at the top of the popularity list at school, and enough cool to . . . I don't know, power a train. But come here and look beneath it. You'll see the small outline of a binder of his chest, you'll see faded scars; on his wrists, naturally, but also on his face, his arms and legs, his stomach. Go to his home, and you'll see scattered beer bottles and an overweight stepfather sleeping on the couch, waiting for Ty; A.K.A. his personal punching bag. Look close, and you'll see no one at school speaks to Ty, spare the few snide comments and shoves.

No one likes Ty. Because Ty was born Teran. And a Teran-to-Tyler is unheard of. But when the new and super-cute girl Victoria moves into town and takes an interest in Ty, he forgets that it's unheard of. But when will he get the courage to tell her the truth: that he wasn't always a boy?


So, ta-da! That's what I have so far. I've been watching videos about trans males (go check out Alex Bertie. Best guy ever!!) so I can try and get my facts straight. I know a lot about binders (though I haven't really gotten around to talking about them in the plot) because I've used one--ouch. If anybody who reads this knows anyone who could explain first-hand what it feels like when you first realize your trans, I'd love to have some tips ('cause I'm imagining a great flashback here . . .)

Next time I talk about Call Me Ty, I'll be writing: Some Character Profiles! *fanfare*

See you around.
:smt058
"You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." J.M. Barrie
My Journal The Island :pirate3:

Don't assume my gender
  





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Gender: Other
Points: 752
Reviews: 6
Mon Feb 15, 2016 7:52 pm
TommyZ says...



I'm baaaack. So this is weird. Hi, everyone. Back from the beyond. I'm going to be honest with you guys: I was kind of giving up writing for a while. But before I did that, I gave up this site. I was like "I'm far too cool to sit around with a bunch of juveniles and read silly things, tut tut *sips coffee*". And that wasn't cool. This place is awesome. Hopefully I'll stick around this time.

So what's been happening with me since I left? Well I got a new blog, you can find that here: thepirateisland.wordpress.com . I actually haven't posted there for about a month, because I was taking a break to focus on my acting (which I kinda explain in my newest post). Uh, my banner for some reason has genderqueer flags on it, which isn't technically wrong, since I'm under the genderqueer umbrella, but actually, I'm genderfluid. Yes, I have changed my identity in the two years I've been gone. Deal. :pirate3:

I guess that's it. I need to find some motivation to keep writing. This is getting ridiculous. Anyway. Let's do this. I'm pumped.
"You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." J.M. Barrie
My Journal The Island :pirate3:

Don't assume my gender
  





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Mon Feb 15, 2016 8:42 pm
Rosendorn says...



Hi! Nice to see that you're back.

One little thing I noticed in here is the language of "he wasn't always a boy." This can mean you're either taking the trans narrative that people do change, or it's not the most accurate thing you can say for people who've always known. The preferred language I've seen kicking around is "a boy who society saw as a girl" for describing trans experience.

Has any of the character backstory and whatnot changed? I'd rather not give feedback on something that isn't applicable anymore.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  





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Gender: Other
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Reviews: 6
Tue Feb 16, 2016 12:10 am
TommyZ says...



Hey, thanks for replying! Yeah, when I got back on and reread it I found a few errors. When I said "he wasn't always a boy", I did mean it. I actually took that from my own experience; I didn't know I was trans* until I was twelve, and I really . . . was a girl, as far as I could remember (whether that was because I was told I was or because that's how I felt is another story, and another thing addressed in the novel), which was close to the same age that Ty figured it out. (However, what I say is "I felt like a girl", which is different.) He definitely did not always know. However, it is a good thing to ask if he would say he wasn't always a boy. He actually , at one point in the novel, denied he was transgender and refused to attend a pride event. So, yeah, he might not have said he used to be a girl. I'll have to put some thought into that. Thanks!

Uhh . . . other things that have changed . . . oh God, I don't know why I lied about using a binder, I've always worn ACE, haha (WAIT! DON'T USE ACE GUYS IT'S BAD FOR YOU AND HAS SERIOUSLY MESSED MY CHEST UP!) As far as the novel goes, I don't think any development would contradict what I've said here. I actually put revising this novel on hold to write one called Loop, which was about five LGTBQ+ teens and one ally that meet online and all have separate coming-of-age stories and I'm very proud of it. I'm not sure if I'll come back to Call Me Ty or not, another thing to think about. Thanks so much for your input!
"You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." J.M. Barrie
My Journal The Island :pirate3:

Don't assume my gender
  





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1272 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 89625
Reviews: 1272
Tue Feb 16, 2016 1:08 am
Rosendorn says...



I wondered if that was the case! That would be the other narrative and it's a really good one to tell, just because it is a fair chunk of the trans population but people... don't... admit it.

It'd be a really cool project to go back to, but I understand moving on! Feel free to post about any other projects in here to get feedback; would love to see more LGBTQIA+ stories.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  





User avatar
6 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 752
Reviews: 6
Tue Feb 16, 2016 2:10 am
TommyZ says...



Yes, it's actually hard for me to say that I haven't always known I was trans* because, in all seriousness, it just means another reason for people to invalidate you. I have actually been thinking about posting Loop after I do my first revision. It's got everything that mainstream media doesn't like, which thrills me. Genderqueer polyamorous people, a transgender hooker named Kyle, blurred queer relationship lines, mental illness . . . not to mention it confronts rape, suicide, and child abuse full-on so you can't avoid it, MAINSTREAM!, and - wow. I should calm down.

Sorry I just full-on, like, promoted that work. I do agree that literature needs way more diverse representation, especially in terms of LGBTQ+ characters.
"You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." J.M. Barrie
My Journal The Island :pirate3:

Don't assume my gender
  





User avatar
1272 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 89625
Reviews: 1272
Tue Feb 16, 2016 2:31 am
Rosendorn says...



Uh, yes, please refrain from swearing on the main boards! We try to make a family friendly or PG environment on the majority of the site. In your literary works, however, anything goes so long as it's properly rated.

Hope you keep those projects updated here! Then you can get feedback on ideas as well as the posted prose.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  





User avatar
6 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 752
Reviews: 6
Tue Feb 16, 2016 3:58 am
TommyZ says...



Uh, yes, when I get passionate about something, I can not stop myself from expressing it in the way I want to! It's just what kind of person I am, and morally I can't apologize. But thanks for telling me about that pretty big restriction.

I will be sure to update as much as I can. I hope other people on this site aren't very close-minded, because the novel I'm talking about does have uncomfortable situations and dialogue that you can't really sugarcoat in the real world. Thanks so much, Rosendorn.
"You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." J.M. Barrie
My Journal The Island :pirate3:

Don't assume my gender
  








There has never been a sadness not cured by breakfast food.
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