KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 70 Guys don’t blush that much.’ The above is a comment I received from a peer on a 2017 Romance anthology, Reader. It’s what started me on the road to what I write today—Boys Love. Also known as M/M Romance or Achillean Romance Fiction. So why am I talking about it? Because most storytellers hate reviews. They’re considered at best—a necessary evil. And at worst—something to send you into a doom spiral. Especially the critical ones. But are all critical...
2 days ago • 3 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 69 I made a mistake, Reader. A HUGE one. And I had to solve it FAST. Let me back up. I was down to the wire on my deadline to finish a short story for a contest and I miscalculated. By a lot. Like by a thousand words a lot. Now cutting a few fluff words or sentences here or there is par for the course when editing a story. But a thousand? That’s the difference between repainting a few rooms in your home and ripping out a whole freakin’ floor. But that’s...
9 days ago • 2 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 68 Bet you’re wondering…Why’s this email coming a day late? Well aside from the fact that I had a massive migraine yesterday— (I’ve got a rare chronic illness that causes them—hooray!) I’m down to the wire, Reader, working on a short story for a contest. The same contest I entered last year and won. Which earned me a coveted spot in this anthology. Versus by the Fantasy and SciFi Writers Alliance The story is due Monday by midnight and I’m mostly done...
16 days ago • 3 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 67 “I forgot they weren’t real people.” It was probably the nicest thing a reader ever said to me at a convention nearly a decade ago. You see, Reader, they’d read the first two books in my Marked Ones Trilogy and were eagerly awaiting the release of the 3rd. And that’s the real magic of storytelling isn’t it, Reader? To create characters that feel so real that you could bump into them on the street, or meet up with them for coffee? Or have them swoop...
23 days ago • 4 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 66 Lights. Curtain. Dancers take your place. Queue music. Tude's School of Dance performing Blue Eyes Blind This past weekend a kaleidoscope of colors culminated in the 48th annual dance showcase of the studio I attend. And if you’ve never performed on stage, Reader, here’s a small taste… It’s sequins and sweat. Runs in your tights and running to grab your prop in time to reenter the stage on the right queue. It’s bruises and bows. Ankle braces and...
30 days ago • 4 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 65 “ Looking for gay characters in fairytales can feel like a fruitless endeavor. — Liz Gotauco, F*cked Up Fairytales with Liz And she’s not wrong. Though the sexuality of the authors of many fairytales and classics is constantly debated, what is plain to see is that fairytales and classics have a serious diversity problem. So how do we fix it? By adapting the stories to make them move queer inclusive. Because the world might not need another Cinderella...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 64 Well hello there, Reader! Right before we kicked off our bi-monthly D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) game this past Saturday, our friend asked me for some storytelling advice. “You’ve had writer’s block before, right? So how did you handle it?” She looked beyond frustrated and a bit defeated. But she’s far from alone in that regard. Because if you type “writer’s block” into Google you’ll get about 18,500,000 results. No joke. So clearly a huge amount of...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 63 Well hello there, Reader! Growing up autistic, you never really realize anything you do is unusual until things like this happen… It was mid/post/who even knows anymore🙄 pandemic and I was with a bunch of my dance classmates at a farewell dinner for a friend. We’d all had a great meal and were waiting to pay when one of them bemoaned… “Ugh. I just should have asked for his number.” “Whose number?” I asked. “The server.” “Which one? I can go ask for...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 62 Well hello there, Reader! Did you go to a BBQ this past weekend? Maybe a movie or even a convention? I went to a wedding! Me & Cousin Nick My youngest cousin’s in fact. She looked like a fairytale princess, her white dress billowing out behind her in the pre-summer breeze. Cousin Melissa & Daniel And it got me thinking, this is how most stories end. With family and friends. With a big party and a delicious feast. With dancing and dresses. With cake...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 61 Well hello there, Reader, This weekend I’m going to be heading to a family wedding. And like I do for nearly all weddings I’m invited to (whether or not I actually attend) I’m gifting the happy couple with a watercolor painting. Sometimes it’s a landscape of the Grand Canal in Venice. Or their favorite place in Disney. This time it’s a beachscape not too far from where me and my husband spent our anniversary last fall. While we were staying at the...
2 months ago • 5 min read