Let’s face it. Writing can definitely feel like the WORST (P.S. You get a million and five extra credit points if you read that in a Jean-Ralphio voice.). You are alone in your room or maybe you have a sleeping cat on your lap like me, and  you’re in the constantly cycle of writing, rewriting and editing. It becomes incredibly overwhelming. Parks and Recreation will calm some of those nerves!

1. Setting

I know, I know, you’ve heard this rant before but we’re talking about Pawnee, Indiana! Since Parks and Rec centralizes around the government in a small town in Indiana, the setting plays a huge role as it decides what problems will arise. What would Pawnee be without Little Sebastian, being fourth in obesity or the Sweetums company? Pawnee would be an unoriginal town that didn’t create conflict. So what did the writers do? They started with the rubric of a standard town and put specific, concrete quirks on top of it to make it unique. You don’t have to start from scratch, you can use your hometown.

2. Characters

The characters are so strong in Parks and Recreation it blows my mind. You can read the script and not know the names of the characters and still know exactly who said it. Each character has their own vulnerabilities. Even Ron Swanson, the definition of masculinity has his weaknesses. He loses control when around any of his ex-wives. Without this, he would just be strong all the time and be boring.

3. Secondary Characters (supporting cast)

Okay, so this is kinda piggybacking off number two, but if your secondary characters aren’t engaging and unique then there’s nothing for your main characters to work with. Each secondary character poses an obstacle for the main characters. Councilman Jamm is constantly messing things up for Leslie and Jean-Ralphio annoys everyone. But these characters also need to be round. Everything secondary characters do needs to reflect who they are.

4. Plot/motivation

Everything is intentional and purposeful. Everything needs to be there for a reason. There’s nothing in Parks and Rec that happens just to happen. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen submissions get denied because something about it was not purposeful or intentional. I used to be the writer that would put in fluff things that I thought were cool and the reader could just figure out whatever it meant, even though I didn’t. Don’t make this same mistake! I did not know what I was doing! I’ve learned: be intentional and embrace your work and what you want it to do.

Parks and Rec is the best. Just make sure everything in your work is uniquely yours and you will do amazing things. If you get stuck, just watch this stellar example of setting, character, and plot development. I mean, it is basically research. That’s what I will be doing!

“Write what you know.”

An old adage for writers going back to who knows when that basically means writing stuff you’re familiar with is easier. Which is bullshit.

If that’s the case, nobody should ever write a character different from them.

In pursuit of writing diverse characters, I’ve noticed that I’ve been less than impressed with a number of portrayals of queer people, people in the LGBTQIA+ community.

I’m here, I’m queer, and I want to talk about how straight cisgender writers can better write queer characters.

1. Being queer shouldn’t be the only aspect of the character’s identity. (I emphasize this because it’s possibly the single most important – and off-putting – mistake I’ve seen people make).

Don’t treat being queer as a fashion statement or something “exotic”. If there is nothing else you take from what I’ve written, it’s that queer people have personalities outside being queer. If you’re listing off a character’s personality and attributes and the first thing that comes to mind is “queer” you should take a look at their characterization and work on it more. Queer people have all kinds of personalities – just like straight and cisgender people. Just as  different subcultures exist in cisgender and heterosexual communities, and equal number exist in the queer community as well.

2. Presenting queerness as something “other”.

Queer characters are sometimes included in a piece as some kind of statement or a driving force of characterization or narrative – making the focus on the queerness itself – as opposed to it being integrated organically as one aspect of a multifaceted character. When straight people are in a piece it’s not about them being straight, when queer people are in a piece, this tends to be used as a kind of “selling point” as to why it’s worth reading, a main focus of the plot.

Thanks for trying to compress my identity into a blurb on the back of a movie box.

Sarcasm aside, a similar question to the one I mentioned above should be asked: Is this character queer as a natural part of their identity or is it being inserted artificially for some other reason?

3. Forcing gay relationships on otherwise straight characters.

This happens a lot in fanfiction – characters who are established by the actual work as being straight suddenly having a revelation and realizing how horrible the opposite sex is and becoming gay – or even taking a character’s gender expression and running amok with it, deciding that they’re “really” trans.

It’s demeaning, it’s infantilizing, it’s (again!) making it all about them being queer. I don’t mind it if it’s a natural progression of a close relationship, but having two characters suddenly become “gay for each” other without a reason beyond shipping brings about a mental groan whenever I see it.

4. Oversexualizing the situation.

This is a trend I’ve noticed when reading when it comes to straight people writing queer characters: Men writing lesbians, and women writing gay men, tend to oversexualize the relationships for the straight audience. Both straight men and straight women tend to focus on the sexual act aspect of same-sex relationships and unwittingly turn it into a fetish show for fellow straight people.

The most obvious example that comes to mind is yaoi. While I do appreciate representation, it’s painfully obvious that it’s written by straight women for straight women and that gay relationships are being turned into fetish fuel without any regard to the individual characters themselves. Yuri is also an offender – the women aren’t gay because of any organic aspect of their sexuality, it’s all about the male gaze and sexualizing them for straight men.

I realize that all this might be begging the question “So if there’s all this stuff that I could do wrong, should I just avoid writing queer characters altogether?”

I don’t think so. I think, if you look back over what I’ve spoken of, lots of it focuses on queer characters being treated as tools or commodities rather than actual characters or people with their own stuff going on, unique personalities and life goals, talents and ambitions. My best advice? Write queer people as, well, people, and you’ll be fine.

Life after college is daunting, especially for those of us who are graduating soon. Currently I’m a senior and will be graduating with a BFA in creative writing. I’m nervous about life after college, and I know I’m not the only student who worries about becoming successful. So I spent a fair amount of time researching tips, suggestions, even guidelines for life after college and created a list of my own. Here it goes:

1. Create your own writers’ group.

After college you won’t have assignments or the classroom environment as a way to get others to read your work and provide feedback. Having a writer’s group is a great way to maintain friendships, provide networking opportunities, and support each other as well as other local writers.

But who do you ask? Well, I’ve asked several of my classmates to create a writers’ group with me. Some of them are good friends of mine, others I want to become better friends with. I’ve gotten to know these people throughout most of my classes and I know we all have different writing styles, tastes, voices etc. which is great because having diversity will best serve everyone. I don’t want a writer’s group where everyone is the same.

I want people I can trust to give me feedback about my work in a professional manner. And I know my classmates can do that, because they have all year. So my suggestion is ask your classmates. You know how they work and how they handle critiquing. Plus, they probably just want someone that can rely on too.

2. Further your skills.

We’ve all experienced analyzing manuscripts and assigned readings, commutating both written and verbal, and having to be detail oriented. The list goes on. We’ve got great skills to highlight in our resumes from having attended a liberal arts college. However, just because we earned that fancy degree doesn’t mean learning has to stop. If you want to further your education then go ahead, there are some great graduate programs offered in the twin cities. But grad school isn’t the only option.

After graduation I plan to further my writing skills, however I thought the only option was grad school. Though, I don’t want to be in school again full time. I needed something I could do while working towards that dream career of mine. So, I found out there are classes offered at the Loft Literary Center, which were really helpful and beneficial. It’s also a great way to network and become part of the local writing community. My point is, the possibilities are endless, and they don’t stop after graduation.

3. Take time for things beyond work.

Yes, getting a job after college is the main goal, but not the only one. I think all of us graduates are horrified at the thought of working at McDonalds or Target with a four year degree, I know I am. But having a successful job isn’t my only goal in life.

I want to actually have time to read again, for fun. No more assigned readings. I also want to write for fun, let my creative juices flow. Not because I have some huge project due soon. I want to travel somewhere outside of my college campus, even if on a budget. Plus, traveling is great inspiration and research for writing.

However, I think many of us are preoccupied with getting that dream job to even consider these things. Yet, they’re just as important. You don’t want to get burnt out on work. You should also remember to dedicate time to events, places, hobbies, or even people that make you happy.

During this time in our college careers it’s easy to compare, especially when your classmates already have a job lined up, or some great internship, or a publishing contract. Though, don’t compare yourself to other graduates and writers. Everyone needs to find their own path at their own time. It’s important not to get caught up in comparison. I try to remind myself that it’s about when the timing is best for me and not others. Remember, you can always work towards improving your situation.

Graduation is scary, nerve-racking, but it’s an important stepping stone in life and there are many more to come. But be proud of your degree and the dedication it represents. Good luck all future graduates!

When I was younger, I didn’t think twice about the fact that Peter Rabbit wore a jacket, or that Simba talked and sang. It was entertainment. It was just how the stories were told. Through animals.

As a writer, I began wondering the benefits of such a ploy. What did talking animals do for the story that made them so enticing? Why was this the chosen medium for telling children about life? Is it just an entertainment thing? Talking animals make up so much of the media consumed by children, and I wanted to know why.

When I began my research, it became clear that anthropomorphism was not a new practice. It was a concept used to teach children since ancient time. The most readily accessible example is Aesop’s Fables, all the teachings Aesop wrote used animals to relay moral messages. As I looked back on the fables, and remembered reading them as a kid, I found minimal humans in the stories. If it went back this far, I thought, there had to be an explanation.

I think I found it in the article Animals and Anthropomorphism by Sonia Vogl. It basically breaks down children’s literature into three types of anthropomorphism:

1. Those in which animals behave like humans
2. Animals behave like animals, but talk and wear clothing.
3. Animals that behave like animals.

Each type referred to the chronological order of child development. The first category was used for smaller kids, as they get older animals become animals. This long-term end goal basically summed up the why factor of talking animals. Anthropomorphism is a way to ease a child into the realities of the world without shocking them early on.

Comparing each category to Aesop’s Fables, I found a truth in what Vogl was saying. There seemed to be a Fable that aligned with each category and fit into the developmental descriptions within the article.

The more I read, the easier it was to find answers to my other questions. The following is a list of the main benefits authors use anthropomorphism:

• It uses humor as a teaching mechanism
• The use of animals adheres to a child’s imagination, who at this point in their developmental stage would identify more with a talking animal than a human
• Children connect easily with animals, by making them wear clothing it humanises them in such a way that the children are able to identify with the character more.
• Teach children about the world around them with characters and give them a respect for people that are different to them.
• Allows space for reflection and a distance that gives children the ability to put the story into their reality.

When analyzing the stories I read as a child, all these points made sense. I had easily related to Winnie the Pooh, sympathized with Peter Rabbit, and wanted to be like the Aristocats. The lessons all stuck, because of the anthropomorphism.

One research done out of the University of Toronto that argued against anthropomorphism, that compared a story about sharing told with animals and told with humans. The results basically told me the opposite of what I had been reading and concluded that stories with humans are more beneficial.

This got me confused, because up until that point I was on board with anthropomorphism because it made sense when I compared it to my own childhood. Even stories that centered around humans, had bits of anthropomorphism that made the story better. Mowgli couldn’t have survived Sher Khan without Baloo and Bagheera.

Many articles saw humanizing animals as a cause of displacement in the child’s mind as they will become unable to differentiate between a talking animal in a story and one in real life. Which, I found to be an odd sentiment, given that I grew up with such stories and am able to tell the difference between Simba and a real lion.

The research ignored the three long-term stages of anthropomorphism Vogl outlined, and merely focused on the immediacy of the results. Chris Haughton, author of Shh! We Have a Plan, has stated that using humans is good for a short term effectiveness, but in the long-term the anthropomorphism provides a more memorable, complex way of imparting teachings and morals.

Having science and research back-up what looks like just entertainment, and to know both sides rounded out my own feelings about talking animals. Knowing the reasons behind anthropomorphism gave me a better understanding of the psychological values anthropomorphism has, as well as a better understanding of my own childhood development.