The 2021 Geek Pride Story Event: Official Support Page

[PeytonMirabelle]

Thanks! That's quite a relief.

The presence of the supernatural happens in cycles and most people are still unaware of it. That will only change when a fricking dragon decides to perch on the side of Big Ben in a few years in-universe time. Even the most unimaginative people can't explain it away with movie trickery or the like

Sounds awesome, my inner nerd is looking forward to reading it!

 

[PeytonMirabelle]

You probably don't need to say everything you might want to say to get the geeky point across. So go through the story with your editing gaze on and get rid of the geeky stuff that is not really necessary to the story.

Oh, I concur. Just trying to find a balance for what's important and what's not--i.e., enough game context so the reader understands what's important, without being boring. I got a little more in detail in the first match and after that, it was more along the lines of "His deck couldn't overcome the [whatever] and [character] cruised to victory in two games." Brief blurbs like that.

I'm sure I whatever I choose will be okay to some folks and not for others. Just seems to be the way it is.

Oof. I have no advice, but I am excited to see how you do it. I worked on a story involving poker a few months ago and it was a real hassle trying to keep the flow of a game without over-describing it, and poker isn't nearly as complex as Magic in terms of unique cards and their interactions.

I think there are going to be a few entries with MTG this time. I'm curious to see all the different takes.

Also, if you would like me to give it a quick read over the next couple of days, I'd be willing to do that, to give feedback on if there's too much or not enough gamespeak going on. Send me a PM or whatnot, I'm glad to help.

Sure, PM'd you.

 

[RetroFan]

Do you think it would be seen in bad taste if the geek character had Asperger's Syndrome?

The story I'm currently writing features a socially awkward male character and his pretty cousin, a hot gymnast who saves him from some bullies. They are the same age (18) and in no way does the girl use the boy's lack of social skills to her advantage.

The Incest Taboo readers can be a bit funny about things at times, and I wasn't sure how they would react to this type of story.

 

[Blind_Justice]

Sounds awesome, my inner nerd is looking forward to reading it!

Before the cool dragon-y bits, the reader has to suffer through way too much talk about Roach Thralls though.

 

[PoisonPen33]

Do you think it would be seen in bad taste if the geek character had Asperger's Syndrome?

The story I'm currently writing features a socially awkward male character and his pretty cousin, a hot gymnast who saves him from some bullies. They are the same age (18) and in no way does the girl use the boy's lack of social skills to her advantage.

The Incest Taboo readers can be a bit funny about things at times, and I wasn't sure how they would react to this type of story.

My gut reaction is "that's kind of treading on thin ice," but if you don't play up the Asperger's Syndrome aspect (as you said, the girl doesn't take advantage) to a high degree I think that should be OK. If you're worried about it, then maybe just make them socially awkward without them having Asperger's?

But that's my opinion. If you think you can pull it off, go for it.

 

[RetroFan]

My gut reaction is "that's kind of treading on thin ice," but if you don't play up the Asperger's Syndrome aspect (as you said, the girl doesn't take advantage) to a high degree I think that should be OK. If you're worried about it, then maybe just make them socially awkward without them having Asperger's?

But that's my opinion. If you think you can pull it off, go for it.

Thanks for your advice. The story is set in the early 1990s before Asperger's Syndrome was a diagnosed condition so if I just stick to making the male cousin socially awkward that should work.

 

[Payne_Hall]

Do you think it would be seen in bad taste if the geek character had Asperger's Syndrome?

The story I'm currently writing features a socially awkward male character and his pretty cousin, a hot gymnast who saves him from some bullies. They are the same age (18) and in no way does the girl use the boy's lack of social skills to her advantage.

The Incest Taboo readers can be a bit funny about things at times, and I wasn't sure how they would react to this type of story.

I think this is something that could be pulled off, but would be difficult to do so. As a disclaimer, I can’t speak for the incest tag readers, but here’s why I say this.

Real life story, I knew this guy who was pretty restricted at one point in his life, but had therapy for social interaction and speech. The end result was that he was incredibly thoughtful, intellectually brilliant, and he carefully did the same routine every single day. That’s how he learned that he could be better off. That routine and sometimes communicating with ASL (this was near a school for deaf students).

He took three girls to his prom and all of them were submissive in nature. To this day, I think about trying to write a story with that factor, but I think it’s something you’d have to walk a fine line with.

 

[gordo12]

Do you think it would be seen in bad taste if the geek character had Asperger's Syndrome?

The story I'm currently writing features a socially awkward male character and his pretty cousin, a hot gymnast who saves him from some bullies. They are the same age (18) and in no way does the girl use the boy's lack of social skills to her advantage.

The Incest Taboo readers can be a bit funny about things at times, and I wasn't sure how they would react to this type of story.

I had a story where the main character was mentally challenged. Several pre-readers said no, don't do it. I accepted that verdict.

If you use Aspergers, and I've had a lot of experience around it (friends), I would go with high functioning.

But I agree social awkwardness could cover the same territory without offending someone.

 

[RetroFan]

Thanks Payne Hall and gordo12.

I've written stories with girls who have physical disabilities - one a paraplegic, the other crippled by polio - and girls who have health problems - one Cystic Fibrosis the other an albino with poor eyesight - but was always wary of writing anything that involved some sort of mental condition.

I would never write a story which involved dementia, a more severe form of autism or a condition like Down's Syndrome, and would stay well away from a scenario where there is a perceived imbalance of power or big age gap, such as a 38-year-old guy who seduces a high-functioning 19-year-old girl with Asperger Syndrome.

But if I stick to the male cousin just being socially awkward this could work.

 

[Blind_Justice]

Thanks Payne Hall and gordo12.

I've written stories with girls who have physical disabilities - one a paraplegic, the other crippled by polio - and girls who have health problems - one Cystic Fibrosis the other an albino with poor eyesight - but was always wary of writing anything that involved some sort of mental condition.

I would never write a story which involved dementia, a more severe form of autism or a condition like Down's Syndrome, and would stay well away from a scenario where there is a perceived imbalance of power or big age gap, such as a 38-year-old guy who seduces a high-functioning 19-year-old girl with Asperger Syndrome.

But if I stick to the male cousin just being socially awkward this could work.

Do your research, be respectful and mindful how your characters deal with the impaired person. You already said you're doing as much, so you're already a few steps above Sia and her terrible "Music" movie. Good job.

As a blind person, I have a pretty thick skin when it comes to talking about my handicap or having someone make fun of it. Fuck, my blind lady love and I have probably the darkest sense of humor in all our (admittedly) small social circle. Exchanges like: "Okay, now look here, that's how you work this synthesizer..."
"Honey, I'm blind. I can't look."
*sigh* - "Alright then. Put your damn hands on those knobs."
*playful giggle* "That I can do."
... are the shit I have to deal with daily.

Anyway, some portrayals of blindness in movies and TV show that the people responsible have obviously never done their research. As exhibits A and B I'd like to present Daredevil, both the movie and Netflix series. In the movie, Affleck does carry a cane when he's posing as the blind lawyer, but while he's walking through crowded NYC traffic, he's not using it to check where he places his feet. He's not even touching the ground with it, which is equal to you sighted guys running along a crowded sidewalk with your damn eyes blindfolded.

In the Netflix series, they overcorrected in the other direction, showing the actor use his cane inside his own living space, which again, no blind person I know does - and I have lived almost a decade at a boarding school for the bliind and visually impaired, let alone 26 years with my lady love.

Once you're inside your own four walls, you're on "home ground" and able to navigate without aids. My lady love, with zero eyesight remaining, manages doorways or the narrow hallway without having her arms out to the side, let alone using a cane. Even in unfamiliar apartments, you don't use the cane because it's generally too unwieldy - and the last thing you want is knock stuff off your host's shelves or poke their pets. Canes usually are long enough so you can check the ground in front of you. The taller you are, the longer the cane. At five feet eight inches, my cane is about four feet five inches and I can check a bit more than a step ahead. Inside a dwelling, that's usually too much.

Okay, enough from me, back to your regularly scheduled geekery.

 

[MisterWildCard]

Do you think it would be seen in bad taste if the geek character had Asperger's Syndrome?

The story I'm currently writing features a socially awkward male character and his pretty cousin, a hot gymnast who saves him from some bullies. They are the same age (18) and in no way does the girl use the boy's lack of social skills to her advantage.

The Incest Taboo readers can be a bit funny about things at times, and I wasn't sure how they would react to this type of story.

Speaking as a parent of a child on the autistic spectrum, I would firmly advise against using the term "Asperger's". A lot of folks consider it outdated at best, and it's no longer used to diagnose people with those symptoms anymore. In 2013, DSM-5 eliminated AS as a separate diagnosis, folding it into the autism spectrum on a severity scale (thank you Wikipedia).

Nowadays, it's better to refer to someone as "on the autistic spectrum" or "on the spectrum" or "neurodivergent".

Some people also find terms like "high-functioning" or "low-functioning" to be problematic, so I think you're safer to avoid using those.

Also, you might want to google "Social Anxiety Disorder" to see if that fits your character better than being on the autistic spectrum.

 

[RetroFan]

Speaking as a parent of a child on the autistic spectrum, I would firmly advise against using the term "Asperger's". A lot of folks consider it outdated at best, and it's no longer used to diagnose people with those symptoms anymore. In 2013, DSM-5 eliminated AS as a separate diagnosis, folding it into the autism spectrum on a severity scale (thank you Wikipedia).

Nowadays, it's better to refer to someone as "on the autistic spectrum" or "on the spectrum" or "neurodivergent".

Some people also find terms like "high-functioning" or "low-functioning" to be problematic, so I think you're safer to avoid using those.

Also, you might want to google "Social Anxiety Disorder" to see if that fits your character better than being on the autistic spectrum.

My story is set back in 1994 when Asperger's wasn't a term so it would be anachronistic to use it anyway.

I have written characters who display autistic tendencies in my stories before. One such example is Julie's younger brother Peter in 'April Leads Julie Astray'. Peter has an obsessive interest in the solar system, struggles to make friends either withdrawing or trying too hard, can't 'read' other people, lacks hand-eye coordination, can do difficult sums in his head and can't seem to react properly in certain situations. For example Julie falls down the stairs one night and Peter gets up, steps over her as she lies in pain with a cheery 'hello' and goes on his way.

Nowadays Peter would be quickly diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder, but because the story is set way back in 1963 he is just considered 'odd'.

 

[Payne_Hall]

Even in unfamiliar apartments, you don't use the cane because it's generally too unwieldy - and the last thing you want is knock stuff off your host's shelves or poke their pets. Canes usually are long enough so you can check the ground in front of you. The taller you are, the longer the cane. At five feet eight inches, my cane is about four feet five inches and I can check a bit more than a step ahead. Inside a dwelling, that's usually too much.

Okay, enough from me, back to your regularly scheduled geekery.

Oh, darn it. This is what beta readers are for. I got that wrong.

The more I think about this, the angrier I get that I didn’t logically figure that out at some point with all the questions I asked about mental mapping.

You know what, edited just to add a curse word because it needs one: Damn it, damn it, damn it. I’m sorry!

 

[Blind_Justice]

Oh, darn it. This is what beta readers are for. I got that wrong.

The more I think about this, the angrier I get that I didn’t logically figure that out at some point with all the questions I asked about mental mapping.

You know what, edited just to add a curse word because it needs one: Damn it, damn it, damn it. I’m sorry!

Don't panic, relax. My post was just anecdotal references to what I've noticed and some helpful info, not a rant or anything. See my first sentence, about thick skin etc.

I'll put this here for future reference: If anyone needs questions answered in regards to blindness, I'll happily help out any way I can. Send a PM my way and we'll get the ball rollin'.

 

[PoisonPen33]

My editor got my story back to me, and it'll go in next week!

It's amazing how many times you can go over a story and another reader will still find all kinds of errors you should have caught...

 

[Rustyoznail]

Don't panic, relax. My post was just anecdotal references to what I've noticed and some helpful info, not a rant or anything. See my first sentence, about thick skin etc.

I'll put this here for future reference: If anyone needs questions answered in regards to blindness, I'll happily help out any way I can. Send a PM my way and we'll get the ball rollin'.

Thanks for that. I’ve had experience with deaf people and autism, but when it comes to the blind I’m completely in the dark.

Oh dear…

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I've submitted mine. No idea how it'll go down (27k of First Time).

Many thanks to Nouh for Yank-picking and comments - I'm quite happy with it now.

Now which of my other plot bunnies shall I dust off?

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I would never write a story which involved dementia, a more severe form of autism or a condition like Down's Syndrome, and would stay well away from a scenario where there is a perceived imbalance of power or big age gap

I agree mixing mental/developmental/cognitive issues with an imbalance of power could be problematic, making a non-exploitative story difficult but not impossible. If it were done well it could be very good... just it probably wouldn't be.

I'm too bored of autism in the family to write about it as a thing though half my characters might be autistic.

But a sad romantic story about the bittersweet humour of dementia, where a wife keeps forgetting she's just had sex and her husband just wants to make her happy... Not sure I could ever write it - too close to the truth of my grandparents.

Nothing spoiled movies like them coming in where me and my teen cousins were watching something, and they'd critique the sex scenes from their 60 years of experience. Grandma started losing inhibitions so told us very firmly that sex can still be good in your 80s and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

 

[Voboy]

My daughter's autistic. She's taught me a lot.

Largely because I know her so well, I would have zero interest in writing about autistic sex or in reading it. But that's my hangup, not anyone else's. Still, I'd steer clear of related disorders, and of other abnormalities (like deafness) perceived as "cultures," unless I was certain I had enough of an understanding of those cultures to do it respectfully.

And even then, I'd expect it to find a relatively limited readership.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Great to see stories going in already. Got to get mine finished too

 

[Payne_Hall]

I agree mixing mental/developmental/cognitive issues with an imbalance of power could be problematic, making a non-exploitative story difficult but not impossible. If it were done well it could be very good... just it probably wouldn't be.

I think this might be what I was trying to say, but badly. It could be done and working with high functioning disorders gives a person a lot of perspective on the fact that it’s realistic too. Every one I’ve ever worked with was different.

Also, I had no idea that cringe worthy inspirational porn was a thing until you left that comment . So, now that I know, I feel like that’s something else to avoid.

 

[PoisonPen33]

Great to see stories going in already. Got to get mine finished too

I thought we had to wait until the 16th to submit per the OP?

 

[ChloeTzang]

I thought we had to wait until the 16th to submit per the OP?

Yes, but some people always forget and jump the gun, and as long as the comment about Geek Day is in the Notes field, Laurel almost always catches it. So of you have something ready now, I'd go ahead and get it in. I'm still finishing off mine this weekend.

 

[Lovecraft_lore2]

I thought we had to wait until the 16th to submit per the OP?

I think we are suppose to wait till the 18th of May. May the 25 is a Tuesday this year so it is possible the rules were just cut and pasted from some other year.

"►All entries to be submitted by 11:59pm, May 24th. You can submit any time between May 18th and May 24th. All stories will be posted on Monday, May 25th."

I think it is amazing that some of the people here could write two or even three 20,000 words stories between now and then.

I have mine ready to submit.

 

[MisterWildCard]

Yes, but some people always forget and jump the gun, and as long as the comment about Geek Day is in the Notes field, Laurel almost always catches it. So of you have something ready now, I'd go ahead and get it in. I'm still finishing off mine this weekend.

I submitted my two stories for this year early by mistake. I did follow all the other steps in the OP, so I'm hoping they get picked up okay.