by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
The thing about the “woke cancel culture mob” is, you can never predict how they will react. Now, let me be clear, I use the term “woke cancel culture mob” in a very sardonic way. It’s all a big lulz to me — I know what I’m doing with this novel and fuck you (wink) — but the tender sensibilities of some in the modern reading audience is something I worry about.
It would all be different if I was an undocumented trans woman. THEN, the fact that my heroine was a part-time sex worker would be something to praise, not go crazy over. But, I can’t change who I am or how old I am.
I often find myself pondering if I’ve totally screw up my making my heroine a part-time stripper. She is so much more than that, but that’s the thing everyone will focus on. And that doesn’t even begin to address the issue of how this novel might be marketed if I should somehow win the lottery and actually sell it.
The curious thing about the Youngs who are so fucking “woke” is how much they distain any sex at all. It’s all very curious to me. Sex is a part of being an adult and, as such, it is something that you are inevitably going to broach if you want to tell a modern, adult yarn.
But, I get it. I really do — just the idea of a smelly middle aged CIS white male thinking up a heroine who is a part time stripper is enough to make women in their early twenties want to do a few Tik-Toks in protest.
I am generally pleased with how this novel is shaping up, come what may. If nothing else, having my heroine be a part-time stripper will evoke SOME sort of emotion from the reading audience, one way or another.
