Today we welcome Elle Jackson to
The Wicked Writing Corner. She talks about being different, and how reading and
writing can be succor for those who don't seem to fit in easily. She also has a
few great recommendations, so be sure to add those to your TBR pile.
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The Color of Imagination - Top Five (Plus)
Authors with Colorful Imaginations
By Elle Jackson
As a science fiction and
fantasy romance writer, I seek out opportunities to read and experience art
that will push the boundaries of my own imagination. I wrote my first science
fiction story in middle school. It was about a girl who knew aliens had invaded
her school, but no one believed her. When I think back on that time in my life,
I had gone through traumatic changes. My brother had passed away. I left the elementary
school where I’d been for years and also where my mother taught, to go to a
middle school where I knew no one.
I was the alien in my middle
school. Unlike anyone else, with my dresses, and my lack of interest in music
and sports, I felt alone, isolated. Reading was and has always been an outlet
for me, but there was a time when even reading wasn’t that much of a comfort
because I started to wonder where all the characters were who looked like me,
with experiences similar to my own. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was in
search of writers who had imaginations of all colors.
As a science fiction and
fantasy writer, I have the opportunity to reflect the world as it is and as it
could be. I take that responsibility very seriously, so I write stories that
have diversity to show that the world is indeed and will continue to be
multicultural and include the greatest variety of love. If you too are looking
for writers who imagine in all colors, then you’ll love this top five list.
I’ve been on a mission to
discover and learn from some great writers for a while. This list is compiled
of writers who have remarkable, imaginative, colorful work. These authors are
not all sci-fi or fantasy romance. As a writer, I try to read across genres to
enhance my toolbox. Here are my top five writers who have colorful
imaginations.
5. Forbidden
by Beverly Jenkins - This historical romance
novel incorporates the trope of forbidden love with the historical backdrop of
post-civil war America. Jenkins writes characters that are intelligent and
captivating while creating a love story that is irresistible. I learned that creating
a love story where the two main characters could be in danger if they act on
their feelings is one of the most addictive stories to write and read.
4. The
Fifth Season by N. K. Jemison - The world-building in this
fantasy novel is unrivaled. Jemison is a weaver of imagination. Her ability to
create characters who are connected in a way that is genuine and intriguing is
unique to how she tells stories. Her imagination both reflects our world,
critiques our world, and admonishes our world. I have learned that to do the
unpredictable is hard, but worth it. Her imagination pushes me to be more of a
planner of the worlds I create. I had the opportunity to hear her speak in
person. She is authentic and transparent about the difficulties she has had as
a fantasy writer of color. I feel empowered by her success to strive for my own
in a genre that hasn’t always been so colorful and still has a long way to go
to actually include a diverse cast of writers.
3. The
Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - This YA contemporary novel
with romantic elements shines a bright light on the issues with police
brutality and the Black community. But Thomas doesn’t stop there. She adds in
an interracial relationship that highlights the internal struggles women of
color who choose to date outside their race have to manage. Thomas taught me
how to take headlines from popular media and turn them into stories that expose
and uncover ideals of truth without being overbearing. We get inside the head
of the main character and experience the events as they are happening, which
allows us as readers to draw our own conclusions. I will say read the book
before seeing the movie because the book has so much more depth.
2.
Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron - This
fantasy novel with romantic elements had me falling in love with magic all over
again. This book is steeped in mythology that rang so true, I started wondering
how much of the story was from folklore and how much was pure imagination.
Barron’s imagination is the color of delicious things. I loved how she
incorporated royalty, magic, and voodoo. I learned that you can put all the
things that interest you in a story and make it work!
1. Children
of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi - What can
I say about this book? Enemy turned lovers turned enemies at its finest. I love
love love this book. This book is about the loss of magic, but really, it is
about so much more. It is about what happens when people are feared for being
different. To say I saw my experiences in this book so many times over would be
an understatement. Adeyemi taught me that I do have a rich cultural history and
stories that include characters who are rich with details only an imagination
of color could provide are so intriguing.
Because I had the hardest time
narrowing down my list, here are a few more titles to check out after you
finish with the top five.
~~~
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| Photo: Elle Jackson |
Author, Elle Jackson, writes
everything from adult science fiction erotica to historical romance. A common
theme that courses throughout Elle’s writing is the celebration of racial and
cultural diversity. A Midwest girl at heart, Elle was raised in Kansas City,
KS. She credits her desire to become a writer and educator to her mother, who
was a teacher for more than 30 years and a lover of books. The love of writing
and aliens was cultivated by growing up in monoethnic environments where she
was often the outcast. She learned at a young age that it was not only okay to
be different, but she preferred it. Identifying with aliens as “the other” was
something Elle did as a child and has transitioned into writing stories about
the beauty in diversity. She thanks her husband, toddler son, and daughter for
keeping her grounded in reality when she goes too far into her imagined worlds.
Elle has obtained a doctorate
in Educational Leadership, an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction, and a Masters in
Teaching. In her debut novella, Liam’s Encounter,
Jackson has created an interracial love story that illustrates the beauty in
diversity. If you want updates on what Elle Jackson is up to, check out authorellejackson.com
and sign up for the newsletter.
