Author: Taylor Ramage

Don’t Travel Through Pants: How Dungeons and Dragons Helps Writers Solve World Problems

In the six months since I’ve started playing Dungeons and Dragons, I have learned to my delight how almost every aspect of the game fits perfectly into every weak point I have as a writer. As much as I can recommend playing the game for its own merits, I am continuously surprised by how each… Continue reading Don’t Travel Through Pants: How Dungeons and Dragons Helps Writers Solve World Problems

Gendered Book Covers and the Need For Empowering Femininity

I recently found a fascinating article about Maureen Johnson’s Twitter project examining what would happen to book covers if the authors were the opposite gender or genderqueer [NOTE: Link redacted because Huffington Post does not pay writers]. People all over the Twitterverse participated and it’s easy to tell from the photo set that non-male authors… Continue reading Gendered Book Covers and the Need For Empowering Femininity

YA Fiction and Underlying Gender Expectations

          Mainstream Young Adult (YA) fiction contains some of the most popular and influential series of the past few decades. Iconic series like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games have captured the imaginations of millions of kids and adults everywhere. About a year ago, I was just delving into the complicated… Continue reading YA Fiction and Underlying Gender Expectations

Interview with Jo Marshall, author of Twig Stories

­ Hey folks! Today we have the honor of hearing from author Jo Marshall about her book series Twig Stories. A few months ago, Jo asked if I would review her books and now here we are. I hope you enjoy her insights.  (Note: My comments/questions are in bold and Jo’s are in purple) Taylor,… Continue reading Interview with Jo Marshall, author of Twig Stories

Leaf & The Sky of Fire

One season after recruiting the giant beavers to build a dam on the flooded river, Leaf finds himself on the cusp of another journey. While he and his family are temporarily kicked out of their haven, he (quite literally) runs into a quirky bird and its somewhat loopy passenger–an old Twig from the North Forest.… Continue reading Leaf & The Sky of Fire

Leaf & The Rushing Waters:

Twigs are stick creatures that live in trees deep in the forest. They gather nuts, berries, blossoms, and other things that grow for their food and homes. Leaf is a young Twig who lives peacefully with his family in an old seeder tree, but when a massive flood suddenly changes the landscape of the forest,… Continue reading Leaf & The Rushing Waters:

Obligatory NaNoWriMo 2012 Post

In the past, I’ve made NaNo posts after the event, but never before. This is my 3rd consecutive year participating and 4th year total. I have to say that NaNoWriMo is among the best tools for writers of all kinds. I say “tools” because you can use NaNoWriMo however you like. The beautiful thing about… Continue reading Obligatory NaNoWriMo 2012 Post

My Pink Wand and Skirts Make Me Strong: Sailor Moon and Feminine Feminism

 Sailor Moon is heralded as an iconic 90s anime and for good reason. Besides being an excellent super hero show, it encompasses everything awesome about “girl power.” It’s not just that the central characters are all female or that they all have shiny attacks that set things on fire or occasionally make them explode. It’s… Continue reading My Pink Wand and Skirts Make Me Strong: Sailor Moon and Feminine Feminism

Sailor Moon Returns in 2013: 3 hopes and dreams for the new series

According to Anime News Network, a new anime adaptation of Sailor Moon is set to air next summer. The only details released so far are that it won’t be a feature-length film and that Momoiro Clover Z, the group that created “Moonlight Densetsu,” will sing the opening for the new series. Rumor has it that this is… Continue reading Sailor Moon Returns in 2013: 3 hopes and dreams for the new series