Earlier this month (October 2025, if you’re reading this later), I moderated a panel titled “How do you write when the world is falling apart” at Rainbow Space Magic. I was joined by Ash Kreider, Genevieve Clovis, Rachel A. Rosen, and SJ Groenwegen.

(Rainbow Space Magic is a virtual queer speculative fiction con that began in 2020. I have been on the planning team since the beginning and currently have the pleasure of leading it. It’s free and recordings from this and previous years are on RSM’s YouTube channel and linked from the RSM website.)

I really appreciated having the space to have this conversation. We talked about strategies to work through the awfulness of the world as it currently is and whether we feel guilt or shame for devoting time to creative pursuits. I think it’s so valuable to hear both validation from others who have similar thoughts and feelings to our own, as well differing experiences–especially when we’re all coming from a certain common starting point. I mean, we were all here at a queer speculative fiction con lol. We agree on far more than we differ.

We also discussed whether the type of writing we’re doing has changed as the world has, in many respects, grown darker. For myself, I’ve found myself writing more horror (a genre I’ve always liked, even as a child, but didn’t write until recently).

And we talked about seeking out things that bring us happiness and joy and, in so doing, help refill our creative stores. I feel like the worse the outer world becomes, the more important this has become to me. Even the slightest things are so much more precious.

We ended by each offering a practical suggestion based on our own experiences of how to continue nourishing our creative element in spite of external pressures.

I could say so much more about what we talked about, but go ahead and watch the recording 🙂

More soon!