The core true thing about fiction writing, I think, is that you have to believe that your words matter. That your voice matters. That what you write matters.
The word believe is circled. The words you write are underlined
Picture of a hand writing with a pen
naomikritzer.com
Because if you don’t believe those things, it is a lot easier to give up.
The word don't is circled.
Picture of a hand writing with a pen
naomikritzer.com
Your words matter. Your voice matters. Not everyone here is a writer, so I’m not talking about fiction, necessarily, I’m talking about all the other things you do, that we do. The things we build, the communities we connect, the people we lift up, all of it.
The words your words are circled, as are the words we build and the words we connect.
Picture of a hand writing with a pen
naomikritzer.com
Check out the rest of Naomi Kritzer's 2025 WisCon Guest of Honor Speech at naomikritzer.com.
Stay weird, Stay nerdy, Stay absolutely true you, my friends.
Picture of a hand writing with a pen; WisCon logo; wiscon.net
What is the true core thing about fiction? Answered by @naomikritzer.bsky.social, 2025 WisCon Guest of Honor.
#WisCon #WomeninSFF #Feminist #sciencefiction #fantasy #conference
![Quote from Octavia Butler: "When I was a kid and read science fiction, the science fiction available for kids at the library that I went to was all boys books and you get tired of reading boys books where the girls just kind of sit on the sideline and cheer the boys on and I think one of the things I wanted to do when I began writing my own was […] being the one who’s actually doing instead of the one who’s standing off to one side watching." Portrait of Butler with book. Cartoon dragon-like creature reading the book, "Kindred."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:d6tnvdfe6ho43pcymo73pevn/bafkreif7zmlpalu4bq55zf5iv7s2w64g2x3oh7adnnwn3g4t3636m4tnbe)
