Help Taylen with his next FTM book + Moving from Beehiiv to Substack [Interactive Polls]
Palace, I need y'all to link up, word to Tinashe
What’s up, y’all?!
First, I would like to let you know that I moved from Beehiiv to Substack. I imported your emails from Beehiiv to Substack (hence the new email), so no one is left out of the loop. Substack is where I’ll be from now on. There are a lot of free benefits here that I didn’t have on the previous platform. For example, I can email y’all and say, “Let’s chat,” and we can have a live conversation through Substack. Comments are more interactive. I may begin podcasting, writing, and gaming on Twitch and/or posting on TikTok. On this platform, we can build more of a community—if y’all want that.
Everything is still free, and old posts have been switched over. There may be a paid subscription for early access to updates in the future. My goal is to publish professionally, so my time will be more limited while I attempt that. Updates may go from weekly to biweekly, and if you want quicker updates before they hit Wattpad, you’ll have to be in a paid tier (you’ll also get extra benefits, but we’ll discuss that once it gets closer to that time). Don’t worry if you don’t wish to pay, you’ll still at least receive what I’ve been doing on Wattpad.
Okay, so what do you need our help with???
If you read velvet paradise then you know the book recently ended. So, it’s time for another transman/FTM creation. My goal is to have at least one lesbian and one transman book going at the same time. So, Between Reel and Reality readers, please don’t get on my neck. Y’all are still getting your weekly updates on Amel and Cierre.
I have a few dynamics I’d like to explore for my next FTM book, but I haven’t fully committed to anything yet. I want to get your input before I take a few weeks to plot out the next story.
So far, I’m entertaining the idea of a book called Everlasting Embers. Here’s a very rough, nowhere near official nor professional blurb on the book (it is nowhere near set in stone so the whole scenario may change):
Zerah (ZEE-rah) Isis Jordan (26) is a boss bitch who’s happily single and lives like those independent women Drake hates in his hit songs. As the manager of her best friend, a lesbian rap star who goes by Evermore, she’s forever about her business. After Evermore’s top-charting album, it’s time to go on The Everlasting World Tour. While Zerah is excited to support and manage her bestie around the world, there’s one pest on tour that she can’t seem to exterminate: the DJ, Nameer Cassiel Kingsbury (25). Much like his retired NBA father, Nameer (Nah-MEER) is an irresistible playboy, the type to make any woman act like a damn fool. Knowing of his player ways, Zerah tells herself not to get caught up in his allure, but she slowly finds herself trapped. As they become entangled, their alpha personalities fight for dominance, leading to drama, pain, and, hopefully, healing.
Zerah Isis Jordan is portrayed as Ryan Destiny.
While Nameer Cassiel Kingsbury is portrayed as Rome Flynn.
Cast:
Praise Evermore McKinney, played by Kaash Paige [lesbian rapper “Evermore,” mutual friends with Zerah and Nameer]
Arsenio Marcel Knight, played by Alton Mason [Evermore’s stylist, besties with Evermore and Zerah, messy and fab, don’t play about his friends]
Shanice Trinity Jordan, played by Gabrielle Union [Zerah’s mom, the OG “I don’t need a man but I can take yours,” Zerah’s advice giver]
Mikal Jacob Blake, played by Damson Idris [Nameer’s homeboy who’s always getting him into some shit]
There are three more characters, but I’ll save further details if the story becomes official. And YES, you can contract me to give your children unique, beautiful names. Just playing, unless—
Here’s the current cover:
So, my first question is:
How are you feeling about the potential leads? I’m into fem women, so sometimes I’m not sure if some people find the main male attractive.
Glorifying toxicity and abuse will never be anything I put in my fiction. I never write anything to specifically trigger anyone. However, real people aren’t perfect and neither are my characters. Mistakes and possibly aggravating shit will happen, but of course, healing or ditching a toxic situation will always be the end goal.
If you don’t like the Everlasting Embers idea, I have others, but I don’t want to overwhelm you or myself. At the end of the day, I’m always going to write what I like and will be most committed to, but your voices are also important. So, if you have any specific requests/ideas/scenarios/dynamics/what you wish the character to look like, please send them to me through my Requests (on my website).
I usually write my characters with top and/or bottom surgery because that’s my end goal, so I lowkey vicariously live through them. However, if you want transmen who have not had surgeries/taken or have not taken testosterone/are closeted or stealth, then please let me know. Even if it doesn’t make it to a main story, I’m definitely open to one-part or multi-part short stories. So, send whatever you wish to read!
Until I feel comfortable and have written a few chapters, I will not be updating another FTM book on Wattpad. For now, Between Reel and Reality is my only ongoing book on Wattpad. However, while I’m working on plotting my next FTM book, I am open to posting requests here on Substack. So, once again, send requests.
Thank you to everyone who subscribes. I was lowkey feeling discouraged today, then I saw how many of you actually subscribed, and I feel so much better. Most authors make chump change. I don’t expect writing to make me rich, but I believe my time and work are valuable. I have humongous dreams of one day being a transman Issa Rae; at the same time, I understand I gotta go through the struggle first and make paths for myself. This is a path for me, so thank you for coming on this journey. Even if you never give me a dime, every comment and like is so encouraging.
Nah, how y’all get me to be vulnerable? Thanks again for your support!
Love,
Taylen (he/him)