Episode 01: In Pursuit of What If…
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Welcome to the Shy Girls Finish Last podcast. I’m Nicole Lathen, a certified shy Black girl. I hope you’ve had a restful day. Let’s get into it.
Hello beautiful people. Today, I want to express how I got into writing and where that journey has taken me. This is “In Pursuit of What If”.
For a person of color, specifically Black people, there aren’t a lot of options for media that isn’t Black Trauma Porn. Most mainstream media will have Black people as slaves, drug dealers, overcoming police brutality, or any number of retellings of horrific events in Black history. These events are important and their stories have a space in the world.
But as a young Black girl, I didn’t want to see it. I could look out the window and see it. Or turn on the news on any given day to see it. Reading was always about escapism. I was able to explore new worlds, lives, and magic systems and for a time, escape the never-ending tragedies people of color face.
I escaped by reading the Animorphs as a kid. The Animorphs was a science fiction series about a group of kids who receive morphing technology from an advanced race of aliens in an effort to save the human race from slug-like parasites. Five kids were the only defense against an entire hostile alien force. They would morph into different types of animals to save the day.
One of those kids was a Black girl. Nothing about her was “stereotypical”. Her parents were veterinarians and yes she had both parents, she had chores, and she was a normal kid who just so happened to morph into a wolf from time to time to save the human race.
I escaped by watching The Fifth Element as a kid. The movie was about an ultimate weapon that will stop the epitome of absolute evil. A planet-like representation of evil was intent on destroying a future Earth and four stones were Earth’s defense against it. Chris Tucker, a Black man, plays an eccentric radio personality along for the quest to get those stones before the agents of evil do. Nothing about him had anything to do with drugs, addiction, gangs, or “the hood”.
As I read and watched more, it occurred to me that science fiction afforded a different outlook. History is filled with strife and turmoil and at no point should we turn away from that. But the future is wide open. The future has no limits. Black people belong in the future.
I got into writing because I wanted to create the same sense of joy I got when reading The Animorphs or watching The Fifth Element. I got into science fiction and fantasy because it was the perfect vehicle for showcasing a softer side to Black people. A side that gets misconstrued every time Black people leave their house. I wanted a safe space for nerdy Black girls because yes, we do exist. We deserve rom-coms, fantasy, sci-fi, or coming of age stories as well.
All great stories begin with the big question, “What if…” Admittedly, this title has been in my drafts for the past three years because I was too nervous to start this blog. But it also serves as a starting point for this journey into writing Soft Black Women.
What if…toys came alive when no one was around to watch them? What if…holidays were different realms one could visit? What if…kids played a board game where the consequences of each roll came to life? What if a shy Black girl falls in love for the first time?
Each piece of media started with a question, whether conscious or unconscious. By exploring that question, by fleshing out characters, building plot and story, that’s how stories last with people. That’s why we love our favorite books and movies. It’s why characters feel like our best friends.
I started this to help myself become a better writer. I want to help other writers too. I want to connect with others who want real stories for Black people. The romance stories, the fantasy stories, or basically anything that doesn’t have to do with Black Trauma Porn. I want to talk about writing, my journey, and any other piece of media that strikes my fancy.
I can’t promise to post on a regular schedule. I can’t promise that the order of posts won’t seem a little off. However, I can promise a good time, some good laughs, and the little bit of knowledge I have.
I hope you’ll join me.
Thank you for listening, ya’ll! And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out more on my website nicolelathen.com. You can find me on Instagram and Tiktok as nicolelathenwrites. Be on the lookout for my upcoming novel, “With These Words” about a shy Black girl finding the love and strength to fight for the future she wants.
See you next time for “Diary of a Soft Black Girl”, my own personal battle cry.
And remember, Black girls deserve to be seen.