general
what does the g. stand for?
what should I call you?
call me gee!
what are your pronouns?
they/them preferred, but honestly I will answer to any.
what’s with the lowercase?
smart person answer: I respect people like bell hooks, e e cummings, and dream hampton. And I think that the use of all lowercase just looks cleaner. I don’t tend to use uppercase when chatting with friends, and it just seemed fitting not to use it for my pen name.
sensory answer: you know that feeling when there’s a tag pricking at your skin under your clothes? okay now take that feeling and imagine you can’t find the tag in order to cut it out so it just jabs at you all the time all day for the rest of forever. that’s how the look of capitalization feels for me. it seems so aggressive and pointed and unless I’m shouting for emphasis, I avoid it.
stan answer: j-hope uses lowercase, so I use lowercase.
who is j-hope?
gasp! oh you sweet summer child. j-hope – born Jung Hoseok, also known as Hobi, Hope, and Jay – is a rapper and lead dancer from the super-popular South Korean group BTS.
are you army?
I sure am! paid membership for years! I’ve been a fan of BTS since 2015. ask me about my bias!
okay, who is your bias?
I have 4 lolsob. suga, j-hope, v, and jungkook. in that order. just kidding I can’t rank them.
what other kpop groups/artists do you listen to?
this is by no means an exhaustive list, but off the top of my head: SHINee, twice, nmixx, newjeans, le sserafim, red velvet, ateez, stray kids, snsd (gee gee gee gee BABY BABY BABY!), itzy, shinhwa, sunmi, hyuna, somi, ga-in, boa, kang daniel…and now I’ve forgotten others but feel free to ask and I’ll tell you if I’m familiar with an act.
what else we should know about you?
I’m autistic! I have ADHD, OCD, PMDD, and anxiety! I’ve never been out of the US and that’s embarrassing! I love cats and spooky stuff and pens and kpop and stickers and fishkeeping/aquascaping and exclamation points!
writing & publishing
what is your writing process?
that’s a good question!
who is your agent?
I’m represented by the juggernaut talent Jim McCarthy of Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret.
can you give your agent my writing?
no.
can I send you my writing?
honestly, while I’d love to read your work and encourage you and give you tips on your story, it’s best for both of us if I don’t. there could be some sticky stuff legally if I write something and you claim it’s similar to something you’ve sent me. so, any writing sent to me will be deleted unread. but I support you! if you want to chat about writing in general, that’s fine; just hit me up on insta or threads. maybe we can even become critique partners, or I can mentor you! but sending me things out of the blue is a no-go.
can you be my mentor?
this is a sweet request. you’re sweet for asking! if you’re looking for a mentor, and for some reason you think I can be of assistance here, come find me on insta or threads. we’ll talk.
will you contribute to my anthology/essay collection/zine/etc.?
first of all, thank you for thinking of me! second, it depends! I need as much information about the project as possible. and then I may need to talk it over with my agent to see if it’s a good fit for me. usually, the answer is heck yeah I’d love to do it oh my god thank you for thinking of me I’m so lonely. but there are cases where that might not be the…case…shoot. I promise I’m a better writer than what I just demonstrated there.
will you come speak at my school/conference/bookstore/etc.?
engagement requests should be directed to my agent Jim McCarthy: jmccarthy@dystel.com
disability & neurodivergence
are you self-diagnosed autistic/ADHD?
I’m not. I didn’t have to do such extensive testing as a lot of other people, but I do have medical diagnoses and a treatment team. however – before I had that, I had my own knowledge of myself and who I am. there’s not a single thing wrong with self-diagnosis. if you suspect you may be autistic or ADHD, then do what you need to to accommodate yourself until you can get professional help. if you even want professional help. as long as you’re not claiming a diagnosis to cover for being a jerk, you’re valid.
do you have advice for neurodivergent authors?
kidding. kind of. but for real, if you want to pursue writing and being published with major publishers, make sure you have:
- an immaculate support system, not just a good one
- the ability to inform those who need to know about your disability
- a toolkit for traveling/author events
- multiple ways of coping with rejection sensitivity
- handy excuses for why you can’t do a certain thing if you have to decline and don’t want to disclose your disability
that’s a really simplified version of what I’d recommend, but if you want/need more, again, find me on socials. good luck!
what is PMDD?
it stands for pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder. imagine if PMS had PMS. essentially, menstruating people who live with PMDD have a much harder time during luteal phase, AKA the space between ovulation and menstruation. some folks even have it rough during ovulation. the shift in hormones makes the body go absolutely bananas. many people experience suicidal ideation, extreme mood swings, intense intrusive thoughts, etc. many people end their lives because of this. typically, it lasts the same length of time as PMS. for me, it last two weeks. for an unfortunate few, they live in PMDD misery for 75% of the month. so be kind to any bleeders you know who might be dealing with PMDD. it’s no joke.
how do you write during bad days?
I don’t.
to elaborate, though – I often times can’t. sometimes, I’ll have the energy and wherewithall but not the brainspace. sometimes my brain is ready but my body just ain’t. sometimes nothing works. it’s a real balancing act. I write when the feeling hits and I don’t beat myself up when it doesn’t. that’s the important thing to remember – if writing isn’t happening for you, that’s okay.