Tina Glasneck, USA Today Bestselling Author

writing

Understanding Urban Fantasy Fiction & the Importance of Diversity

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What if magic existed, as well as the supernatural and paranormal, only hidden?

Welcome to Urban Fantasy, a genre that has it all.

When I say Urban Fantasy, you might think of The Chicagoland Vampire series by Chloe Neill or the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. It’s where the supernatural is real, in the shadows, and fantasy collides with a contemporary setting.

Urban Fantasy, though, also offers so much more.

What is Urban Fantasy?

But first, what is Urban Fantasy?

Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in a contemporary, urban setting. This type of fiction often features supernatural elements, such as vampires, werewolves, and other creatures hidden among the human population. The stories often revolve around the conflict between these supernatural beings and humans and may explore themes of good vs. evil, the supernatural in everyday life, and the power of belief.

Diversity in Urban Fantasy

I like to think of it as we find the magic into “the every day,” along with the problems of what it might mean if that secret is revealed to the mass population. Although Urban Fantasy is similar to paranormal romance, paranormal romance focuses on the romance of the couple, while Urban Fantasy spotlights more of the mystery, suspense, and horror elements of the genre.

Representation Matters

Representation in fiction is important, as we all wish to see ourselves in the worlds we read about.

I choose to write diverse characters, as the characters that come forth often appear as a part of my life. It is me, seeing myself as a black woman in an urban setting with magic being real and everything possible. Sure, in fiction, this evil can be metaphorical, but writing urban fantasy also gives me the power to come up with applicable solutions to defeat a big bad in a book that might not be as conquered in my reality.

I write a world in which I am a part, one that is filled with diverse and interesting characters.

Diversity is not a monolith

No culture or people group is a monolith. I write from my experiences, my joy, and my happiness. You might even say, it’s my divine magical spark. Life peppers my fiction (but fiction the stories remain).

There is another reason that diversity is so important. It allows readers an opportunity to see also themselves, their worldviews, and their experiences reflected in the stories they read. Even more, we can learn about others by reading stories outside our everyday purview. Therefore, such reading can also help to broaden readers’ understanding of the world and promote empathy and understanding. When diverse characters are included in urban fantasy stories, it can add depth and richness to the narrative and make the story more relatable and engaging for a wider range of readers.

Urban Fantasy casts spells on us daily. Through those tales, we find magic, conjure up a bit of magic, and come to terms with ways to defeat the threat of evil. We can take strength. We hold onto the beauty of these tales, the passions they stir, and the calls to an adventure we hear. Through the lessons, we learn to live authentically, never cowering to the threat of evil in this reality, even if we can’t all be drafted into a werewolf v. vampire war.

Peppering facts into fiction

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History is brutal, but ... 

If we don’t know history, we can’t see the patterns and ripple effects in our modern day.

But Tina, you write fantasy and romance. How does history affect your writing? I love to write all in one world, but in different time periods, as I pepper history through my stories..

But fiction is not fact; yet we can braid those things together, while entertaining  and informing.

One such topic I uncovered while writing my time travel paranormal romance is that of cruelty of Napoléon, who historians often praise. But, did you know France forced Haiti to pay reparations to France to ensure their freedom?

I don’t remember hearing anything about this while growing up. The lack of information caused me to dig deeper.

My stories are set in this timeline, mostly, and I wanted to reference something historical that still impacts today. This meant shining a light on Haiti’s history and presenting some of it as part of the background for the story.

The tale of independence for present day Haiti from French rule came with generational consequences.

As France was creating fashion trends with its 18th century, mouse hide eyebrows, Haiti, known as the French colony of Saint Domingue, which had gained independence in 1801, was once again fighting off a new potential colonial rule, this one being Napoléon. He was hell-bent on retaking the colony and threatened to reinstate French rule and chattel slavery.

The fight for independence was brutal. But it wasn’t until 1805, when Haiti became officially independent. Here’s the caveat: for France to recognize this, Haiti had to agree to pay France 150 million francs, as well as a 50% discount on exported goods to them.

This debt did not go away.

In 1838, France agreed to reduce the debt to 90 million francs. It would take Haiti 122 years to pay it off, finally settled in 1947.

The world we see today, the moving pieces and nuances, we can often discover by digging deeper. After all, nothing is how it might first be perceived.

The United States didn’t recognize Haiti until 1862. This meant that the US also didn’t trade or have commercial relationships with Haiti, although benefitting from its pressure on revolting against French rule. It is suspected that because of Haiti’s revolution, this is a partial reason of why Napoléon gave up on the “New World” and agreed to sell the Louisiana Territory, what is known as the Louisiana Purchase.

France will not give reparations or payment back to the modern day Haitians, and… just in case you think Britain was any better, well, they were paying reparations to actual slave owners descendants until 2015.

Why am I showcasing this? Because with a wealth of knowledge comes power to enact genuine progress. Yes, history is often evil… but the more we know, the more we can help to change our world for the better, and I’m hoping to do that with my stories too. There is nothing like taking the darkness of history and fighting back with the fantastical and have the good guys win.

My dragon series continues to play with history, sprinkling in historical truths, and lighting it on fire with beautiful magic.

Ask Tina

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How did your writing journey come about?

Story was my safety net growing up, and in the colorful in-between of reality and my imagination, I found comfort in the great pages of wonderful books. A book was the best of gifts to me. It gave me a chance to travel, learn, escape…to love, to fight for what was right. It offered me more than my every day.

Especially when my every day shifted more to criminal justice and figuring out ways to help the disenfranchised and ensure that every person has a fair shot under the law. As a then paralegal, I had high hopes for every client that walked through those doors.

But one fateful day, things changed.

A disgruntled client’s family member burst into the office. They demanded that things be done on their case. This wasn’t odd. The paralegal is often the one to take the brunt of the abuse; think of it as customer service on the front lines.

Yet when they promised to come back and shoot up the office, I was terrified. None of my education had prepared me on how to duck and dive, to potentially push heavy furniture around. So instead, we were sitting ducks with only one way out and all of the windows painted shut.

I panicked.

I took this fear home with me, and every day when I returned to the office, it gnawed at me. Would this be the day I’d die?

There was no plan on what to do, but my mind wouldn’t rest without something being done… and that is when I started writing. It began as a paranormal romance, but due to this trauma quickly shifted to something more sinister.

I needed to process the darkness.

Now, that's meant diving into the world of magic and the fantastical...  

But back then, well,  there would be more threats, and I’d be more prepared as I’d pour all of that angst into my fiction.

Processing my every day in a high-stress environment came a lot easier by my spending time creating characters and solving their problems. It empowered me and gave me hope, peace, and a way to express myself.

Although I left being a paralegal behind, I still find the sweet solace of storytelling to be my anchor.

I’m happy to say that the family member never returned with a weapon, and safeguards were put in place to protect the staff.

Oh, and the book that came out of this trauma is Deadly Sins under my pseudonym, Rayne Marrow.

Wanderlust & Metamorphosis

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To become a butterfly, the caterpillar has to grow, change, and molt. A writer does, too.

Every time I sit down at my computer to write, a new adventure starts.

In fiction, I love to take a character, chase them up and tree, and throw rocks at them. Those hard decisions cause growth.

For so long I wandered aimlessly. I struggled, unable to shake off the muck from my everyday. Haunted by a sense of wanderlust and knowing that my life was so much more than what I was experiencing.

Then a flip switched.

I had to come to a decision and face life head-on.

Entering the Chrysalis

This year, I was sick for 4 months, which prompted emergency surgery, and in that chaos I found certainty, in the reflection almost a new life as if I were shedding my old self to crawl from a chrysalis, unfurling my beautiful blue wings to reclaim a freedom I never thought to lose. You see, fiction is a combination of truths — even if it is just the author’s inner journey that presents keys to a sometimes invisible cage.

Being sick for so long, I learned the value of becoming my advocate — not only for health things but also just in my everyday life. That has meant taking the time to silence those words of self-doubt, releasing fears, and finding that magic that’s all around, seizing the days and nights.

Often this life itches, and is uncomfortable. Even more, it seems as though we continue to find ourselves playing in the halls of middle school, trying to find our way. But what if it isn’t about the destination but the journey to self-discovery?

Butterfly Emerges

Though we wander in this magical forest of literature, a landscape filled with possibilities, therein we might also find exactly what we need and never knew what we were looking for.

Violet blue butterfly, isolated on white

This is so true when I read this Tolkien quote!

Although written before my time, it still gives me so much peace. Even more, it encourages me to shine my light brightly!

Life is the adventure we make it to be. There is more to it than those tough times, the struggles and fears. Be it good or bad, we are individually responsible for achieving our happy-ever-afters.

I’m taking that leap of faith regardless of what else may be out there or coming my way.

Yes, here are vampires, dragons, and the supernatural.

Life continues to teach me this valuable lesson, as well as the characters who continue to come forth and allow me to create their tales.

I will forever strive to make the most out of this life, fluttering my butterfly wings, spreading magic along the way, and wander in continued joy and wonderment.

Yep, let’s make the most of it!

The Cusp of Change

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Do you feel it? We are on the cusp of change.

And I thought a lot about us.

No, this is not about to get creepy or stalkerish. I mean in the sense of the importance of community. As one of my readers, you are a vital part of all that I do.

This past weekend, I spent 3-days with a 30-hour meditation workshop. It was amazing, powerful, and life-changing. It also gave me so much peace of mind. I’ve been meditating daily, practicing yoga, and journaling. Yes, I’ve been working through all of my mental blocks to grow.

 Just when it comes to learning about the power of deep breathing to calm the mind has allowed me to respond differently to my everyday. So far, I’ve continued my daily yoga and meditation practices. Not because I have to, but because it helps me to feel better.

 The thing about life is that we are not meant just to survive. We are here to thrive. I know this sounds all woo-woo! Yet, because I write about magic, I like to think that we can indeed find it in our daily lives with the family, friends, and peers we choose to share our time and lives with. Certainly, no man is an island. In this global community, we are all connected. 

Mindfulness

The older I get, the more the existential question of the meaning of life hits. But through taking time, I’ve come to understand that life is about contribution and community. In writing down goals and analyzing them, I’ve found that storytelling is my cornerstone of happiness. My goal is always to provide escapism through the tropes of kick-butt heroines, who are defeating monsters tackling evil, peeling back layers to display our shared humanity. Nothing is ever easy, but it is through growth that characters overcome and prevail. No matter if they are young or midlife, life has a way of throwing us curveballs and opportunities to grow. I like to think that each story echoes a place in the ecosystem where you can find yourself and relate.

Community

And you are a part of that community.

This community we’ve built, to be honest, is one thing that helps me to get out of bed daily and to continue to create. The idea of these characters and my world may be from my imagination, but through sharing these gifts and things with you, they can continue to take shape and come to life.

So, thank you so much for joining me in this community we’re building, and we’re not done yet!

TINA GLASNECK is a USA TODAY and international bestselling author. She enjoys creating tales inspired by Norse mythology, mythological creatures, and kickass heroines. In 2021, she will be sending a catalog of her books to the moon with the Writers on the Moon Project.