Story Details
Categories Fantasy
I wondered whether this queen was the villain in her kingdom's story too. It seemed likely, but so what? Some villains really were black-hearted and not to be trusted, but others had to be like me— not without fault, but hopefully not beyond redemption.
Author Details
P.S.C. Willis is a queer British writer, currently living in Shanghai. They are a graduate of both Newcastle and Reading University in the UK. Writing fits in alongside a day job as a speech and language therapist and takes many forms. Firstly, as an avid text-based role-player since the age of fifteen, creating and sharing online adventures with friends, and now also as an active member of the Shanghai Writing Workshop. Their first published short story ‘I Take Credit for Saving the World’ appeared in the anthology ‘And Lately the Sun’ published by Calyx in 2020. Other current projects include polishing several short stories and looking for homes for them, and editing a YA novel. P likes to write stories that allow others to believe in good people, in magic, or both, and aims to make the world a better place through stories. Twitter: @psc_willis About the story: I’ve always been interested in stories that tell another side of what we think we know, for example adding dimensions and depths to fairytale characters, or listening to voices that have been ignored. The most popular Western fairytales also offer very limited options for women—namely being the villain or marrying the prince—so I wanted to write something that offered positive feminist values, as well as adding some more nuance to some familiar characters.
Skin Deep, by P.S.C. Willis
Author Details
P.S.C. Willis is a queer British writer, currently living in Shanghai. They are a graduate of both Newcastle and Reading University in the UK. Writing fits in alongside a day job as a speech and language therapist and takes many forms. Firstly, as an avid text-based role-player since the age of fifteen, creating and sharing online adventures with friends, and now also as an active member of the Shanghai Writing Workshop. Their first published short story ‘I Take Credit for Saving the World’ appeared in the anthology ‘And Lately the Sun’ published by Calyx in 2020. Other current projects include polishing several short stories and looking for homes for them, and editing a YA novel. P likes to write stories that allow others to believe in good people, in magic, or both, and aims to make the world a better place through stories. Twitter: @psc_willis About the story: I’ve always been interested in stories that tell another side of what we think we know, for example adding dimensions and depths to fairytale characters, or listening to voices that have been ignored. The most popular Western fairytales also offer very limited options for women—namely being the villain or marrying the prince—so I wanted to write something that offered positive feminist values, as well as adding some more nuance to some familiar characters.
