T.D. Woods
@tdwoodsauthor.bsky.social
Author of fantasy stories with gay and bi characters. From adventure to erotic to happy romance. I also love to write about the 80's and 90's. I was a teenager/young adult then, and many of my stories are based on experiences from those days!
Oh for sure! I've had male characters originally designed as straight fall for each other as the story develops. It can make for some fun (and funny!) scenes, I've found.
December 19, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Oh for sure! I've had male characters originally designed as straight fall for each other as the story develops. It can make for some fun (and funny!) scenes, I've found.
Like, my novel, that I've put a million hours into, and adore the characters like family...no way. But the characters for a short story I've spent an hour on? Perhaps.
December 11, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Like, my novel, that I've put a million hours into, and adore the characters like family...no way. But the characters for a short story I've spent an hour on? Perhaps.
This is an interesting thread. My gut tells me I'd never alter my character to fit the plot or a particular scene, but I'm a new enough writer that I don't know for sure. I think it might also depend on the story.
December 11, 2025 at 5:38 PM
This is an interesting thread. My gut tells me I'd never alter my character to fit the plot or a particular scene, but I'm a new enough writer that I don't know for sure. I think it might also depend on the story.
That's a good idea! Maybe I'll keep it around. 😊
December 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM
That's a good idea! Maybe I'll keep it around. 😊
I think the build up is more fun to write. Sometimes I don't even have the act itself in my story, or it will be more fade to black. I'm more about exploring the characters and their feelings regarding sex, and describing the act itself can sometimes feel cheap. I guess it depends on the situation.
December 10, 2025 at 7:31 PM
I think the build up is more fun to write. Sometimes I don't even have the act itself in my story, or it will be more fade to black. I'm more about exploring the characters and their feelings regarding sex, and describing the act itself can sometimes feel cheap. I guess it depends on the situation.
I totally get that! I tend to do fade to black or implied when it comes to sex between characters, or I'll have the act itself be a pretty brief description. It's got to add something! I wrote a sex scene last night for a story I otherwise enjoy, and was like, nope, that's going in the trash. 😆
December 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
I totally get that! I tend to do fade to black or implied when it comes to sex between characters, or I'll have the act itself be a pretty brief description. It's got to add something! I wrote a sex scene last night for a story I otherwise enjoy, and was like, nope, that's going in the trash. 😆
You bet! 😊 And no, I wish I was that far along. Soon-ish, hopefully. 😆
November 18, 2025 at 12:21 AM
You bet! 😊 And no, I wish I was that far along. Soon-ish, hopefully. 😆
Btw, I just bought New Trails. Looking forward to reading it, sounds very interesting!
November 18, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Btw, I just bought New Trails. Looking forward to reading it, sounds very interesting!
Great, thank you! She is quite good.
November 18, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Great, thank you! She is quite good.
I will check them out, thank you! So far I've been looking at Reedsy and PublishDrive.
By the way, who did your cover art? Those covers are spectacular!
By the way, who did your cover art? Those covers are spectacular!
November 17, 2025 at 11:27 PM
I will check them out, thank you! So far I've been looking at Reedsy and PublishDrive.
By the way, who did your cover art? Those covers are spectacular!
By the way, who did your cover art? Those covers are spectacular!
A major subplot in my own life has been supposedly super straight guys who, after many years of knowing them, turn out to be gay or bi. So I tend to watch carefully for those signs now, maybe even read too much into it sometimes. Guess I never did that with my fantasy stories though. 😄
November 17, 2025 at 10:54 PM
A major subplot in my own life has been supposedly super straight guys who, after many years of knowing them, turn out to be gay or bi. So I tend to watch carefully for those signs now, maybe even read too much into it sometimes. Guess I never did that with my fantasy stories though. 😄
That's right! Brings back a lot of memories, I haven't read Goodkind in probably 30 years.
And that's funny about the Dragonlance characters 😆. I guess I never thought of them that way. Kitiara to me is the one when I think about it who desperately needed a bi subplot. 🤣
And that's funny about the Dragonlance characters 😆. I guess I never thought of them that way. Kitiara to me is the one when I think about it who desperately needed a bi subplot. 🤣
November 17, 2025 at 10:52 PM
That's right! Brings back a lot of memories, I haven't read Goodkind in probably 30 years.
And that's funny about the Dragonlance characters 😆. I guess I never thought of them that way. Kitiara to me is the one when I think about it who desperately needed a bi subplot. 🤣
And that's funny about the Dragonlance characters 😆. I guess I never thought of them that way. Kitiara to me is the one when I think about it who desperately needed a bi subplot. 🤣
Thank you! I don't yet, but soon. 😊 One short story that's been accepted and will be published in January, and my novel, which I recently finished, and will probably self-publish early next year.
I will have to check out your stories as well! This is exactly what I was hoping for with Bluesky!
I will have to check out your stories as well! This is exactly what I was hoping for with Bluesky!
November 17, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Thank you! I don't yet, but soon. 😊 One short story that's been accepted and will be published in January, and my novel, which I recently finished, and will probably self-publish early next year.
I will have to check out your stories as well! This is exactly what I was hoping for with Bluesky!
I will have to check out your stories as well! This is exactly what I was hoping for with Bluesky!
How impactful would that have been for Richard Rahl, or Belgarion, or Tanis Half Elf, or Drizzt, or Legolas...one of those main characters to be gay? It would have been huge for me! Unfortunately that never happened, to put it mildly. 😑
November 17, 2025 at 9:14 PM
How impactful would that have been for Richard Rahl, or Belgarion, or Tanis Half Elf, or Drizzt, or Legolas...one of those main characters to be gay? It would have been huge for me! Unfortunately that never happened, to put it mildly. 😑
Same! What a revelation that was. I never read Lackey, but I did read the Sword of Truth series. I forgot they had a few background characters like that...maybe a couple of Mord Sith, if I remember right? At any rate, it wasn't enough to make a major impression or statement to me.
November 17, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Same! What a revelation that was. I never read Lackey, but I did read the Sword of Truth series. I forgot they had a few background characters like that...maybe a couple of Mord Sith, if I remember right? At any rate, it wasn't enough to make a major impression or statement to me.
I can't imagine how life-changing that could have been, for 12 year old me to read a fantasy story with a gay character. I feel like I would have figured out 20 years earlier that it's okay to live like that! So it's definitely personal for me, as well as fun...I'm on a mission! 😊
November 17, 2025 at 8:24 PM
I can't imagine how life-changing that could have been, for 12 year old me to read a fantasy story with a gay character. I feel like I would have figured out 20 years earlier that it's okay to live like that! So it's definitely personal for me, as well as fun...I'm on a mission! 😊
Thank you! I have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder as well...all those great fantasy stories, and zero gay or bi characters? Sheesh! So that's my goal, to help make up for that...create fantasy stories like those I grew up loving, with great characters--some of whom happen to be gay or bi!
November 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Thank you! I have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder as well...all those great fantasy stories, and zero gay or bi characters? Sheesh! So that's my goal, to help make up for that...create fantasy stories like those I grew up loving, with great characters--some of whom happen to be gay or bi!
But anyway, that's me! I'm looking forward to meeting other LGBTQ authors, and fans of fantasy. Perhaps those who had experiences like I did growing up. I love the Bluesky artistic community, and feel this is the perfect place for my author page! 🙂
November 17, 2025 at 4:13 PM
But anyway, that's me! I'm looking forward to meeting other LGBTQ authors, and fans of fantasy. Perhaps those who had experiences like I did growing up. I love the Bluesky artistic community, and feel this is the perfect place for my author page! 🙂
I also love to write about the 80's and 90's...the era I grew up in. It was a great time to be alive...crazy hair, crazy clothes, amazing music. But it was not a great time to be a gay teen (at least where I lived). So I write a lot about closeted gay teens and young adults from that time period.
November 17, 2025 at 4:11 PM
I also love to write about the 80's and 90's...the era I grew up in. It was a great time to be alive...crazy hair, crazy clothes, amazing music. But it was not a great time to be a gay teen (at least where I lived). So I write a lot about closeted gay teens and young adults from that time period.
I know they exist, and have finally (thankfully) come across a few in recent years, after searching for them specifically. But anyway, that's what I've aimed to write about...fantasy stories with all of the elements I love (dragons, elves, etc.) with gay or bi main characters.
November 17, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I know they exist, and have finally (thankfully) come across a few in recent years, after searching for them specifically. But anyway, that's what I've aimed to write about...fantasy stories with all of the elements I love (dragons, elves, etc.) with gay or bi main characters.
I love to read fantasy myself, from YA fantasy like Harry Potter and Eragon, to adult fantasy in worlds such as Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms. But it was always remarkable to me how, after many many books read in those worlds, there were never any gay or bi characters.
November 17, 2025 at 4:05 PM
I love to read fantasy myself, from YA fantasy like Harry Potter and Eragon, to adult fantasy in worlds such as Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms. But it was always remarkable to me how, after many many books read in those worlds, there were never any gay or bi characters.
I grew up in a time and place where you flat out could not be openly gay or bi. Or at least that's how it felt. So much of my writing relates to that experience...trying to figure out your sexuality as a teen or young adult, in a world that doesn't accept you.
November 17, 2025 at 4:03 PM
I grew up in a time and place where you flat out could not be openly gay or bi. Or at least that's how it felt. So much of my writing relates to that experience...trying to figure out your sexuality as a teen or young adult, in a world that doesn't accept you.