The Life of A Trans Sci-Fi Writer

Being trans is a funny old thing. In some ways it’s so joyous; I can recognise myself in the mirror now in a way that I never could before I came out, I can embrace sides of my personality that I’d kept hidden previously, and I feel more comfortable in my body than I ever have. The problem is, as trans writer Shon Faye once pointed out, that coming out as trans solves a lot of problems, but it creates a whole lot of new ones too. The problem that’s most relevant to my writing career (ha ha, what career?!) is that of burnout; I was 38 by the time I came out, and at that point, I’d been denying to myself and hiding from others that I was trans for many many years. If you’ve never had to do this yourself, you’ll never know how tiring it is. So, I came out, and while I felt more whole, I was deeply and existentially tired. I didn’t feel so bad when I’d finished putting myself together in the mornings, i.e. I’d shaved my face and legs, and put my hair, clothes, and makeup on, but getting to