I’m a writer. Obviously. I’m known to many as Ivy, to many more as swankivy, and to a few as names I won’t repeat here.
I mostly write novels. I also write short stories, poetry, rants, nonfiction, essays, webcomics, articles, and silliness. Several of my articles and short stories are published in various magazines. My nonfiction book on asexuality, The Invisible Orientation, is represented by an agent and it was published by Skyhorse Publishing/Carrel Books in September 2014. My novels are a bit in limbo–I signed a trilogy with an agent, but she hit some health problems and then circumstances became mysterious, so I’m looking at offering my next project to another agent next time I have one that’s ready. Some of my short stories are still looking for homes. I’m always doing something new.
I’m forty-six years old, not interested in dating or marriage, and not planning to have children. I’m an aromantic asexual woman, a vegetarian, a natural blonde, an eldest daughter, a soprano, a good speller, an editor, and a creativity junkie. I’m 4’11” tall; I type well over 100 words per minute; I live in Florida, USA; I don’t know how to drive; I have Russian, Hungarian, German, and French heritage; half of my family is from Jewish roots and the other half is from Catholic roots; I live alone in a two-bedroom apartment; and I graduated from the University of Florida in 2000 with a Bachelor’s in elementary education, half a degree’s worth of experience majoring in music (instrument: voice), and a psychology minor.
My non-writing-related interests include drawing, singing, playing Dance Dance Revolution, gardening, reading, writing book reviews, playing with websites, literary criticism, asexuality awareness activism, tennis, making YouTube videos, baking, riding my bicycle, talking to friends, arts and crafts, science fiction and fantasy, manga and anime, playing with babies, fairy tales and mythology, unusual music, animal rights, musicals and stage shows, ping-pong, outer space, karaoke, journaling, feminism, dreams, candles, cartoons, fat activism, solitude, webcomics, personality analysis, imagination, queer rights, environmentalism, Halloween, humor, inspiration, long hair, copic markers, nature, nostalgia and documentation, and discussion of paganism and atheism.
Contact me: ivy@swankivy.com
Links to my other content:
- My author website
- My author blog
- My personal website
- My “for fun” writing website
- My other webcomic
- My singing
- My drawing
- My photos
- My recipes
- My favorite everything
Links to my accounts (as swankivy):
Links to my author accounts:
I love you so much! (In a totally asexual way, of course ;D). My husband just sent me one of your comics, and then the link to your blog. Don’t even know where he found you, but your comics are amazing. So true and so funny.
Is there a way to subscribe? I don’t want to miss any of your comics!
Thanks so much. I think the only built-in way to “subscribe” to this is the followable rss feed, so I tried adding a “subscribe by e-mail” button and you can try using it. (Hopefully it’ll work; it’s on the sidebar now.) Or if you have a blog you can add it to your blogroll. I do generally tweet my new comics too if you do Twitter. I only post about once a month these days because of all the other stuff I’ve got crowding up my schedule.
I’m so happy you find the comics true and funny. I was really hoping when I decided to start it that other writers would relate.
Just subscribed–seemed to work. Thanks! So relate-able. I’m convinced this blog will be the “next big thing” like hyperbole-and-a-half, only for writers only.
You’ll most likely be featured on my (relatively new) writing blog coming up, so, you know, you’ll probably get at least three clicks from my readership of 12. Woot!
Thanks again. I can’t say enough how much I love these comics.
Well thank you! I’ve got a writing blog where I ramble about writing stuff too, so if you like my perspectives you can always check me out there too. I am REALLY excited about connecting with other writers whenever somebody pops up who seems really serious about it and has stuff to say! Feel free to follow my Blogspot blog for my rambly writer stuff or my attempting-to-be-more-dignified “official” site at JulieSondraDecker.com.
Once you start the blogoh wait, you’ve already started it, right? (sorry, was confused by the “coming up” wording)–I’d be glad to add you to my list so we can keep up with each other! I post writing perspectives, rambles, and occasionally act really insecure or silly.Thanks! Yup, ambiguous wording. Sorry about that.
I just started the writer blog a couple weeks ago. I have other blogs: http://curiositycat.wordpress.com (on homesteading and homeschooling, active since 2007 or so, only a small following of about 50 or so), http://www.heatherhead.com (a round-up of pretty much everything, not much of a following, just where I go to keep everything together), and http://contemplativecat.me (contemplative essays, a spin-off of curiositycat and not very active). Because you can never have too many blogs, right?
I also write for clients, and you can find links to a bunch (but certainly not all) of that from heatherhead.com.
I’ve followed you on twitter, and… well, look at that. You added me to your blogroll. Thank you. 😀
P.S. I’m @curiositycatme on twitter.
P.P.S. I love your perspectives. So interesting. To be honest, I had never heard of asexuality as an orientation. I had heard of asexual relationships, and I’m a whole-hearted (though only semi-active) LGBT supporter (hetero myself, lots of LGBT friends), so I’m surprised it had never crossed my mind that this also would be a legitimate orientation. I mentioned it to my husband and his response was, “Well, that would sure simplify things a lot,” lol. I think he’s kind of jealous. :p (Even though we both know being of atypical orientation is anything but simple given current societal conditions.)
I look forward to keeping up with your activities. You are prolific!! Do you do FB? I’m /CuriosityCat. Would love to see you there too. Oh, and I JUST joined Absolute Write–waiting for moderation to activate my account. I see you’re over there too, so I’ll look you up.
Thanks again for the good reads!
Man, I’m just going to have to e-mail you so we don’t have to keep having a great getting-to-know-you conversation in front of everyone who might read this. 😀 You’ll hear from me soon!
Sounds good to me, lol. Feel free to take down any of this you want to–won’t hurt my feelings. 🙂
I actually would have already emailed you, but couldn’t figure out how to do it. My son, who is 12, would have found your email in about twenty seconds, but not me. I’m pre-digital-age vintage.
Looking forward to your email. 🙂
I didn’t realize I didn’t have an e-mail address up on this particular site, so I added it. An e-mail is posted on all my other sites but I guess I never added one to this one, so I’ve amended that oversight. 🙂
Hi SwankIvy,
It’s MissLEmons from Deviantart. I had just stumbled upon your blog. I can’t believe we have the same background theme.
I’m so glad I found your website! I’m an asexual writer too, so I feel like I just found a kindred spirit! Thanks for posting up all of this advice! 😀
This is so cool to hear! I hope you enjoy the comics I share in the future too! Actually the next one I post is going to have a reference to being an asexual writer, so maybe you’ll relate!