Dean Robert Holmes on Creativity, Identity, and Queer Romance

Season 5, Episode 712:  What happens when creativity becomes both escape and healing? Dean Robert Holmes, a transmasculine author from St. Paul, Minnesota, uses writing to manage schizoaffective disorder and explore identity through fiction. Since 2020, he's written over 350 fanfics and 2.5 million words (that's equivalent to five copies of Stephen King's "It") before publishing his collection "Unlocked: Seven Titillating Tales of Gay Trans Love and Lust." Dean identifies as aegosexual, experiencing attraction only through third-person perspectives, and thrives in a relationship with his fiancée May through roleplay where he never portrays himself. In this conversation, Dean dives into his writing processes as a pantser who daydreams his way through stories. They discuss maladaptive daydreaming as a coping mechanism, the challenges of balancing creativity with social media, and how indie publishing has shattered traditional word count constraints (finally!). Both Dean and Ruan share experiences of losing mothers to suicide, which fuels an urgency in their writing careers. Dean's upcoming May release, "Treading Water," features a gender-fluid bi man and a plus-size woman with chronic pain navigating romance amid poverty and trauma. The book tackles serious themes while celebrating connection and joy, representation that's desperately needed in romance literature. Tune in to hear Dean read an excerpt from "Treading Water", his upcoming novel, and learn how writing serves as healing for both author and reader. Excerpt triggers: poverty, homelessness, explicit scene and language, chronic pain, body image issues, panic attacks, and mention of religion. Author Bio: Dean Robert Holmes (he/him) is an aegosexual, transmasculine author and artist who uses creativity to manage schizoaffective disorder. Like many alphabet porn purveyors, he got his start in the wonderful world of fan fiction. Through his saucy stories, he often explores psychological themes and the power of queer love. As someone who is autistic, fat, and disabled, he makes a point to represent those communities and possesses a strong belief in the healing potential of kink. After writing over 350 fan fics, including almost 200 requests and a feature on the celebrated podcast Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend, he recently self-published his first collection of short stories, "Unlocked: Seven Titillating Tales of Gay Trans Love and Lust," which is available at four bookstores throughout the Midwest. His debut novel, "Treading Water" will be released soon. Currently, he lives on stolen Dakota/Anishinaabe land, also known as St. Paul, MN, and enjoys spending time with his lovely partner, Mae.   https://deanrobertholmes.com/ https://www.instagram.com/fandomtransmandom/   Dean Robert Holmes's Book: Unlocked: Seven Titillating Tales of Gay Trans Love and Lust (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/3LKtFxZ   Ruan's Links, Newsletter Signup, Affiliate links and Deals:  PodNation Podcast Affiliate link, Get 15% OFF with code podna15 on Ryze Coffee at https://www.ryzesuperfoods.com/ Support the show and get exclusive content Sign up for Ruan's Newsletters https://subscribepage.io/ruanwillow All Ruan's links and books: https://linktr.ee/RuanWillow Affiliate link, collect your body's health and sexual health info with a wearable device for men from Firm Tech 15% OFF with code ruan15 https://myfirmtech.com/ruanwillow