What No One Tells Authors About Diversity...

Except their editors!

If you’re a writer, you face the ultimate challenge every time you create a character: how to represent that character’s experience. And when you’re writing a character whose lived experience is different from your own, the challenges are even more complex.

Many clients I work with want to represent diverse characters in their stories—especially to connect to those readers who too often do not see themselves depicted in media. But when you’re writing a character who does not share your race, ethnicity, cultural background, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or any other significant aspect of their life, will you know if you’ve said something insensitive?

Where are the lines between what you should not write about characters who are not like you and what’s okay?

I’ve had many clients over the years ask this question:

Why shouldn’t I write about characters who are not like me? I want to be part of the solution; isn’t representation good?

The short answer to this question is not a short answer. It would be impossible to write a thoughtful analysis of representation in a very short article. My goal for this piece is to share common missteps that writers (even well-meaning authors) make every day and to offer clear and concrete resources from experts on this topic so you can do the research, educate yourself, and make informed decisions about how you incorporate diversity into your creative work.

In writing this piece, I’ve pulled from issues I’ve seen in client work repeatedly over the years. Not just once. These examples do not refer to any single author or draft!

First, I want to acknowledge that the desire of most authors is not to hurt anyone, nor is the goal to reinforce harm in any way. But just because your hearts and goals are centered in your own best intentions does not mean that the representation you write on the page will be effective, authentic, and immune from causing harm.

Have you written or been tempted to write these characters?

• the flamboyant gay man

• the smart Asian

• the fiery Latina

• the (one-word adjective) (any race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation)

As an editor, I can explain in one word why none of these characters should never find their way into your work.

I’ll say it again louder for those in back:

Why? Isn’t representation a good thing? What if the super-smart Asian best friend is also funny and part of my main character’s close circle of friends/like sisters/found family?

I promise you this. It doesn’t matter how many sparkly decorations you put on that character, how lovable or desirable or amazing you think that character is. If your character is born from a stereotype, you’ve already committed harm.

Why? How? Aren’t stereotypes based in some truth?

No.

Stereotypes are not inside jokes or comfortable shortcuts. Stereotypes by definition are oversimplified images or ideas of a thing, person, culture, or community which rarely come from within that community. Stereotypes may be common, overly available in our society, and easy to find, but they are rarely fair or even realistic representations of a group that can be manipulated, marginalized, or otherwise excluded as a result of ignorant adoption of those oversimplified qualities.

Think about stereotypes this way. Just because you wouldn’t mind if it was said about you doesn’t mean that the same thing being said about someone else couldn’t damage their ability to get a job, to be perceived with respect, and to be treated equally in every setting.

Stereotypes by definition are oversimplified images or ideas of a thing, person, culture, or community which rarely comes from within that community.

On the flip side, an archetype is a type of character that draws on universal human traits. What you’ll never see on a list of archetypal characters? LIMITING information.

An archetype describes a broadly recognized category: the reluctant hero, the coming of age story, the dark night of the soul moment. See what’s missing in all of these? Any limiting information based on identifying information that leads to narrow or presumptive typecasting about race, gender, ethnicity, and so on.

Take this brief quiz to test your understanding and application of these ideas. What’s okay to write?

1. Lily, a Chinese character, who has almond-shaped eyes

2. Maria, the fiesty Puerto Rican roommate

3. Max, the vegan lesbian next door neighbor who wears Doc Martens and has a buzz cut

Are any of these “okay” to write?

NO. None of these are okay!!

The short answer is no, especially if you’re a white author. Why?

1. How many times have you heard the term “almond-shaped eyes”? This is so common it’s easy to be lured into believing this an acceptable way to describe someone’s eyes. But ask yourself this. Is this a factual description (like blue, black, or brown) or is this an adjective that could be subject to connotation and intention? Is this, in short, an easy, overused stereotype? The answer is yes. Color and size are facts. Big blue eyes. Small brown eyes. Deep-set hazel eyes. Does anything about these descriptions imply a race/racial stereotypes? No. That’s why they are okay to use. Almond-shaped eyes is a stereotype that reduces any person of Asian descent to a single “identifying” quality. (And this doesn’t even consider the fact that Asian doesn’t mean one thing! This is in itself another word that lumps together people and defines them by the most restrictive terms.) How many white characters have you written with any description of their eyes other than simply the color and size? Probably none, which means the impulse to do with a character of color may be rooted in a stereotype that is better avoided.

2. Same reason! Would you ever write about a roommate who is white in the same way? Even if the answer is yes, ask yourself if there are any (ANY!!) stereotypes reinforced by what you’re writing. If yes, STOP, rethink, and revise.

3. I love Doc Martens as much as the next queer person, but this, even if it seems “harmless,” is yet another stereotype.

If you’re a writer who wants to represent diverse characters and life experiences in your work, ask yourself the following questions:

• Why am I committed to this character? If I’m invested enough to write them, am I willing to do the work to ensure I write the character in a way that cannot possibly reinforce any harmful or insensitive stereotypes?

• What resources will I use to ensure that I don’t rely on stereotypes? Resources like publicly available tools like the Writing With Color blog and paid sensitivity readers will make all the difference. I highly recommend Tessera Editorial for all editorial services, but especially sensitivity reads.

Writing characters with experiences backgrounds, and identities that differ from yours can be done effectively and thoughtfully. But to do so requires work, information, and investigation. Are you relying on ANY stereotypes? Even if your beta readers and friends think what you’re doing is funny/realistic/honest, if you’re not writing from the experience you’re writing about, please:

• Check your motivations

• Check your word choices

• Check your privilege

Can you really do good if you reinforce harm? Intentions do not matter. Your sincere desire to contribute and not divide does not matter. At the end of the page, what matters is the words you use and how they impact the people who they actually describe.