Diversity in Fiction
HelloOoOo everybody!
We're talking about diversity. Cue the outrage! Whenever diversity in fiction is discussed, it brings out a bunch of people who seethe at the thought. “Why must I write about people who are different from me?” I mean, that's literally what writing fiction is all about. So, there's that.
This topic was requested by two of my patrons from over on Patreon: Jadyn and Caroline. Both Jadyn and Caroline wanted to know how to properly write an array of diverse characters, and more importantly, how to do so without being offensive.
Before we get started, I'm gonna point out the obvious here, and that's my whiteness. I am not, nor would I ever claim to be an expert on diversity. I'm still learning. I still make mistakes. My goal is simply to help other writers make fewer mistakes. We're in this together. That said, I'm going to address the most common questions and complaints I receive about diversity in fiction.
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Number 1: “What Exactly Constitutes Diversity?”
Diversity in fiction basically means your cast isn't strictly white, heterosexual, cisgender males with a couple of females thrown into the mix. You're including people of color, anyone on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, different genders or gender expressions, including non-binary. You're also including different body shapes, or people with mental or physical disabilities or illnesses. For the sake of brevity, I'll mostly be referencing people of color and homosexuality throughout this video, but please be two-thousand percent aware that diversity covers far more than that.
Number 2: “Why Is Diversity in Fiction So Important?”
The most obvious answer is realism. The real world is filled with a wide variety of people who look and behave differently from one another. There are rare situations where a cast of identical people can work, but nine times out of ten, if you want your story to be believable, you gotta include a mix.
The second and surprisingly controversial answer is representation. Everyone wants to see themselves represented in fiction, and for some reason, this really pisses people off.
“Why can't they just deal with it?”
They have been dealing with it forever. And if you don't notice the lack of diversity, it’s probably because you're already well represented or you're conditioned to it. Everyone in your audience wants their own character to relate to, and as a writer who cares about their audience, that's something to be excited about. That's not something to condemn.
Number 3: “How Do I Show the Character’s Race or Ethnicity to the Reader?”
The most obvious answer is via the physical description. Describe every character's hair color and texture, eye color, body type, and skin color at an absolute minimum. You gotta describe white people's skin color too, because white is not a default race. That said, if your story takes place in the real world, as opposed to a fantasy world, you can also state your character's ethnicity. Keep in mind, stating the ethnicity does not replace the physical description; it's just an additive.
Number 4: “How Do I Write in Diversity Without Being Offensive?”
The easiest way to do this is to write your characters as real human beings. Your character is more than just Korean. They are more than just bisexual. These are traits, not their identity. Build a full, realized person. Don't go with stereotypes, and don't shove the character into the background.
Additionally, and I think this goes without saying, don't use slurs to describe their physical appearance. If you're not sure if a descriptor is offensive, it probably is. And of course, allow people with first-hand experience to help you out through the writing process. You should always recruit diverse betas at an absolute minimum. Even the most well-intentioned person can unknowingly write something offensive. I've done it. Recruit betas of color, recruit betas with disabilities, and betas who are on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
Lastly, you can hire a sensitivity reader. This is a person who combs through your work, looking for anything culturally insensitive, any erasure, or any unintentional offense.
We're all human beings, we all make mistakes, even if we're trying our best to do the right thing. And that's why diverse beta readers and sensitivity readers are a real asset to the writing process.
Number 5: “What if Diversity Isn’t Historically Accurate to My Story?”
Are you sure it's not historically accurate? I see a lot of people using the historical inaccuracy argument, and most of the time, they're wrong. They didn't do any legitimate research regarding the racial groups or racial relations of the country or era they're writing about. They just relied on general assumptions, which are often incorrect, because erasure is a thing. So before you use this excuse, do the research. If Shakespeare can feature people of color, you probably can too.
Or The Alternative: “I don't write diverse fiction, but it's not my fault. I live in an all-white, straight town.”
First of all, your town might be white, but it is not straight. There are gay folks aplenty around you; they just don't feel comfortable letting you know. Second, what does the town you live in have to do with your book? Do you think your reader is going to read the story, see all the white people, and then think, “Oh, you know what? I bet this author lives in a white town.”
We all know you have a TV and an internet connection. Your worldview doesn't have to be limited by your immediate experiences. If you can write about magic and wizards, I'm sure you can write about human beings with a different sexual orientation than you.
Number 6: “But Jennaaa, when I add one Black person, I get accused of writing a token. What gives?”
You wrote a token, that's what gives. Here's the thing: if there are only two characters in your book, then it would make sense that just one of them is a person of color. But in most other situations, it doesn't. Typically, if you have a reasonably sized cast of white characters and then one person of color, people are just gonna assume you threw that character in there to meet your diversity quota.
Your audience wants realistic stories. They wanna be represented. They want to read about well-rounded, multi-dimensional characters. That's what you should care about.
Number 7: “What if My Character Is Gay? Am I Just Supposed To Announce It?”
Sexuality is like any other characteristic; you mention it when it's relevant. If it's not, you don’t. I have a few characters in TSC whose sexualities are never mentioned, because they just don't get that much page time. But I also have a bunch of characters whose sexualities are made very clear, because just like in the real world, romantic relationships are relevant a lot.
People talk about dating, they talk about love, they talk about sex. I talk about Cliff all the time. Are you telling me your character, Zack, is never going to bring up his boyfriend? What I'm saying is you can't Dumbledore your way out of this one. Your character shouldn't walk into a room and say, “Hello, how are you? Also, I am a homosexual.” But there are a bunch of seamless ways that could be brought up.
And I know some people say you should only add diversity if there's a reason for it, but people don't need a reason to have brown skin or to be attracted to the same sex. The reason is they were born that way. People are just people. They don't have to justify their existence.
Number 8: “But Jennaaa, It’s Just Not Believable To Include Six Gay People in a Book.”
I don't know if you know this, but people like to hang out with other people they have things in common with. Because of this, lots of gay people hang out with other gay people. So yeah, it's completely believable for there to be six gay people in your book, just like it's believable for there to be six Black people, or six people with disabilities. People connect with other people who get them.
“I'm so sick of everyone demanding diversity. Can't I just write the characters I want to write?”
I think the real question is, why do you only want to write about straight white people? Creative writers don't think about meeting a diversity quota in order to pacify the masses. They just create multi-dimensional characters; their skin color or sexual orientation is just one characteristic among many. So the fact that your mind exclusively goes toward straight, white, able-bodied, and mostly male is probably a sign that you need to work on your creativity and general awareness, which is totally doable.
Number 9: “But Jennaaa, Diversity of Mind Is More Important Than Trivial Stuff Like Skin Color.”
Yeah, no shit. But you know what affects the diversity of mind? The way we look, the way we love, and the way our body and mind work. And if you really think things like skin color, sexuality, and disability are trivial, then by your own logic, you should have no problem including them because they're just not a big deal.
And if my pointing this out is boiling your blood, keep in mind my word is not law. You are free to write whatever the hell you want. But is it rational to get upset just because someone is encouraging you to write about more than one kind of person?
Number 10: “Is It Okay for Me, a Straight White Writer, To Write About Characters of Color or Characters on the LGBT+ Spectrum?”
From my understanding, it works like this: readers want their own stories. If they're reading a book about the struggles of being a South Asian woman, they want it written by a South Asian woman. That doesn't mean you can't write about a South Asian character. It just means the book probably shouldn't revolve around her South Asian-ness.
Let me put it this way. If you wanna write a book about a lesbian princess on a quest to save her kingdom, that should probably be okay. If you wanna write a book about a lesbian coming to terms with her lesbianism, maybe save that tale for a lesbian author.
So that's all I've got for you today!
To the folks I offended because they don't want to write diversity, I'm sorry. Also, that's a lie, I don't give a shit. Diversity in fiction is pretty simple. Just create a cast of realistic, unique people, write them as layered individuals, and poof, ya done!
A huge thank you to Jadyn and Caroline for requesting this topic. If you'd like the chance to have a post dedicated to you, check me out on Patreon. I've got the link listed right here. With that said, don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I’ve always got giveaways, prizes, and bookish shenanigans going on. Join us!
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