Writerly Ways

[cornerofmadness]

So finally the one I've been meaning to write for weeks and even now it's very cursory. It's not a surprise to anyone who has been reading my blog for a while, I've been half paralyzed writing wise by the conundrum of everyone wants you to write diversely (and I agree) but then there's the whole cultural appropriation issue, leading to a catch-22.

This past few weeks has seen all the uproar about American Dirt (and more about that here). Which was followed by Barnes & Noble releasing classic literature with all the cover art being African characters for Black History month, not sure how anyone thought this was a good idea especially when all they needed to do was promote actual PoC characters and authors.

Amid all the ugly (and there was plenty, on both side) I saw some things that really made things a bit better for me from authors of color who wanted to help and maybe it's a bit better that I waited because some of the ugly was enough to stop me cold. The realization came that I wanted to have diverse characters but NOT to tell stories that weren't my stories to tell.

I can easily have cops/monster hunters/my normal types of characters who are something other than me with a bit of good research. On the other hand, telling any immigrant story other than Italian set in the beginning of the 20th century, is NOT my story to tell. I can't control the publishing world. I can't make it easier for PoC or LGBT authors to publish. I can certainly buy their books (and I do) to show that there IS interest in them.

What I want is to have diverse characters in a story that's very most likely not about any one ethnic/religious/sexual orientation because those aren't stories I've ever been interested in writing.

And to that end I have several good articles on better ways to do this.

How to Unlearn Everything When it comes to writing the “other,” what questions are we not asking?

There is No Secret to Writing About People Who Do Not Look Like You

Who Gets to Write What?

Writing Characters Who Aren’t Like You

Cultural Appropriation for the Worried Writer: some practical advice

When you’re exposed to seeing someone else’s journey, it can provide hope, cause empathy, and evoke thought and conversation, which leads to change

I think I'll save my other links on general writing for another day.

Comments

[terricrabbjones]

Great post. Similar to my own realizations, learning by listening (mostly via generous souls on Twitter and related links), and working on my book's characters and the greater world to eliminate troublesome parts and amplify the good. It is a process, and it should never end. There's always more to grok.

[cornerofmadness]

Definitely more to Grok. It also helps to realize someone is going to complain no matter what you do

[terricrabbjones]

True, but if you come from a position of having done your very best, with intent to do better, most people will be supportive.

The only truly bad authors are those who are called out for -isms and decide that's the hill they're dying on. It's not a good look.

[cornerofmadness]

I hate to say it, I'm not finding that to be true any more. There are a lot of people looking to be angry

[terricrabbjones]

At other people, or at you? I'm unpublished, though I was an art major and critique isn't new to me. Had an earlier draft looked at by a freelance editor, and he had some valuable things to say. *ahem*

Anger, well. There are people in cages for daring to come here. Anger's the least we deserve wholly aside from the history of mistreatment of anyone "different" from the ruling class, and I can tell you're aware of that, which is to your credit.

I'm basing my knowledge of this topic on the segment of romance & sf/f writers I follow on Twitter, many of whom are non-white and outspoken about their own history with racism and fictional representation. It's entirely possible that I've managed to curate myself into a "safe" zone of reasonable people as that is my favorite flavor of people, but I doubt any of them would let me get away with sending terrible representation out into the world if they could steer me down a less stupid path. But if/when this book ever sees publication, I expect criticism. There are many, many people who are defensive and super-critical. I'm going to have to rely on whoever edits to help me eliminate as much harmful content as we can find. I can only work on my stuff, and keep my eyes open, and learn as I go, and apologize when I get it wrong and promise to do better. But I'm not going to not write these great characters I invented, who are not all like me; that is not the world I see or prefer.

[cornerofmadness]

Actually not at me. Been watching Rebecca Roanhorse (Nebulla nominated so she's a very good author) get hit from all sides by people saying she's not Native enough to write this or not Black enough (She's biracial African/Native). I've seen others who flat out say if you're not XYZ you should not be writing XYZ.

It's not everyone of course but there are enough to make it very uncomfortable.

[terricrabbjones]

Ah, yeah. There is always that element of perfection-seeking when something about a work displeases them. They're frequently the same people who think half-this and half-that can write neither, or a Black person speaking perfect white-bread English is somehow not Black enough, or a Korean author has to write about All Things Korean, or the like. The abuse Rebecca's gotten is unjustified nastiness from what I understand. Doesn't make it any less terrible.

One strategy I've found helpful is to describe ALL characters by skin tone, and to avoid food terms for darker skin as well, on the advice of Black writers. From white people, that's Colonizer*-speak. (*Black Panther, such an awesome movie.)

Anyway, I hear you. I agree it's scary. I may never offer this novel to publishers...or I may try, knowing I'll catch hell from some people because that's always a risk. Not trying to be inclusive or diverse is also wrong and terrible and justifiably criticized.

[cornerofmadness]

I agree with you on a lot of this. I think a lot of it stems from a very narrow point of view that there is only ONE way to do/be something

Even in my own life, in school I befriended two young women, both African American, both from VERY rough neighborhoods (who were both accused to betraying their people for getting an education like they were) but both of their children have a VERY different upbringing in the upper middle class. Same family, different generation, completely different story and that's what a lot of people don't see

[terricrabbjones]

Exactly that.

Sadly, calling different "bad" (and related sentiments) merely because it isn't just like you is human.

[cornerofmadness]

Also very true and yet depressing.