Recently, we’ve been seeing the writing community discuss the anxieties pertaining to writing minority characters. A lot of authors and writers tread these waters lightly. At the end of the day, when one person writes a race that isn’t their own, it can easily be turned against them. We want to remind that: it is possible to write another race. You shouldn’t feel discouraged!
Don’t ever forget: people are diverse. Not only in skin color but in personal experience. Not one experience will ever be the same. Your character’s bio should have the “deep and complex” experience which helps them grow throughout the duration of the plot. This can easily be influenced by location, demographic, how their family dynamic is built…all those details. Every writer knows this but here’s a friendly reminder…do your research.
One of the biggest concerns is encouraging stereotypes. For anyone, stereotypes in books alter the reality of how we see other races. Take the jokes and heavily controversial bits that you’ve heard out of your writing. Instead, apply the research you’ve done to your racially-diverse characters.
Keep in mind: you’re not going to please everyone. People will not like your character because it doesn’t reflect their exact life experience. People won’t like the textbook relation of your character to the audience. Your character is your character; they’re an extension of you and your work. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.
Writing is already tough as it is, but the thought of character development or simple character creation makes it all the more harder. What happens if you, the writer, want to create and develop a main character who is of the opposite sex or gender?
As humans raised in a society where the social construct revolves around binary gender identification (so, male or female), we tend to think we have the other side figured out. Writing the opposite gender can bump the difficulty of your novel-writing up to 100. Personally, I applaud trans or androgynous characters because although I said our society currently revolves around binary gender IDing, the world is slowly changing and becoming more accepting of such. Why do we have to choose to be one gender, Social Construct? HUH?
Instead of going on about gender identity for a whole blog post, I’m here to try and help you writers out there understand the gender identity of your characters and how to portray them properly without offending anyone. I’m only focusing on men writing female characters and women writing male characters today!
Dudes writing dudettes?Always remember, if diving into the female POV, make sure she has a personality. Girls are people, too. People who have personalities as well experiences which shape them into who they are.
Beyond her INSANElyaverage looks is a deeply complex and developed being, she’s starts to become a person. Not that cardboard cut-out character who is tasteless and has no real meaning to the story.
A few key points about writing a girl:
Girls are empathetic, which is what heightens their emotions.
A girl usually wants to know that someone cares for her, which is why she wants to hang out with her SO all of the time or it seems like she’s always with her friends.
Looking into things is a girl’s MO. Girls do ask each other what they should wear to go out on a date, or what to say to someone.
For a bit more detail into those things I mentioned and a bit more, see this blog. The author of this blog really describes the nitty gritty details of the points she finds most noticeable in a female character, particularly in their POV.
Moving on!Dudettes who are writing their hunk of burning love…remember, he’s not real. He can’t be Mr. Perfect. If dudes can’t write women up to be super warriors with gigantic breasts and long legs, there should be no reason to write up a six pack with bulging muscles. Not every guy is tall, dark, and handsome.
Name that movie!
Following the same rule earlier, give this guy his own unique personality. After that, you can add some good looking qualities, then the flaws. Make sure the guy is as realistic as possible because if you’re trying to reel in male readers…you’re not going to get it by stabbing his ego (just like a guy could do to a female reader’s self-confidence).
Want some key points here, too?
Feelings. Women tend to think men don’t have them but they’re most certainly wrong. Men have feelings. They’re just bottled up, until they’re ready to blow.
Want to evoke raw emotion? Mess with his brain.
If you’re main character is talking to his friends or his love interest, make sure he’s blunt and to the point. He’s not beating around the bush. He wants what he wants, so he’s going to get it.
That same blog from earlier also did a peek into how to write a guy’s POV, featuring a friend. It’s pretty interesting and worth the read!
It’s Memoir Monday – a self-proclaimed hashtag that isn’t a hashtag, to be honest. In the last two years, I decided to open my mind to memoirs, biographies, and other books by celebrities. To think that they already make a lot of money by appearing in our favorite movies and TV shows, now they write books to bring in more of an income! I wanted to see how much of their lives they actually want to share with their readers.
Now, I haven’t made a dent in the collection of celebrity novels. I’ve only come across three that peaked my interest: The Girl With the Lower BackTattoo by Amy Schumer, The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fischer (RIP to that beautiful woman), and Yes Please! by Amy Poehler.
Now the reason why you’re looking at Amy Poehler’s face here is because I have this undying love for her but heard mixed reviews on her book. I’m a sucker for needing to know every detail about a person’s life as well as every detail about their book (i.e. who published it, where was it produced, what is the ISBN number). This one definitely threw me for a look when I saw it didn’t have a genre.
Originally, I found this beautifully crafted book (if you own it or have at least picked it up in your hands, you know what I mean) in the “Humor” section of Barnes and Noble and I was pretty confused because I read that it was a recollection and reflection on Poehler’s life…I understand she’s a funny woman but was the joke on me for looking in the “Biography” section?
I’m a little over halfway done with it and I’m all over the place, but still enjoying, the life of Amy Poehler – both past and present. She’s made me reflect on my own choices in life without actually sitting down and telling me to do so, or maybe there was a chapter in the book that told me to do that…WHO KNOWS! Ultimately, I do enjoy it as a read where I can pick it up even after I finish to revisit some pick-me-up chapters. It’s also really interesting to know the backstory and introduction of comedy changed Poehler’s path (spoiler alert, ha!)
I do want to ask though, has anyone ever picked up a book and had been previously misled to think the book was something else than what it actually was? If so, sound off in the comments, because I need a bit of forewarning before I buy others!
P.S. I have heard the audiobook to this is much better than reading the actual book but I like physical books so do what you will with this information, hehe!
