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Can you help?:
-Think about yourself.
Is there anything different
about you? Something someone
would think is worth writing about?
-Can you explain it easily
and well? If so, can
you think of how some-
one's life would be diff-
erent without your
trait & therefore be helpful
to give a writer the exact
info they need to write a
believable character, event,
or setting?
║-Think about yourself.
Is there anything different
about you? Something someone
would think is worth writing about?
-Can you explain it easily
and well? If so, can
you think of how some-
one's life would be diff-
erent without your
trait & therefore be helpful
to give a writer the exact
info they need to write a
believable character, event,
or setting?
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|||ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ!
Hello! So, for a long time, I've wanted to write diverse characters. It's a worthy goal, and there's a whole writing campaign/program based on it (We Need Diverse Books campaign). But the thing is, writing is about sounding natural. You want a unique, believable character who has an interesting narrating style. I've always wanted to write about people of different ethnicities, of different faiths; immigrants, bilinguals, those with disabilities. I want to write about other places too: people from different states, countries, even continents.
But what can I do? I've always lived in the same state and don't travel often, let alone flown to another country. I've always even lived in the same county, actually! And what about people? I can't up and change my skin color, my first language, or my birthplace.
As writers, we know a lot about research. Chances are, even for a modern day, slice-of-life YA project, you've spent a little time researching. But you can't exactly find a lot of information on the daily lives of, say, Canadians--or South Koreans--and where their lives differ from yours.
But what can I do? I've always lived in the same state and don't travel often, let alone flown to another country. I've always even lived in the same county, actually! And what about people? I can't up and change my skin color, my first language, or my birthplace.
As writers, we know a lot about research. Chances are, even for a modern day, slice-of-life YA project, you've spent a little time researching. But you can't exactly find a lot of information on the daily lives of, say, Canadians--or South Koreans--and where their lives differ from yours.
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Are you right for this?
You are potentially an
ambassador.
A map. A guide.
An encyclopedia.
Are you helpful? Are you
patient enough to say
the same things
2-3x, or to spend a long time
writing a master-post?
Do you care? Are you
passionate about bringing unique,
diverse characters to fiction?
Or, because you live there,
do you want to read a
French Dystopia, a Turkish
romance?
You are potentially an
ambassador.
A map. A guide.
An encyclopedia.
Are you helpful? Are you
patient enough to say
the same things
2-3x, or to spend a long time
writing a master-post?
Do you care? Are you
passionate about bringing unique,
diverse characters to fiction?
Or, because you live there,
do you want to read a
French Dystopia, a Turkish
romance?
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So, you're a fit, huh? What now?!
-Now, pinpoint your differences!
Can you explain them?
Are you an older sister of foster kids?
Can you explain the training you & your
parents had to take to be eligible?
Are you a competitive athlete with
medals? Can you tell of the sheer amount of
work & energy it takes to get up early
even when you can hardly move, stiff &
in pain?
Are you mixed? Can you share
about your racial identities,
which ones you identify more
or less of?
║-Now, pinpoint your differences!
Can you explain them?
Are you an older sister of foster kids?
Can you explain the training you & your
parents had to take to be eligible?
Are you a competitive athlete with
medals? Can you tell of the sheer amount of
work & energy it takes to get up early
even when you can hardly move, stiff &
in pain?
Are you mixed? Can you share
about your racial identities,
which ones you identify more
or less of?
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How often does a Canadian say 'eh'? I'm guessing it's a lot less than what TV shows us. Do Koreans really like kimchi enough for it to be their national food? (I've done a little non-writing-related research on South Korea, and apparently it's actually a yes for many ^^)
This stuff is not out there! The information I need is not easy to find. If I wanted to write a Jewish girl's perspective of Purim, I might find something on ancient Purim practices, not modern-day facts. Or, I might find a modern-day discussion of how an Jewish man celebrates Purim with his family--but if it's not a girl's opinion, I don't have everything I need. (I am using this as an example because Purim was just a couple days ago as of this post. I doubt it's thought of any differently depending on your gender.)
It's hard to sound realistic and natural without knowledge. And in some cases, it's hard to find it. Impossible, in most. So I decided, today is the day. I'm buckling down and making a writing resource thread for this. This is going to be hard work. But I know you can help, too. This is something even non-writers can help with! If you are interested, keep reading.
..........................................It's hard to sound realistic and natural without knowledge. And in some cases, it's hard to find it. Impossible, in most. So I decided, today is the day. I'm buckling down and making a writing resource thread for this. This is going to be hard work. But I know you can help, too. This is something even non-writers can help with! If you are interested, keep reading.
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Can you treat others w/ respect?
-If you can't answer right away, a
writer should be told when they can
expect the answer by.
-If the writer is rude to you in a PM,
respond kindly. But feel free to PM me
about the issue & I'll deal with it
somehow.
-Realize that questions may be asked in a
manner that may offend you,
especially if it's a religious, racial, or
LGBTQ+ question.
The questions aren't meant to be mean,
though--why would they A. willingly PM you,
& B., write about the negative thing
if they actually hated it?
-Stereotypes are widely-known.
Don't be snarky if someone believes them.
They are on your side! They're asking for your
story/ies to fairly represent you. They
sought you out. Stay calm!
║-If you can't answer right away, a
writer should be told when they can
expect the answer by.
-If the writer is rude to you in a PM,
respond kindly. But feel free to PM me
about the issue & I'll deal with it
somehow.
-Realize that questions may be asked in a
manner that may offend you,
especially if it's a religious, racial, or
LGBTQ+ question.
The questions aren't meant to be mean,
though--why would they A. willingly PM you,
& B., write about the negative thing
if they actually hated it?
-Stereotypes are widely-known.
Don't be snarky if someone believes them.
They are on your side! They're asking for your
story/ies to fairly represent you. They
sought you out. Stay calm!
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