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It’s no secret that the publishing industry is overwhelmingly white.
This lack of diversity can be seen in the books we read, the movie and TV shows we watch, and even in the way we talk about race and ethnicity.
No matter what your writing genre, if you plan to write about people – and how can you not? – then you need to know how to write realistic, believable, diverse characters. In an effort to better represent the world around them, many fiction authors are writing more diverse characters into their stories.
Creating authentic and compelling characters that have lived experiences that are different from yours takes work, though.
This can be a challenge, but it’s worth it to create well-rounded characters that reflect the diversity of our world.
But where do you start?
And how can you avoid common mistakes?
In order to write characters who represent a diverse spectrum of experiences, it’s important to have access to accurate and authentic resources.
As a middle-class, cis white woman, my life experiences are limited and I can’t speak to anyone else’s situation.
I am not going to try to tell you how to write characters from various other backgrounds.
Luckily, there are plenty of resources available to help writers craft nuanced, authentic characters representative of all walks of life.
Here is a list of some resources created by authors who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color.
These articles and blog posts offer advice on how you can develop real and believable characters who have different experiences than you do:
#5onFri: Five Steps to Creating Characters of Color by Andrea J. Johnson
@ajthenovelist https://diymfa.com/writing/5onfri-creating-characters-of-color
Tips for Developing Diverse Characters by INÊS ALVES
https://www.writeordietribe.com/writers-craft/tips-for-developing-diverse-characters
How to Write Diverse Characters (And, Also, Are you Qualified?) By Joiya Morrison-Efemini
https://www.goodstorycompany.com/blog/how-to-write-diverse-characters
These articles are on what not to do when you’re writing characters who are different from you:
White Authors Writing POC: Everything You Ever Wanted to Not Know
https://yourtitakate.com/white-authors-write-poc/
7 Casually Racist Things That White Authors Do
by Mya Nunnally
https://bookriot.com/casually-racist-things-that-white-authors-do/
What White Writers Should Know About Telling Black Stories
https://writerunboxed.com/2019/06/04/what-white-writers-should-know-about-telling-black-stories/
These two articles are on writing Black characters in specific genres—in this case, fanfiction and horror:
How to Write Fic for Black Characters: A Guide for Non-Black Fans
Afro Horror: How To Write Black Characters
https://blog.finaldraft.com/afro-horror-how-to-write-black-characters
The photos in this post are from CreateHERStock. The first + ONLY stock photo platform catering to Melanated women.
Two lists of podcasts about writing and reading:
Fiction Podcasts Created by POC: A curated podcast list
by annecbaird
https://www.podchaser.com/lists/fiction-podcasts-created-by-poc-107a4WZHfN
14 Literary Podcasts That Aren’t Hosted by Three White Guys
https://electricliterature.com/14-literary-podcasts-that-arent-hosted-by-three-white-guys/
These links are to websites that have directories of editors and beta readers that you can hire as sensitivity readers:
On these sites, you can find books by authors who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color:
Rich in Color reviews YA fiction by authors of color.
These are books that Goodreads readers have labeled as by POC authors.
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/poc-authors
The Nerds of Color site reviews comics and graphic novels, as well as movies, games, and other aspects of pop culture.
Colorful Book Reviews is dedicated to reviewing books, especially children’s books, by diverse authors.
These articles are lists of recommended books by Black authors:
75 Black Middle-Grade Books
https://readingmiddlegrade.com/black-middle-grade-books/
25 Best Books by Black Authors You’ll Want to Know About
Writing the Other has a massive amount of information and resources on its website:
They also regularly offer online classes in “how to craft characters from any background, no matter how different they are from you.”
If you are writing for film, television, or other media, the Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity has resources for you:
It’s not enough to rely on our own personal experiences—we need to do our research and use accurate, authentic resources to bring these characters to life.
By diversifying our writing, we can create stories that are more reflective of the real world, and ultimately make them more compelling for all readers.
With the wealth of resources available today, there’s no excuse for creating flat, stereotypical characters who don’t reflect the diversity of our world.
By taking the time to learn about your characters and their backgrounds, you can create rich, multi-dimensional people who will keep your readers engaged until the very end.
I hope that this list of resources has been helpful and that you will take the time to explore them further.
I really appreciate them taking the time and effort to help me in my writing journey.
With these resources at our disposal, we can all work towards creating a more inclusive literary landscape.
What are some other BIPOC-authored books or articles that you would recommend? Let me know in the comments!
I help authors, researchers, business people, students, and web marketers to polish their writing before they send it out into the world.
Fourth and last (for now!) in our series of book reviews featuring Kindle Unlimited books that explain ways to outline a novel. Let’s get ready for NaNoWriMo!
Third in our series of book reviews featuring Kindle Unlimited books that explain ways to outline a novel. Let’s get ready for NaNoWriMo!
Second in our series of book reviews featuring Kindle Unlimited books that explain ways to outline a novel. Let’s get ready for NaNoWriMo!
