By Dr. Tammy Bird
The best advice I ever received was: “Write to discover. Write to enter an imaginary world filled with diverse characters, a world that is ultimately fantastical AND familiar and believable to your readers—all of them.”
I offer that advice to you today along with five tips to get you started.
Tip One: Analyze what you know.
I am an 80s lesbian who was around when raids were a common occurrence and people backed into parking spaces to hide license plate numbers. Your own details will likely evoke different settings and characters. From them, you can begin to look for plot points that can be routed away from what you know and toward an engaging cast of diverse characters.
Tip two: Develop deep character sketches.
Ask each character about their worldview. Make notes about political stance, community involvement, family and work connections, and favorite social groups. Highlight areas where you will need to research to discover more about their worldview.
Tip three: Research. Read #OwnVoices work and autoethnographies.
If you are unfamiliar with either of these, pause and do a quick Google search. Join online groups. In Sandman, I have a teen with autism. He is central to uncovering a serial killer. I have a grandson with autism, so I have a tiny bit of knowledge. I found more knowledge in a Facebook group to which I was upfront with my purpose. They were inviting and I met amazing people who were open to my questions. I learned from a teen with autism who granted me an interview. His back-and-forth communication as my character developed, allowed me to write about autism with more authenticity.
Tip Four: Revise. Take what you are learning and weave it throughout your character’s backstory.
When you think you have characters who reflect the diversity of your little world, go back to those who have helped to inform your characterizations. Ask them if your character is accurate, informed, and authentic. Repeat this step as many times as necessary as you write your story.
Tip five: Use sensitivity readers.
When your story is complete, find readers who review unpublished manuscripts with the express purpose of spotting bias, stereotypes, cultural inaccuracies, representation issues, and problematic language. Make sure you choose someone who is fluent in the nuances of the culture you are writing about. Take their observations to heart and use what you learn to make your writing more genuine.
Filling your manuscripts with the diversity of society takes time and dedication to your craft. You will not always get it right—not even with the most thorough research. Still, with a true ethical dedication to your work, you will learn to portray diversity effectively. My final advice to you is this: Listen. Acknowledge mistakes. And keep trying to improve.
