Alya’s Reviews > Writing Diverse Characters For Fiction, TV or Film > Status Update

“Your character isn’t ‘bad’. Nor does your use of such a trope mean an automatic ‘fail’. Remember, tropes (STEREOTYPES) are tools. We’re not reinventing the wheel here and we have to start somewhere. That said, don’t repeat stuff we’ve seen a gazillion times before, either – at the very least, it’s stale and boring.”

Update: Nothing new to report. This author’s just writing gibberish at this point. She had said on her introduction it isn’t about capitalising on diversity and PROCEEDS TO JUST WRITE A BOOK ABOUT DOING IT ANYWAYS. I think she feels better about writing this, “even if I’m a typical white woman I do and can empathise with others ya know” PLEASE.

“There are target audiences, with others outside these considered ‘bonus’ audiences. Sometimes it makes sense to target the ‘usual’ audience. However, marginalised audiences are wildly underserved, so if you can find a story and target it accordingly, you may find a niche in the market and hit the bull’s eye.” —> I would literally BURN this book oh my GOD 🤬

I’m amazed. This is literal garbage. And usually even in garbage I have something to pick out but, wow. It’s that bad. These “writing tips” are so generic! Do not do this, do not do that. It’s NOTHING about trying to fix the fact the white writers have a NARROW GAZE and tend to HOMOGENISE the people in their books! This author’s a literal “look at me I’m being woke” but has understood NOTHING.

“Writers worry about diverse characters in case they upset someone. I always counsel them:
-You cannot please everyone, especially a certain community. You can only do your research and be as authentic as possible.
-Twitter is always angry about something, so it might as well be your work.
-You have to get published FIRST before worrying!”

—> what an atrociously blanketed “IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S THEM!”

“Writers shouldn’t have certain stories forced ON them. That rather a mockery of the whole idea of diversity! ALL writers should be free to write whatever they like.” — This is important. I half-agree but to add: writing diversity doesn’t have to feel like writing anti racism or social justice paper. No, the problem is that when white people write whatever the hell they want they make everyone look white!

This author self-promotes about her “fantastic” blog too much. It’s a slough to read. Also, what’s with this level of writing? It’s so superficial and dismissive — it is literally “here is the problem in three measly bullet points”. Intro sucks. It just boils down to “If there’s money to be made, someone will want what you can do – they don’t care HOW you’ve made it.” Um, red flag? 🙄

“That said, I also think there’s a happy medium to be had where creators can help with what I call ‘intentional inclusion’ – why not use one of the top four (black, women, gay, disabled) if you can? What can writers gain? Probably a lot, especially since audiences get behind unusual characters who feel authentic and fresh. Audiences seem bored of ‘the same-old, same-old’.” Yes but hmmmmmmmmmm

Maybe it’s just me but already the starting tone feels “off”. Like “hi, ya don’t want to get left behind in the writing industry by being a ignorant shut in? well, ya gotta learn to write about character’s that ain’t white or ya won’t stand out” which feels heavy in the “write diversity to earn money”. It’s as if they know weak diversity would get popular by “woke” people — oh, yes 🙄