Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Co-hosts for the August 2nd are
Question: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?
I'm actually in the process of writing something I've been conflicted about. I'm a Navy brat and I've lived or visited many different country, especially in Asia. Some of my best friends and college roommates were from different cultures or races from mine. On military bases, people were assigned housing by whoever was next on the list.
So, growing up, it was normal for me to be surrounded by diversity even when diversity might not have been the norm in many places in the US. And still isn't. Since my world has been diverse, my books are full of diverse characters. And the only comments I've received from readers about it has been positive.
I've had plans for a particular book for years. I even set up some expectations for this couple in the previous book in the series.
The only thing that has given me pause has been the rather adamant statement of some groups that author should not write about races or cultures that aren't their own. And this would be the first book to have two love interests who aren't at least part white.
But, following that train of thought, I should never write from a male's point of view.
I posed the question to my editor, and she said I should continue to write the story because there's not enough diversity in books. I love these two characters and want to do them right. So, I'm pressing on.
Have you ever felt conflicted?
Write it anyway!
ReplyDeleteAs a military brat, I was also usually surrounded by diversity.
Right?
DeleteAs a translator I am sometimes conflicted with what I am translating, meaning sometimes I do not agree with the writer's view on things and message, but I do not get to choose what I will translate, so it ends on that.
ReplyDeleteThat could sometimes be a real challenge! But then, I imagine sometime that author doesn't agree with the message either.
DeleteI've heard that said too about writing about diverse characters. But if your editor is okay with it, you're probably okay writing the way you want to.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand if you play on cheap stereotypes or are inaccurate in history and such.
DeleteI think it's fine to write different sexes and different races than your own. What I wouldn't write would be a story based on the struggles of being anyone other than what I am. Does that make sense? I could write a story with a male character, but I couldn't write a story about all the difficulties a man faces. That struggle can't be my main focus because I don't really know what it's like to be anyone other than me.
ReplyDeleteRight!
DeleteElizabeth said it well. Writing diverse characters is fine as long as the narrative isn't about struggles people from that culture (etc.) face that only they should be writing about. Certainly, the people we run into on a daily basis are not all the same race/gender/whathaveyou, and therefore our writing worlds should be as rich as our real worlds. If in doubt, a sensitivity reader is always a good idea.
ReplyDeleteExactly!
DeleteI believe this is my first time here. I'll try to follow you on social media.
ReplyDeleteThey are right, Donna. I can't see why writers can't have diverse characters in their stories so long as the writer doesn't try to "live" [in a fiction sense] another ethnicity's problems. I think that's where editors and publishers are saying we can't write about races or cultures that aren't our own. We're talking lived experiences here.
All the luck with your work-in-progress. Victoria Marie Lees https://www.victoriamarielees.com/
Well said! Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteIt's so irritating that blogger doesn't send notifications about comments anymore!
ReplyDeleteI'm biracial. I would love to see everybody represented in the books I read.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad was black, my Mom is white (half Polish), my husband is black, my four siblings are mixed like me, my three half siblings are black (different Mom).
One half-sister's daughter is mixed black and white, one brother's kids are black, the other brother's wife is from China, so that niece is half Chinese. One nephew's wife is Philipino, the other nephew's wife is black, as is he and their daughter.
My husband and I don't have children and we're in our 60s now, so I'll have to wait for more nieces and nephews to marry to see if we get even more diversity in our family, but frankly, we love us.
Please write from your heart. You're good at it. I'll trust you.
Your trust means a lot to me!
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