Nathaniel Glanzman5 days ago4 minBelonging and Growing Up BiracialWhat does identity mean for biracial characters? Especially when how they look doesn't align with society's expectations.
Sossity ChiricuzioJan 235 minDisabled Characters: Avoiding the Tragedy or Inspiration BinaryIs your disabled character a fully realized person or simply a prop?
Ennis Rook BasheNov 16, 20213 minWriting Well-Rounded Nonbinary CharactersThere's more to your nonbinary characters than pronouns and coming out stories. Read tips on how to write well-rounded nonbinary characters
Renee HarlestonOct 18, 20216 minHorror Clichés: Is it Scary or is it Bigotry?Common horror cliches, how they are rooted in bigotry, and some tips on how to not perpetuate them.
Hana AliSep 12, 20216 minWriting the HijabA hijab is more than just a piece of cloth. Components of religion, culture, and agency must be considered when writing this character.
Nathaniel GlanzmanAug 16, 20213 minHow to Ethically Kill Marginalized CharactersHere you are, writing the death scene for one of your marginalized characters. Have you considered the impact of this choice?
Renee HarlestonDec 23, 20203 minThe Weight of "Dark"Do me a favor. Open up your manuscript and search for the word "dark." What do you notice? Are you using it literally
Renee HarlestonJul 12, 20202 minDiverse Books Our Sensitivity Readers LoveSensitivity Readers from the Writing Diversely Directory shared their favorite #ownvoices books and why they love them.
Renee HarlestonSep 1, 20193 minAvoiding Stereotypes - RevisitedWhen I started this blog (and still to this day) the top concern of authors I work with is is stereotypes and tropes. It's an important
Renee HarlestonMar 10, 20192 minDiversity and Inclusion Style GuidesHere is a list of style guides from journalistic societies and cultural groups to help you avoid offensive terminology. These guides not onl
Renee HarlestonNov 25, 20182 minDismantling the White DefaultWhen you avoid pointing out whiteness and put effort into to point out non-whiteness what you're doing is increasing the invisibility of
Renee HarlestonOct 13, 20183 minFinding an agent for your diverse bookYour agent should love your story and believe in it enough to pound the proverbial pavement to get it sold. With all the problems with...
Renee HarlestonJul 21, 20184 minUsing Memoir to Inform Fiction WritingOne of the best tips I give writers who want to create a character outside of their own identity is, read. Read about the people you want to
Renee HarlestonJun 13, 20183 minThe Rules of Minimizing Marginalized IdentitiesOnce I worked with an author who intentionally veiled the race of several of her characters. She thought she was being clever. To her...
Renee HarlestonMay 27, 20183 minDon't Forget PrivilegeRecently I've sensitivity read manuscripts and I've been noticed characters with unacknowledged privilege and it needs to be addressed....
Renee HarlestonApr 16, 20183 minWriting Atrocities: SlaveryPeople have done (and are doing) horrific things to one another. As writers, we put these things in our stories because they are real and...
Renee HarlestonMar 12, 20182 minDoes your manuscript pass this diversity test?This test can help determine if the characters with marginalized identities have real utility and meaning in the plot and aren't just Qu
Renee HarlestonFeb 25, 20182 minAvoiding the Quota Character: Choosing Quality Over QuantityThe purpose of this blog is to encourage writers to be inclusive in their writing, to include more marginalized characters in the stories...
Renee HarlestonFeb 10, 20183 minAccents & Dialects: How to Write Characters of Color Without Using Stereotypes Part 2Authentic character voice can really propel your story from good to great but things can get complicated if your character has an accent...
Renee HarlestonJan 21, 20183 minTips on Writing Authentic CharactersI conducted a poll on twitter (follow me!) to try to understand what authors are the most concerned about when they're writing...