Welcome to Representation Matters, our hub of activity. Here, you can find information on us, the projects we’re currently involved in, as well as various resources on diversity in writing. Because representation matters!
On Doing Diversity in Writing, Bethany and Mariëlle—that’s us!—explore issues around representation as we figure out the do’s and don’ts of writing diverse characters, whether in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, origin, ability, age, appearance, and so on. The first episode will be live on October 1st. Check your favorite podcast host or app to find us!
We have been on a journey towards writing a book on how to do diversity in fiction for a long time, but it wasn’t until Mariëlle heard Bethany speak on diversity and writing that we decided to collaborate. Our ultimate aim is to write a book on doing diversity in fiction, but the podcast will chronicle our research for this book as we go.
The book, which we’re hoping to publish in 2023, is meant as a reference book that encourages fiction writers to be more inclusive in their writing. Amongst other things, the book will include the stereotypes, clichés, and tropes that are outdated, harmful, or counterproductive as well as tips and tricks on how to write diverse characters in ways that do not perpetuate the stereotypes, clichés, and tropes listed.
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To join the conversation, please fill out our Author Survey and our Reader Survey to let us know what you think about which representations in fiction.
Representation Matters 