In this first episode of Doing Diversity in Writing, we—Bethany A. Tucker and Mariëlle S. Smith—talk about why we started this podcast, what our goals are for the show, and what topics we will be discussing in our first season and beyond.
What we talked about
- who this podcast is for—fiction writers wanting to write characters who aren’t like them in one or multiple ways
- our personal experiences with diversity and how these influenced both our writing and editing
- why we need to have a conversation about writing diversity in fiction
- why we believe anyone can write about diverse characters
- the privilege of not having to care about diversity and why this is exactly why you should take up your pen and join the cause
- how our podcast will help you work through any fears around writing diverse characters you may have
Quotes from this week’s episode
“Most of us already include characters who are different genders from ourselves, have different jobs than us, perhaps different socio-economic backgrounds, or educational backgrounds.”
“Being able to read stories about people who resonate with you or who you can identify with is one of the best feelings in the world. It’s about visibility, about recognition, about feeling heard. And it’s about feeling normal.”
“Just because a certain identity is present doesn’t mean it’s a positive one. This is why we’ll be diving into annoying or harmful stereotypes and cliches and look for better practices.”
“We both believe anyone can write about pretty much anything, and that includes the kinds of characters they wish to write about, as long as it’s done in an informed, sensitive, and sensible manner.”
(Re)sources mentioned on the show
- Bethany’s Edit Your Novel’s Structure (the brilliant book that made Mariëlle want to work with her on diversity and representation)
- The Minorities in Publishing podcast
- Our Doing Diversity in Writing – Writer Questionnaire
- Our Doing Diversity in Writing – Reader Questionnaire
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