Writing Tips & Guidance

Character: Representation & Responsibility of Cultural Creators

The Writer's Role

It is important to realize and know that the role of an artist is not only to create cultural works but to also create culture itself. As writers, we have the opportunity and duty to positively impact culture and help society progress. Under these terms, certain conventions of writing need to perish: unhealthy relationships, stereotypes, exclusion, and so on.

You should, if you hold any values, look to your writing and make an effort to create a world you want to see, to showcase what could be. This doesn't mean write exclusively in a utopian setting or to never allow for injustice. It means presenting that which is amoral as such, that which is unhealthy as such, that which is unacceptable as such. Strive for inclusion. Strive for acceptance. Strive for health and safety. Strive for mental health. Strive for equality.

Why does it matter? Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Stowe had a major impact on the United States. When Abraham Lincoln met Stowe at the start of the Civil War, Lincoln declared, "So this is the little lady who started this great war." You too can have an impact. Maybe not your story individually, but if all writers commit to the betterment of society then perhaps society can be better.

As an example, possible goals could include: informing based on facts, enlightening (or shaming) those rooted in prejudice, and/or normalizing the reality of those who are oppressed. These are general story themes, which will be discussed at length at a later time. Here, we're looking at character inclusion and representation that can achieve some of those goals both outside and alongside theme.

Representation in character creation is the creation of a character, a person, an individual. People are complex and messy. Some conform well to the status quo, some don't. People who conform can get along with non-conformists. You can rail against the system on some things but not others. No one person is completely evil or good, cruel or kind, relaxed or high-strung. A person is a person regardless of gender, race, or sexuality, so write a person as a person and you can't go wrong.

Gender

There are difficulties inherent in getting into the head of a gender you're not personally familiar with, that you aren't. There are stories with "manic pixie dream girls" that are clearly written by unloved men and aren't representative of women. There are stories with "bad boys" or "ladykillers in love" that are clearly written by thirsty women and aren't representative of men. Neither are particularly negative nor are they particularly positive. They are not only flat characters but also unrepresentative and unrealistic, regardless of connotation.

One of the difficulties most writers struggle with when writing different genders is privilege, whether they know it or not. Women struggle to understand the mentality of a person who inherently doesn't have the same worries or societal expectations, and the same goes for men. Here are some ideas on how to handle this challenge: have a discussion with someone of the opposite gender about your differences and why those differences exist, take the sweet opportunity to flip the script (create a matriarchy), or boil it down to where neither gender is influenced in these ways (which will take a conscious effort during worldbuilding and every other step of the writing process).

Please keep in mind that complex gender situations (transgender, gender-neutral, gender-fluid, etc.) are far more ... complex. Please take the time to research as much as possible and interview as many people as are accessible before trying to write in the mind of someone unlike yourself. Use those personal stories as inspiration. Pull inspiration from reality. Do not try to tell their story but include their existence. 

Avoid: Descriptions of "sexual organs" or any sexualized body part that objectifies any gender (unless you're writing something steamy). Don't make the image of a character the only (or most important) characteristic they have. The seductress, the harlot, the femme fatale, every female character needs to be more than a body, even if (especially if) they are comfortable in their sexuality. In the same way, male characters should be more than abs and a tight bottom.