Writing Tips

forty eight - how to show diversity in your books

(without being offensive)

someone once commented on one of my books that im currently writing and said something along the lines of "you have so much diversity in your book, i cant do that"

well, adding diversity is easy. you just have to do it in a way that doesnt come off as rude or offensive.

excerpt from my book:

"Simon smiles, "Rodrigo's from El Salvador, and gringo is just a term for what they call Americans." He explains and she nods her head slightly. He, at first, expects her to introduce herself but when she stays quiet, he peers over at the guy, "Alright big papi, meet Amanda."

"Our newest addition to the group." Chase adds, nudging her slightly.

Amanda smiles shyly, gives him a small wave and says in a soft voice, "Hi." He nods back to her politely. He has dark skin, as well as dark brown eyes that almost look black. He has black hair and an almost blinding hoodie on, blues and reds mixing together to form a picture of a wolf, "I like your jacket." she compliments, nodding to the bright piece of fabric."

as you can tell, i introduce a character that is from el salvador without using any term to make it seem like amanda (the main protagonist) is racist towards rodrigo. it's easy, just be careful around language and try not to comment negatively on appearance.

(unless you're purposely trying to offend someone to add tension to your book)

excerpt from my book:

"Amanda grins at her, "You bet your ass I did." She says, laughing slightly, "Also, how's Lance's transition going? What kinda pronouns should I use?" She asks, feeling slightly awkward. She doesn't want to offend Lance on any circumstance. Amanda knows that Jade swings both ways so she's not sure.

Jade smiles, she really loves that Amanda is so open to the her community even if she's not in it, "He's doing really good, we're happy together." She tells her, putting emphasis on the he so Amanda gets the gist."

again, i make it clear that amanda is not trying to offend anyone. im particularly protective of the lgbtq+ community, not because im in it, but because i have a few close friends who are apart of that community.

so, as you can tell, diversity is everywhere. as long as you are careful around what kinda terms to use and you are clear on your intentions with where youre going. (also, if i offended anyone, please tell me and ill fix it)

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