 For Authors: June 14, 2023 Issue [#12018] |
This week: The Importance of Representation Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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For Authors Newsletter by Dawn
Some thoughts on how having different characters for readers to experience is important in the name of inclusion and representation. |
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Representation is important. What people mean when they say this is that with a diverse world, it helps to showcase a variety of characters. It came up not long ago after the announcements were made for the new Little Mermaid movie cast. Not to create another discussion over whether they make good choices or not, just to point out that one of the arguments presented was a case of representation. And the decision on a mermaid isn't the only example.
Another movie, also by Disney, that can be an example of representation is from Strange World. *Spoiler* In the movie, the son character has a crush on a boy. It's not made a big deal though it pretty fun how his grandfather's advice about putting the love interest in danger, then saving them didn't change once he found it was a boy instead of a girl in question. Some weren't as excited about the character. Got to hear a question about why it was even necessary to have a gay character from a family member who even knows what I write. Some people don't quite understand but the concept of representation is part of what comes into play here too.
So, what do we mean by representation?
A basic definition of representation in the media (such as in writing) is simply how certain types of people or communities are portrayed. It's the act of seeing someone similar for one reason or another. It helps to know that there are other people out there that have similar identities, problems or experiences.
Granted, we don't need to be the same as the character in order to enjoy a story. In fact, we get plenty of entertainment out of watching characters very different from our own identity. It would be creepy if my grandma watched horror movies because she sees her identity in the characters... Sometimes, it's the exact opposite that we appreciate in a story, when we see characters who are very different. But that's a different point.
There are many venues where representation is important. It would be easier to shop for clothing if there was more representation of different body types. There are some fitness brands I've seen but never considered because they only show very thin, in shape people wearing the clothes. It helps to see what clothes look like on a variety of people in order to consider what I would want to wear. The same can be seen in stories we write. While I don't identify with my own characters as myself (hate writing about myself) but as a reader, I can appreciate finding parts of my identity that aren't commonly seen. It would have helped growing up to know about Ace characters and open romantics or people with struggled social interactions.
I'm not saying write every type of character. It can backfire, trying to write a character where you can't understand or get into their view of identity. This can be seen in some of the attempts of men writing female characters and vice versa. Sure, some writers do a great job but there are some examples where the end result of characterization is cringe worthy.
But don't be afraid to write characters who are not mainstream. It's along the advice of don't write to what you think the audience wants, but write something and let the audience who find the story enjoy what gets created. There is room and a rainbow of variety available. Maybe the story you create will be the representation one reader needs in their life.
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Have you considered who might connect with your characters or writing?
Last time, back in March, I wrote a For Authors newsletter about first and third person point of view. There were some comments sent in for that topic and here are a few of them:
Comment by s  :
I use 3rd and 1st person about equally.
To me, it depends on what a story needs to work. If I want the reader to discover things as the narrator does and live vicariously through these discoveries and heart-aches/heart-breaks, then 1st person is my go-to. 3rd person is when I know I am going to include information the PoV character could not know, or I know I am going to have a few characters I will be focusing on. Or when 1st person does not make sense.
My published stuff is about 75-25 3rd person-1st person, so maybe publishers have a preference as well.
As a reader, I don't mind which PoV I get, so long as it suits the story... although, like you, past tense is definitely what I prefer.
Comment by Monty  :
When I read "I" this or that If what I read is good I become the "I" in the story and when it is a third party I most often travel along.
Comment by Beholden   :
Just recently I tried my hand at some steampunk short stories. I can understand steampunk's love of the technology of a former age but it's the shifting of this into a more modern age that becomes the real challenge. How to retain the magnificent, sweaty, oily and coal-burning feel of the steam age while projecting such machines into a modern world of flight, rapid transport, space travel and so on? I'm not sure that I really get that.
But I have discovered that I'm good at the first bit - catching the feel of 19th Century technology and thinking. And an important part of that is the use of first person POV. So often the authors of adventure stories from that era would use the pronoun "I" to lead the reader into the story, making it easy to follow the narrator as he unfolds the story before us. Quite often, the hero of the story is not the narrator but another who is observed as he leads the speaker and, with him, the readers, into a tale of dashing deeds and exciting scrapes.
That's half the battle, after all. Get the feel of the genre right and then worry about the details.
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