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The Incas are the bad guys and the Spanish are (almost) good guys until the last book. How do I avoid being perceived as an imperialist?

Anonymous asks:

A Matter of Craft (Narrative Framing and Plot)

Melanie will get into this more, but I just want to touch on the absolute utmost importance of how you frame dissent within working with the Spanish, and how you treat a plurality of opinions within the group of characters the protagonists interact with. You might also have to genre blend, pulling more from psychological horror so you can get a better vibe.

Because you’re going to want dissent, and you’re going to want to have a wide variety of opinions. One of the ways I can flag an author’s politics is how they handle differing opinions around a topic, because in a pro-colonial work, those dissenting opinions would be squashed out and everything would be fantastic and the protagonists would end up as allies of the Spanish and be “the good ones”, rewarded for their loyalty because that’s a massive fantasy for why people align with fascism.

However, you can foreshadow this really well by having those who dissent not be punished, narratively. They might be disagreed with in the story, but the narrative doesn’t punish them for having that dissenting opinion. By this I mean: have them not be killed, have the group not cast them out, have them be right and become an important figure later. 

I’d worry about making a character too much of a Cassandra, where everything they said came true but nobody believed them—but instead, really, really dig into how they might come to the wrong conclusion but be really close to the answer, or how their dissent will be handled in a way that allows for a psychological thriller bent where something is wrong, people notice, but it’s not going to get validated right away. 

Them not being directly on the nose and figuring out how they’d come to the conclusion is going to go a long way to make the book better, and to have those who understand the optics to see things.

Playing up the fear and terror and relief might also get you much farther, because by painting everyone as desperate, you end up in a humanized scenario where they are more willing to compromise morals they would’ve had if it wasn’t for the Inca. No teachings are followed perfectly, and it takes a lot to break people down, but people can definitely be broken. This also sets up a sort of reverting to morals once they’re out from under the Inca, where they’re safe from the old threat but… oops, new threat that they invited in.

On the Spanish side, I’d suggest a combination of “boiling the frog” and a certain extremism when it comes to what they expect in return. Because the Spanish won’t simply help. They’ll demand payment, and likely slaves themselves, and sure at first it seems like the necessary cost for getting rid of the Inca… but. But. 

You could also play with the Catholicism of it all, because there’s so so so much religious backing to the Spanish, and the way that it breaks their Indigenous practices could also be a source of alarm bells. People could willingly convert, “willingly” convert, or distrust this new religion. I’ve heard it said that some people will always convert to the religion that is on the “winning” side, or more powerful side, because clearly that religion is working for them. Not all, but some.

You’re going to want to have exceptionally strong character work where everyone is human, sometimes right, sometimes wrong, and there is so much plurality in everything with massive respect to those who disagree. Those two factors are your best bets, prose-wise, to get somewhere.

Because you might really have to create a scenario where the unease slowly turns to terror, and treat the first two books like a psychological horror that strings readers along because you’ve established the Spanish as gaslighting, terrible, and to be defeated later. They’re not officially a psychological thriller, but the beats established with them are that of a psychological horror villain—we know they’re evil; it’s up to the characters to realize.

A Matter of Reputation (Building Audience Trust)

This is going to sound very strange, but I’d suggest reading the book I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy and taking note of the “before” section. Jenette does a very good job of capturing the obliviousness of childhood under an abusive parent in such a way adults are recoiling in horror while the narration doesn’t overtly condemn it. Fullmetal Alchemist might also be a good piece of media to examine, for how the heroes in the story all work for a very obvious literal Nazi analogue.

These books have the advantages of either a title that gives away the conclusion—all of the positives Jenette has about her mom are not as positive as they look at the time, because we know the title—or characters who have contributed to war and are haunted by it so the leadership is thrown into question right away. Fullmetal Alchemist also has a benefit of not following active war criminals.

You sound like you don’t have either advantage, and that’s hard.

Let me get it out of the way first: optics and nuance are not something you can guarantee will make people interpret a book “correctly”. There are many people and places where nuance goes to die, and you cannot erase that. There will always be bad faith takes about this story, forever. 

All you can control is the quantity.

There are ways to do it better so that the people in your audience who are able to critically think will look at things and realize that you’re being kind to people who are against working with the Spanish. There’s making it that maybe they’re refusing to use Spanish tactics and focusing instead on doing what they want, while the Spanish keep pushing for things that enrichen themselves. Side-quests, so to speak, like “yes we’ll rescue your allies but do they have gold?”

This is really going to come down to craft, nuance, and being willing to face the fear of being misinterpreted in a world that is committed to bad faith racist takes. 

That being said, it might be best to not have this be your publishing debut, even if you’re going indie, because it will be extremely hard for that audience to trust a newcomer.

I’m reminded of Seanan McGuire openly refusing to tell a story her dedicated fans are clamouring for—a delayed trans realization, where the boy didn’t always know he was a boy and his story would open with she/her and a deadname—because the series that character lives in (Wayward Children) was a huge breakout for her and most of the fans of that series would not trust her to handle it. She’s now added that a cis writer doing that story might not be the best idea in the current climate.

You are going to need to think extremely hard on how to build audience trust—and that very well could be something you gain over multiple books unrelated to this series to establish a pattern where you do side with the marginalized, or it could be done by having multiply-marginalized people within the books themselves that you treat kindly, like those early stragglers who might’ve been hurt by the Spanish and instead of brushing them off completely, you hear them out and build the dread of those early warnings.

I’ve definitely had to think about this for some pricklier topics I want to tackle. Sometimes books just aren’t meant to be debuts, and that’s okay. You can build up a fanbase and have people understand your viewpoint before throwing them in the deep end.

-Leigh

Present various perspectives, nuance and opinions

I deeply agree with Leigh’s point about perspective – it’s easy to look at a conflict from a distance or in hindsight and say, these guys are the good guys, those guys are bad. But people are rarely that simple.

I’m the Latine mod, but I’m also a USMC veteran, and I invite you to consider this: in war and imperialism, relationships are complicated, and multiple conflicting truths can exist at once.

We know the U.S. military had no business in Afghanistan, and that the US military operates as an imperialistic force. Yet, at the same time, many Afghan people and U.S. service members became found family through their work together. Some U.S. service members committed war crimes. Some Afghan violent ideological extremists inflicted lateral violence on their own people during efforts to drive Americans out. Some Americans and Afghans thought we should be there. Some did not. None of this cancels the other thing out, it simply reflects the reality that within any group, there are different perspectives, motives, and actions.

Bringing that nuance and complicated diversity of opinion to your story will make it richer. No group, ethnic or otherwise, moves in perfect lockstep. Recognizing the complexity of human connection and the diversity of thought within the same group will go far to mitigate your concern. Good luck and happy writing!

-Melanie 🌻

Depicting Characters of Color with DID and OSDD: How may the systems of color be intersectionally represented?

@ladyeaslet​ asks:

So… in the usual disclaimers of no consensus on anything multiply marginalized, nobody is a monolith, etc, this is triply true of anything related to systems. Between the way there are perpetual witch-hunts for “fakers” from respectability politics (“if we reject x person who’s faking then maybe the system will accept us” is the logic), and professionals will even go on stage and diagnose people on the internet because they didn’t behave in ways that were thought to be acceptable around diagnosis (and this happened to a white person, so you can imagine how much worse it gets).

To answer the only real specific question you have: the answer is somewhere in the middle. Systems don’t choose how their alters look, as it is based on subconscious (usually childhood) logic, but those alters are not part of any racial group other than purely aesthetically because they lack the lived experience of existing with that skin tone. This doesn’t mean that this childhood logic can’t produce alters who are walking stereotypes, but that also doesn’t make the alter themself wrong (now, refusal to have a discussion about it, on the other hand…)

Most systems of colour I know are extremely private about it. Most of them have alters that navigate different aspects of racialized trauma, and usually have at least one who was created as a result of racial trauma. 

When it comes to “how do”, this question is far too broad to have any sort of answer because of the huge variety among causes, locations, cultures, and races. 

Some factors to consider:

… Among others.

Hopefully this gives you some very broad strokes about systemic factors impacting systems. 

We want to hear from you!

If any systems of colour feel safe adding to this, feel free to reblog or reply!

However if you use this to platform systems not being real, your comments will be hidden.

- WWC

Nonbinary Chinese Person in Tang Dynasty and Clothing

@its-desca asks:

Hey, nonbinary Chinese person here. So markers of gender are different compared to Western ideas of fashion. Hair length isn’t a factor since neither men nor women are supposed to cut hair after a certain age since it belongs to their parents. Both men and women wore long flowy garments with skirts. Foot binding didn’t exist until the Song Dynasty. Gendered markers therefore come from standardized (masculine) vs. variable (feminine). 

However, one of the best places to look for cultural justifications come from Empress Wu Zhao (also known as Wu Zeitian), who was one of the leading rulers of the Tang period and significantly liberalized gender roles (though not without backlash). In China’s Only Woman Emperor, Wu chose the name Zhao to emphasize power and unified dichotomies (sun, moon, and sky; female yin with male yang) as well as emphasize her Buddhist leanings.

Other concepts to research include the following: male concubines, crossdressers (especially in opera; note: actors had a really low status in imperial China because they were equated with sex workers since they were classified as “mean people” or jiànmín), and eunuchs. 

-Mod Sci

Disclaimer: I am cis, and therefore opening the floor to nonbinary Chinese people to weigh in on this. That being said, you may find the Tang Dynasty video from Fu Jen Catholic University’s Chinese Textiles and Clothing Cultural Center to be a helpful jumping off point, if Ardor is AFAB–it’s in English. (I also recommend checking out the entire series, it’s really informative)

Video recommendation:

Women and Clothing in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) | Episode 3 | Chinese Clothing Through the Ages

-Mod Jess

Nonbinary half-angel + half-demon having to choose sides; should I avoid a possible mixed race allegory?

Anonymous asked:

Hi! I’m a relatively new mod, and mixed Latina. Any time a story’s thematic argument challenges binary thinking and moves toward more nuance, I’m over here cheerleading from the sidelines. That would have been a very helpful message for me growing up. From what you’ve described, your story isn’t reinforcing harmful ideas about mixed identity but rather dismantling them by showing that the MC doesn’t have to choose one side of themselves over the other.

If your core message is about rejecting the idea that identities must be binary (whether that’s angel v. demon, good v. bad, or even gender) then any harmful prejudices or conflicts in the story should feel like natural extensions of the MC’s internal struggle and the flawed perspectives of those around them, rather than the story itself endorsing those beliefs.

As long as the narrative ultimately affirms wholeness and self-acceptance, you’re on solid ground.

Of course, execution matters, but based on your outline, your thematic structure seems thorough and mindful of the points you’re trying to make. Good luck and happy writing!

-Melanie 🌻

I’m taking a bit of a different direction. I’m intrigued by your concept and want to dig a bit into your metaphors. Personally, I think there absolutely is a way to take this concept and write a focused story on your experience as a bigender person without having to focus on or worry about portraying other intersections like race or ethnicity.

As Melanie mentions, the overall rejection of binaries in your message will resonate with mixed folks regardless, and as your question suggests you’re aware, you can’t actually prevent a reader from giving a story their own meanings. But!

If you want to tell a specific story about gender, there is a way, and that is to make the allegory very specific.

The only reason why the premise might currently be reading as a primarily mixed-race allegory is because I assume your MC is half-angel, half-demon by birth. Your physical appearance and genes are traits that exist from birth and cannot be hidden from the world or changed drastically.

But gender identity varies by person whether it’s been the same since birth or has changed over time. And you can choose to emphasize or hide your gender identity by employing different physical presentations, encouraging society to categorize you based on different gendered traits.

Change, transformation, and performance can be empowering in the context of gender, though it can also be used to shame and oppress (you can change your appearance to come out or go into the closet in equal measure). 

In the context of race, it’s almost entirely the shame and oppression half (think racefaking, race-fishing, people going under the knife or spending money on cosmetics to change racialized features, and so on). So it’s not exactly the same. 

To be clear—I’m not saying that you shouldn’t make your MC mixed angel-demon by birth. They can still absolutely be mixed in the story (see my point above on metaphor ambiguity being fine and good!).

Just consider de-emphasizing overt physical aspects to how one is categorized as an angel or demon (like wings, horns, etc). But maybe, at the same time:

Consider adding proportionally much more to the metaphor that makes angel or demon status something that is embodied, presented, and performed, just like gender.

Maybe there are ritual aspects through which angels & demons must constantly prove their status to society and to their peers.

Maybe what people consider angel-like or demon-like are conventionalized norms that are followed and/or broken.

If you’re not doing so already, you can mold the culture of your angel & demon schools after gender-segregated boarding schools, with all of the traditions, taboos, and social microcosms that those come with. There may be linguistics quirks or social etiquette rules that vary based on whether you identify—or are identified as—an angel “or” a demon.

You’re already there with the idea that neither angels nor demons are good or bad, but don’t always get along; is their rivalry innate, or socially conditioned? Are angels & demons merely socialized to think of themselves as adversaries?

Sounds familiar! 

As a mixed person, I personally find your story a lot more interesting when told through this specific lens of gender. There’s a fair number of stories out there of characters dealing with reconciling two or more heritages or getting them recognized by the world. There’s also a fair number of stories out there commenting on cis-patriarchy and the way men and women are divided and oppressed, but more often told from the perspective of cis people within the system.

Your story which focuses on a character whose first reaction to the binary is “nope, I’m both of those” will be a unique and meaningful contribution to the ecosystem!

~ Rina

South Asian-coded Pirates with "Robin Hood Ideology"

Anonymous asked:

Breaking up my response into three distinct sections, for each of the different potential problems raised here.

Also, before we begin, a gentle correction: the regions you have mentioned (India and Sri Lanka) fall geographically under South Asia, not South East Asia. 

Q. 1 “Do the South Asian coded pirates play into racialized stereotypes, i.e. people of color being associated with crime, violence etc. ?”

It is always good to be vigilant when basing your fantasy characters off real-world cultures, more so when they are not not white. However, while you could rightfully argue that racial coding in popular fantasy often negatively targets minority groups, you should also be aware that stereotypes can be vastly different across various communities. 

Hell, South Asian literary/cultural history is rife with contradictions: the Wikipedia page for South Asian stereotypes has a separate sub-section for region-specific historical prejudices.

Even a cursory look at Indian literature, media and cultures will reflect the historical tensions between various communities, and how such tensions shape popular representations.

Before you start to go down the rabbit hole of worrying about potential stereotyping, you'll need to do the following:

Be specific about which exact cultures/communities you are drawing from.

Once you have narrowed down which exact cultures you are drawing from, research them thoroughly, looking into potential grey areas and historical stereotypes. In your case, focus on prejudices pertaining to violence or aggressive crime among said groups.

Now that you have identified both the group, and its associated stereotypes, ask yourself: are you actually challenging it or reinforcing it?

Intent =/ outcome.

A classic example of overzealous representation for me is George R. R. Martin’s Dorne in A Song of Ice and Fire, where there seems to be a sort of cognitive dissonance between intent and outcome. On the one hand, it refashions a geographically distinct ethno-linguistic group, partially inspired by MENA and Moorish cultural heritage, as being more “sexually liberated” and radically progressive than their Westerosi counterparts; on the other, there is the looming presence of persistent Orientalist undertones every time Dorne shows up in the series, including hypersexualization of the few recurring Dornish characters.

With all that being said, here is the final thing you need to ask yourself.

What representation do you hope to achieve through your South Asian pirate characters?

Will you be actively challenging stereotypes presented against them? Or are these stereotypes perpetuated, even unintentionally, by your narrative?

Mod Abhaya mentions an important point: when you speak of ideology (Are they anti-imperialist, and fighting to reclaim their indigenous land?), you must also remember to contextualize it against South Asian history, specifically documentation of armed resistance, people's rebellions, and piracy/crime in the regions you draw inspiration from.

Also, on that note:

TL:DR;

Select a specific group/culture instead of blanket generalization → Research historical and contemporary stereotypes about said group to identify vulnerable areas to avoid → Actively challenge and resist these prejudices and biases. 

Q. 2 “Is this kind of representation tokenism?”

Please refer to our General FAQ post on tokenism first.

More on tokenism: What Is Tokenism, and Why Does It Matter in the Workplace? by Vanderbilt University

From a glance at the information provided, I personally think that in the current state of your WIP, these characters’ inclusion does sound like tokenism, particularly because you mention that you don't really have many other South Asian-coded characters (There is some information missing: what about the ethnicities of your other characters, especially the protagonists–are they primarily white? Is there any South Asian character of particular significance?) 

To avoid this, you might think of adding more South Asian characters with plot relevance, who are not affiliated to this group. Also avoid using the characters in a very heavy handed sense, by which I merely mean: don't use them as mere mouthpieces to make long, insincere monologues about racism or social issues faced by this particular community, especially if they have a very minor appearance in the plot. This practice reeks of artificial diversity. 

Q. 3. “Is it racist to play into the strong, brown warrior trope, even if he has a softer side?”

Let's be blunt for a second. Why do you think this might come off as possibly racist? Why are you so sure that your writing plays into the racialized trope?

Check internal biases, and see if you can trace authorial logic and answer your own question. 

Also related, see this WWC post about racial stereotyping, and poverty driving BIPOC to crime.

All the best with your project.

-Mod Mimi [ Here is my kofi, I am a trans and queer student currently struggling with work and education, any tips are highly appreciated, if you are in a position to donate! ]

First, let’s discuss culture.

What are the other cultures you have utilized in building your setting?

You mention this group having episodic appearances within your setting, with few characters originating from their region. I’d invite you to question why that is and what it means to have the majority of your South Asian characters associated with piracy.

Contextualize them with your other characters and see if you have written in general patterns.

Also, you are condensing many cultures under a single label of South Asian in this case–determining the actual reference points that you want to draw from will enhance your research. 

Second, ideology.

Interrogate the reasons why they would be choosing to do so. The framing of these characters as pirates, even with a Robin Hood ideology, opposition to the law–what is the structure that they are fighting against?

Additionally, the methods by which they try to resolve this conflict will change how they come across. If they are fighting on the same side as your heroes, what distinguishes them beyond in-group / out-group definitions via appearance? 

Third, bias.

As Mod Mimi said, why did you feel drawn to portray these characters in this manner?

-Mod Abhaya

Subverting tropes with complexity: Strong and positive Black man who may be pushover

Sonicspade asks:

Hello!

Based on your description, this character is:

You have listed his traits but not specific actions or relationship dynamics that would indicate if you’re avoiding or subverting these.

Based on the above, the main tropes/stereotypes to watch out for would be:

Later In this answer, I'll be referencing Barret from Final Fantasy VII (+) as a characterization example.

Is my Black man character a doormat? 

Hard to say. You would have to tell me!

You say he is “strong” physically and emotionally which doesn’t indicate being a doormat. Being strong and secure in himself would lead me to believe he sets boundaries and defends himself, actually.

But perhaps

If that’s the case, well yes, he might be a doormat.

Although I will say, a Black male character who is a doormat is a rarely portrayed character. Particularly if you’re portraying a soft, gentle, possibly insecure character who lets people get away with too much, without being totally self-deprecating or sacrificial.

That’s where you have the making of a complex character that would be interesting to explore. Not perfect, and not needing to be treated like fragile porcelain in your story to avoid offense, which is not what we want you to feel like you must do. 

Trace your logic: The reasoning behind traits matter

This is where exploring your intentions and having some explanation for why they are, the way they are, matters. Those underlying motivations guide the way you write that character and lead their arc.

For example:

Say he is a doormat and lets people get away with too much.

Why?

Poor reason #1: “Because I see him as dispensable in the story. His goals aren't worth the time and effort to develop as much as the other characters.”

STOP! This is a Sacrificial Black character. 

Poor reason #2: “I’m using him as a plot device to solve peoples' problems and get them what they need. He is a positive force meant to spread joy to others.” 

STOP! This is a Magical Negro.

Such a reasoning uses Black characters as a plot device to fix the troubles of others. Also, Black characters need not be jesters, an overly optimistic presence meant to cheer up everyone else, like some dancing caricature.

The Magical Negro: “Solves white characters' [and non-BIPOC] problems like a magical force, and using actual magic. Usually undeveloped and there to offer sage wisdom or save the white character from a situation. They often only appear in the story when it's time to offer their services.”

-Ask: Infantilization of white characters (At PoC’s expense)

What to do: Avoid this. This is one where there’s no point in subverting it, in my opinion. Rather, I'd write away from the stereotype by developing their character. Do not make them valued only if they’re saving others.

Poor reason #3 “He lets people get away with things because he’s just so strong. He can 'take' the emotional and/or physical burden.”

CAUTION! This is a Strong Black Man. 

This stereotype usually leans more towards physical strength for men, but can apply to the emotional side of things for men too.

It lacks acknowledgement that he has feelings. It’s toxic masculinity to the point of denying him humanity.

Slight sidenote: Recall that it’s not a compliment for Black people (especially women) to be described as strong! That strength comes from necessity and survival. We should be allowed representation that includes softness, too.

What to do: This reasoning isn’t utterly unredeemable, but requires deft exploration. Where does his strength comes from? What got him to the point of needing to be this strong, physically and emotionally? Show us he is human and is not simply strong. Also, ensured that people care and support him in return.

Reasons (not necessarily) built on stereotypes

Perhaps some of these reasons for his characterization can get you on the right track.

How to avoid these stereotypes

How can I tactfully make fun of a Woman of Color in my story?

Anonymous asks:

As is, the “joke” is not funny; it’s just ignorant 

I do not see the humor in mocking a Black and Asian girl for their very natural traits, that have a heavy weight of discrimination and systematic racism working against them already, both historically and very much currently. 

You also describe her as being “poked and prodded" by these white girls. That alone is obtrusive and dehumanizing, to have them touch her to assuage their own curiosity like she is an object. Is this meant to be part of the humor too? If so, it also does not land.

Your story would not feel like a safe space, at least not for me, and likely other readers, if you make humor out of othering a BIPOC’s common physical looks and traits. This comes across as racism from the author, no matter your light-hearted intent.

“…and she grumpily asks what they did to theirs.”

Your Blasian character’s mumbled comeback doesn’t hold equal weight when these girls do not have historical racialized prejudice against them for their hair, skin, and eyes, particularly in the setting of your story where these white people's hair, skin and eyes are the norm and deemed acceptable. 

Your Woman of Color is outnumbered here; besides possibly mild discomfort, this comment won’t leave these white girls feeling out of place when they have a nation of blond-haired, redheaded people to back up that they are the majority and the “normal” and she is the odd-one out. 

Unless the character takes it to their level with the comments and returns the evasion of personal space, this simply feels like she’s saying “I know you are, but what am I?” and that's enough correction to address their racism and dehumanization, intentional or not.

Race-based humor requires a delicate, expert touch

All that being said; a scene of surprise and humor related to her presence could take place, and it could even be “funny” without singling out the Character of Color as being the victim of a joke” for being Black and Asian. 

The success of your joke will depend on if it’s relatable to BIPOC, vs. it appearing as if you’re just making fun of our features, cultures and existence.

It should make us feel vindicated and satisfied with the outcome, vs. simply reminding us of the harm and othering people do/have done to us in similar situations.

There is a distinct difference between laughing with a joke and being laughed out: being the punchline of said joke. When the latter happens, I’d know I am in enemy territory and the book will be put down for good.

I wouldn’t trust what is next to come if this is the first impression we’re getting of how you’ll treat this character.

And it’s not about not being able to take a joke — we sure can! 

Humor is actually a key component in many Black communities (particularly American which is where my perspective comes from), a way to honor the good moments and to process trauma and ongoing harm. 

There’s also a distinct difference between laughing at ourselves and among common company vs. someone intruding in our spaces to make a joke at our expense. 

Comedic writing

Important note to any comedic writers: there are cases where some topics and moments will simply not be funny to most, especially coming from an outsider of the group.

(Notes on my experience: I am a HUGE comedy fan with a natural love for humor, consume comedic-material daily, and attend live comedic performances. My laughter can be heard across the nation.)

Comedians as research

Humor that pertains to race (and towards all marginalized communities, really) must punch up, not down, or it’s not really a joke. It is just thinly veiled racism/sexism/phobia, etc. This concept applies to all comedy and some comedians handle it well, while others (too many) fail. Time and place makes a major difference as well. 

For research, you could do the following:

Where to find these jokes and discourse

And don’t forget to look at the comment sections.

Questions to ask yourself while researching:

Failed jokes/comedy towards marginalized groups

Successful jokes/comedy towards marginalized groups

Addressing the racism in story

As we’ve said before: if there are microaggressions/racism in your story, it should be corrected and addressed in the story. 

It should not be brushed off or used as humor with no commentary. 

From how you describe these girls, I'm curious if they're just crass children, or truly do not know it’s wrong to treat strangers like this. I’ve got a lot of nieces and nephews, and even the ones a little younger/around that age you mention would know better than to start touching people and making such comments. 

Of course, people are raised in different ways and cultures vary, so maybe this is realistic for them. 

Reactions (from my experiences) of someone talking/interacting with BIPOC for the first time

The above, including the examples, are exact scenarios I’ve witnessed and experienced first-hand from white and light-skinned children of younger ages, generally 4-7years, having reactions or making comments of curiosity about skin and traits that are different than theirs. 

Handling these reactions

Obviously children of this age are generally innocent and these questions/observations aren’t generally said with malice. But when they are wrong, offensive or are rooted in racism, they absolutely need correction, whether bluntly if they’re older, or in a kid-appropriate way.

I believe that these children do:

1.Deserve an answer, explained in a way they would understand. We shouldn’t shy around the topics and it is not shameful to talk about race! Colorblindness is not real and is a racist concept itself that attempts to erase and culturally-diminish BIPOC, so it’s okay to discuss. Children of Color are born with the burdens of racism from day one and can/do face it at all ages, so yes, let’s answer their curious questions, but correct where needed.

2. Can handle gentle corrections.

Examples:

Adding humor to these moments

I suppose there are ways to make some of these reactions humorous. Your mileage will vary, though. I’d like to note that Alice, who grew up in a predominantly white European country, says your current scenario brings up bad memories for her. You’ll hear from Mod Abhaya as well.

So, what you may see as funny may be more discomforting to another.

I’d advise getting opinions on these scenes to gauge reactions from Black, Asian and other BIPOC and readers overall (of any race).

Here are some ways that a curious/ignorant reaction could, possibly, be funny in story:

Again! Please correct or chastise this behavior in the narrative

Whether from characters or author, this behavior should be deemed unacceptable.

In Summary:

Framing the ignorant comments as being the source of humor is something I'd advise against. Source the humor from the resulting consequences that come from their ignorant actions. Let your Character of Color get the true last laugh.

And if the children grow sullen or have their feelings hurt in this story, well, lesson learned to treat the young woman like a human.

Additionally, I'd avoid making truly egregious comments about the character's appearance. It may be fiction, but such words hurt when us real people have these features.

Take your creator responsibility role seriously. You are writing the words of these fictional characters, and some things cannot be unheard or taken back.

~Mod Colette

Intent does not excuse harm

Short answer: an individual lack of malice does not mean that someone’s actions are not harmful or indicative of broader attitudes. Playing something like this for laughs, when many people have had bad experiences like this, leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Longer answer: 

There are a couple of aspects of this that I would ask you to consider. 

WWC Askbox reopens Oct 12, 2025

WritingWithColor Askbox reopening and other updates

Hey everyone,

After an extended hiatus, WritingWithColor will reopen to your questions soon!

WWC re-opens Sunday, Oct 12, 2025 until Monday, Oct 20, 2025

We will open up to your questions soon for a limited time. Send us your asks Sunday October 12, up until Monday, October 20, 2025.

Feel free to share the word!

But! Before you hit "send" on those asks, make sure you:

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We also own writingwithcolor.org which is connected to the new, permanent web presence for the blog that is still in progress. There's a lot to do on it, so it's taking longer. Thanks for your patience!

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We want everyone to write diverse characters, stories and settings with excellent representation. That is the main purpose of WritingWithColor and its inception. With our own independent site, we'll hope to ensure its permanent presence and your access to its treasure throve of knowledge: not just from what us blog moderators say or recommend, but the insights we share from others and your own helpful insights and perspectives.

Future updates to past posts

Speaking earlier of previous posts; we have thousands of them. 4,000+ at the time of this update. Our blog's robust collection of asks, guides, reblogs etc. date back to 2014 up until now.

A lot of what we post is timeless and/or historical, but we recognize there may be posts where some terms in post may be dated or simply most relevant for the time (e.g., we now use "BIPOC" more than "POC", and locs as opposed to dreadlocks). Or, on occasion, unfortunately a previous resource or post recommended becomes problematic, is deleted or changes its content (and we're very grateful when you alert us of this!)

We've been steadily going through all our content, aiming to update any posts that feel more dated or could use a new perspective. So stay tuned for updates to previous asks or guides as we continue on with the blog. And as you read our content, keep dates in mind for any posts where you feel that it might be relevant.

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That's all for now, folks! We're excited to hear from ya soon!

~Colette and the WritingWithColor team

Do my Asian Teen's Car Stunts and Crashes Contribute to the "Asian Bad Driver" Stereotype?

Deshawn asks:

Hi. Am Asian who is a mediocre driver 👍

Is Batman a bad driver?

The sense I get from the second and third scenes is that these are fairly genre-typical vehicular action scenes, which, sure, while involving car crashes, don't necessarily imply bad driving. Usually, action heroes in such scenes are driving off-road and doing illegal/dangerous maneuvers to get from A to B quickly for some other external reason that is justified in the narrative. No one would tell Batman or Bond that they're bad drivers because of all the reckless car stunts & speeding they do. 

Logistics of the scene

As for the first scene, I have my concerns, but it's not that you're portraying a seventeen-year-old boy driving poorly (a real shocker). Rather, the scene is difficult to make happen or visualize from just a physical standpoint. 

"During the inciting incident, he rams the car into a flower shop while practicing backing up into a parking space... I need a good chunk of the mostly-glass building more or less destroyed"

By "a good chunk of the mostly-glass building" being "more or less destroyed," I'm taking that to mean there is significant structural damage to the building itself. Even if this guy had a tank of a GMC Yukon, if it's going at a typical speed that you'd back into a parking spot with, I doubt it could go past the parking space barrier, over the curb, across the sidewalk/concrete walkway, and into the front of any building with enough force to damage its supports before he realizes he's backed up too far.

For this to happen it would mean your protagonist has such weak control & awareness of the vehicle, not to mention such little common sense, that it makes the second and third action scenes too implausible to suspend disbelief. Glass structures, whether it be steel-and-glass high rises or suburban car dealership showrooms, tend to have concrete or metal supports, meaning it'd be very hard for a "good chunk" of the building itself to face any damage, even if the glass is shattered. It'll stay standing. 

I'm also having a hard time visualizing a flower shop in its own mostly-glass building to begin with. I doubt a flower shop has the operational scale to need or even afford its own free-standing glass building space. Most likely it'd be renting. And the most realistic scenario for both urban and suburban retail spaces is a concrete (or brick if it's an old, existing structure) strip mall or shared building with at most one front-facing glass window or facade. Obviously, if your protagonist were to shatter that glass, he'd still be on the hook for a lot of damage, but it's different from him causing structural damage to the building, so that's something to keep in mind in case that’s plot-relevant. 

And as far as how he broke the whole glass facade, I would also brainstorm other scenarios (maybe a high-speed crash, or maybe a projectile?) that might be more plausible. 

So: Any Asian Bad Drivers Here?

Notice how I didn't really cover the Asian bad driver stereotype much here. That is because I don't really think it's relevant. From your inquiry I can tell that you are mainly interested in writing dramatic action scenes with a lot of physical collateral—no wonder we have cars crashing into things! As I mentioned in my first paragraph with Batman, an average reader is going to understand a character handling a vehicle recklessly in the context of the story's genre. The only pitfalls I can see here...is bringing up the "Asian bad driver" stereotype at all. 

In other words: don't call attention to it. No jokes or fourth-wall statements attempting to lampshade a situation that doesn't need a lampshade. Don't have characters comment on his reckless driving during these chase sequences, or make Asian jokes with reference to his driving. Don't have the protagonist lament over his driving skills or make self-deprecating jokes about it. You mentioned he drives without incident in other scenes. Excellent! Assume that outside of the aforementioned crashes, he is a completely normal, competent driver—and write accordingly. 

~ Rina

Tragedy is not necessary for self-discovery: Black nonbinary MC bullied by racist characters as a “lesson”

Anonymous asks:

Sorry, but your writing group has a point. 

This story is tragedy exploitation 

Your Black nonbinary character is essentially being tortured by these classmates, relentlessly, and they face no consequences. Suffering under a cycle of hate crimes, micro-aggressions and just straight-up racism.

This doesn’t feel like a satisfying read; it would not give me hope. Not everything needs to be, but it also doesn’t feel like a lesson we need either. The story message feels off. Let’s get into that.

Facing hate to learn self-love

“It’s essentially about fir learning to embrace fis black heritage despite fis classmates bullying and no one doing anything to stop it because fe’s black, advocating for Black rights, and gets fir classmates to see the error of their ways by setting up A BLM march at the school.”

You say it’s a learning lesson for this character, but Black nonbinary characters need NOT be bullied and tortured into life lessons. No oppressed group or person should be. Folks embracing their Black heritage or becoming an advocate for themselves need not come under layers upon layers of endless pushback and hate. It could, but again, be mindful of the messaging of your story.

For me, your book’s takeaway seems to be that the oppressed need to look inwardly to overcome the struggles that others put them through. Your story puts the responsibility, once more, on Black + nonbinary people to do the teaching and footwork to fix the evil in others.

As for those oppressors? 

If i’m interpreting this right, due to the oppressed person doing all the hard work to teach bullies that their actions are wrong, the story bullies realize, “Oh, darn you’re right! Being an anti-Black, racist nonbinaryphobic is bad.”  

No real consequences besides maybe a bit of guilt. 

Honestly, a better lesson to show remorse would be if they turned themselves in and are expelled. 

And/or as happens as a real life consequence to hatefulness, they might lose opportunities such as:

And I have no doubt these bullies know it’s bad. We’re all taught the golden rule as children, so whether out of hate, jealousy or just feeling inferior and intimidated by your character’s Black Excellence…they know bullying is bad. 

They just haven’t reflected long enough to stop, are caught up in the hivemind, or are just that hateful. Seems like mainly the latter, as you have said “no one doing anything to stop it because fe’s black”

A civil rights march isn’t going to change that kind of anti-black attitude overnight.

Additionally, some of these bullies being other People of Color definitely tells me they know better. They’re banking on being non-Black POC to lift themselves up. But Lord knows, if this Black nb character wasn’t there, those folks would be the next target.

Why doesn’t your character defend themselves? 

At this point, I'm pissed off for your character! This bullying is unjust, damaging and dangerous.

Letting the bullies get away with hate is not “self-growth” or being the bigger person.

If your character was insecure, you might even show growth by having fir finally report them in the end, and allowing these people to suffer real consequences once their poor actions are proven true and/ or confessed to.

See above list for some appropriate consequences for their actions.

All that said, honestly, in this day and age, we do NOT need another book about the oppressed conquering hate with truth and kindness, and grace being extended to oppressors who put in minimal effort themselves. No - these cruel people should have consequences for their actions.

I am not nb, but as a Black reader, I’d much rather see the consequences to their actions play out, if I am to read this. 

Can your character report these bullies for their wrongdoings rather than just “rising above?” Perhaps they report themselves, or someone else does?

And if the school does nothing, and this is just my (slightly) unhinged opinion; I’m ready for a full blown Harriet the Spy moment of revenge and clapbacks!

(For context, in Harriet the Spy, Harriet is the target of the entire class of bullying. Then she starts to take her revenge on her former friends, one by one, and matches their energy.)

Gif of Harriet the Spy telling off her bully, airing out her personal family issues and ending it with "because [your dad] doesn't love you." and walking away.

I think as a collective, there’s a fatigue towards asking the world not to be spiteful; they already know why right from wrong.

You say your book is about lessons, but i’m not sure if this is the lesson you want to teach.

There are other ways to show a character connecting with their culture and fighting back against oppression. If that’s the main thing you’re hoping to write, a book full of tragedy exploitation isn’t the only way to portray the topic.

For research, I suggest reading books (autobiographies, fiction, etc.) that delve into people’s personal journeys with identity and embracing their culture.