For the white readers out there… save us PoCs time and just go ahead and don’t need a PoC to do these things for you. We aren’t here to hold your hand on the fact you have prejudiced views. Instead, ask specific questions, do the research to the best of your ability. When you get stuck, need a personal perspective, or brainstorming to get out of a pickle, or need your complete manuscript checked–then ask. ‘Cause, after doing this a lot… I get sick of the hand holding. It’s often clear when you didn’t do your research.



I’ve done this a lot as a WOC… this is past the point where they’ve actually done the research, they’ve read magazines, and suddenly they realize, OMG, I live in a racist society. I think I have to make something clear.

Don’t comfort them.

I know it’s super super tempting, but no… don’t comfort them. Complement them for getting this far, but don’t comfort them. Yes, be polite, but don’t comfort them. Look at it this way: If they did the time and research and found out facts like biracial twins can have different skin colors (fraternal)… that auto-going to white savior over slavery for black people… auto-going to sad time when PoCs “needed to be rescued by white people” is bad–and if they’ve found racism still exists on a societal level… don’t tell them it’ll be OK. You’ve just gained an ally, don’t let them slip backwards.

Straight up serious here. Let them panic–it means they are becoming conscientious of their privilege. This is definitely a good thing.

White Writers: Don’t tell them they can write whatever they want. You shouldn’t be trying to lead the conversation anyway.) And don’t tone police.

If they ask you permission to do a stereotypical thing…. say no.

Can I write an angry black woman as a token character?

No.

Can I write all of my East Asian character as submissive?

No.

Can I write all Mexicans are immigrants?

No.

I worry about making the Asian women exotic… is this OK?

Worrying is OK, writing them that way–no.

Why say no when some people do cross that line? 'cause I think you need to challenge them to think deeper about their character–to do more research. To not auto-go to the stereotype that TV and the white race framer majority. When they have practice not writing the poor representation of PoCs, they’ll actually start to stop writing them all one way and start thinking of human personality traits as universal.

Smart, clever, stubborn, lazy, etc.

Also that human emotions are universal and no single emotion is entirely “bad” or how one acts all the time.



Also, this usually means they’ve not read majority PoC lit by PoCs… which means, you have to slyly find them books to read.



In another words, push them to think deeper. I don’t coddle stereotypes. When they do more research, they are likely to get deprogrammed.

To White Writers: If you know humans range within populations… then why are you asking this question exactly? Do you really need to be comforted that your views might be racist? Or do you need a guide to get out of the mess–instead of saying, “I’m afraid that…”

Try something like: “I know I’ve internalized some bad stereotypes. Please, for those who are willing fix this character from being… X (name that stereotype)” And don’t go, “I can write whatever I want” after all of that. I’ve seen it. It’s tiring. Just stop doing it. We helped you and you back-stabbed us.

For example… I started a topic called, “Please save my character from being a Magical Asexual.” i.e. recognize it’s a problem and work on it with volunteers. Ask for your butt to be kicked and then fix the damned thing.

Push them to write more than one PoC of the ethnicity they chose.

'cause usually PoCs get pegged only one way and it’s very tempting to write only the stereotype–the more characters there are, the more difficult it is. But there are a ton of stereotypes out there. White people should be thinking that PoCs aren’t like Highlander children and born out of nowhere. How come their white characters get family and the PoC characters don’t?

To White Writers: I’m asking… why are there singular PoC characters at all? Where did they come from? You mean they only have white best friends? They were grown in a lab somewhere with made up material and totally engineered and then popped into your story? Seriously. No family at all?

Push them to try to not do best friend side kick roles.

The more likely the character is important and critical to the plot, the more likely the character will be fleshed out. We know that… so push them and ask them, “So why is the PoC not the main character?” (If they answer with fear… lack of knowledge, push that button.)

To White Writers: Why not a main character? Or dare I ask, an all PoC cast?

Personally, also, don’t pile on and ask them where your ethnicity is…

'cause that’s just rude. There are thousands upon thousands of types of diversity–asking them to *narrow* it and featuring it is a lot easier than widening it. A story can only cover a fraction of the diversity of this world. Pressing them to try to include more of X, if you know they only write Y (such as 10 books only wrote say, Hispanics…), isn’t a bad idea–but only for *next* time. It’s much easier to convince someone to try to include a PoC as a main character than it is to widen their scope which is a ton of research and finding more people than you of that group.

You want it, you write it. (And I’ll most likely read it when it is published.)

To White Writers: Though if you have the time and patience imagine more than one PoC ethnicity if you could? Yoruba, Igbo, African American/Black American, Black French, Black Uk-er is only a light scratching of black people. Sure, East Asia has Japan and China, but did you forget the Koreas, Mongolia, and Taiwan? What about the rest of Asia–India is rich in cultures… Kazakhstan? Pakistan? Central Asia?

And for the white people in the crowd reading, can you help us PoCs to skip this stuff? You know, do the work yourself most of the way, 'cause we have books to write and lives to lead. And while we want you to get our ethnicities right… targeted questions are easier for us to answer than holding your hand on your realized privilege.