Writing With Color

WritingWithColor Asking Rules | Guidelines | FAQ

writingwithcolor.org  

Donate: writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/supportmods

Asks are currently CLOSED

General Navigation

WWC Navigation | link: writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/navigation

Stereotypes and Tropes Navigation

Stereotypes & Tropes Nav | link: https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/Navigation2

Before you ask your question, please do the following:

1. Review these rules & guidelines.
2. Read our What Does Our Motivations PSA Mean? post
3. Read the FAQ and the recommended reading within.
4. Search for the answer to your questions via:
   

- WWC's Main Navigation & Stereotypes Navigation

- Use the “search writingwithcolor” bar to search keywords

- Try WWC’s Google Search, which picks up phrases & sentences

WWC Ask Rules (ASKS CURRENTLY CLOSED)

Do not ask…

• General writing questions.

As in writing q’s that have nothing to do with BIPOC or only deal tangentially with them.

• Questions that are very broad or vague.

For example “how do I write a Black character?“ or variations of this question. See the FAQ and our WWC General Topics Compilation

• Questions that ask for facts you can easily Google.

Need help using Google? Check out: Writing Research and Google Search Tips

• Questions that seek our permission or approval to write about a topic.

We call these rubber stamp questions. Asks designed to solicit simple approval are time consuming and difficult to answer.

Further explanation on rubber stamp asks, what they are, and how to fix them:

No Longer Accepting Rubber Stamp Questions

• Questions that ask us for resources.

“Do you have resources for–” STOP! We will not do your research for you.

Please don’t use WWC to point you towards references. We are not here to be your Google. Specific questions that arise within your research is one thing, asking us to spoon-feed you where to do your research is another thing entirely.

- WWC Research Tags: Research | Writer Reference
- How to research your racially/ethnically diverse characters - guide
- WWC How to Research Compilation
- WWC Recommendations and Resources

• Questions using “PoC” as a replacement for an applicable race.

Person/Woman/Man of Color is not a fancy way to say Black people; It’s an umbrella term for a coalition including a lot of different races/ethnicities. If your question isn’t specific it’s 1) difficult to answer and 2) generates a general and not as helpful response

• Questions that indicate you have not browsed WWC thoroughly if at all.

If you start off by saying “sorry if this has been asked before” or “this may already be answered but-” You’re telling us you haven’t checked. These Q’s are grounds for automatic deletion.

• Questions that ignore our ask submission guidelines.

- Use “ask” for questions that are 2 parts. If a question is longer than 2 parts, use submit.
- We also request that you don’t send writing questions via fanmail.

• Questions that have nothing to do with writing.

We are a writing advice blog. We consider questions seeking our perspective on current events or controversies to be off topic. We will only answer these sort of questions at our own leisure (or if we find them helpful for others to answer).

Banned questions (due to excessive discussion or other reasons, explained within the links)

• questions about Muslim characters + magic. Here is why.
• questions about the Wendigo. Here is why.
• questions about Asian women (and Asian characters in general) with colored hair / colored streaks in their hair. Here is why
  
• questions that ask for a rubber stamp of approval. Explanation

Additional Guidelines

Submit your question properly

1. Use “ask” for questions that are 1-2 parts. 
2. If a question is longer than 2 parts, use submit. 
3. No fanmail writing Q’s (Fanmail for general commentary is fine)
4. Please read below the cut for instructions on how to be anonymous

Ask questions we haven’t covered at length

We will not answer Q’s that are too similar to ones we’ve already answered (Check the navigation and/or our multiple search functions very thoroughly). We will not often redirect you to the answer. This is not the same as having a follow-up question about an existing guide or discussion. Go ahead and ask. We’d be happy to clarify!

Provide All Relevant Details | We Are Not Mind Readers

• Please provide all racial demographics of all characters involved. Our responses will change depending on the race of the characters involved, and if we are not provided race, we will assume parts of the demographics (just to make the question answerable) which leads to further problems down the line
• Keep asks focused: Avoid providing a laundry list of multiple characters that you want rubber-stamped for correct characterization. Ask about a specific character or situation. You’ll get a more detailed answer on that specific character/situation that way.

Don’t expect an instant response to your question

Have patience with us!

• We receive hundreds of asks. It takes time. 
• Also, it’s impossible for us to answer every question we get.
• We will prioritize questions that are on fresh topics not covered extensively here before.

Please stop asking us to recommend blogs that are…

…like WWC except for disability, lgbtqa+ etc. We have answered this already. Check our recommendations page! 

Slur policy

Finally, we urge you not to send in questions with racial slurs that aren’t blocked out or denoted as “n word” “g word” etc. We may choose to delete uncensored slurs (and any other blatantly offensive Q’s) as to avoid triggering ourselves and/or others.

Frequently Asked Questions

• “What are ways to describe my character’s skin tone?”
• “What about hair?”
• “How do I introduce the race of my characters?”
• “How do I denote the race of my characters in a fantasy setting?”
• “How do I describe my Asian character’s eyes respectfully?”
• “I want my real-world Native American character to do/experience X.”
• “I’m afraid my character has harmful stereotypical traits.”
• “How do I write a ____________ character?”
• “Wouldn’t including PoC make my writing forced?”
• “It wouldn’t be historically accurate for my story to include PoC.”
• “What is Cultural Appropriation?”
• “What is tokenism and why is it harmful?”

See below for answers to our FAQ!

Keep reading

@funkyfrogwhore asked:

Hi! I’m writing a fantasy series with the primary cast of characters being POC. This particular submission is in regards to the Black characters. The series’ main driving conflict is colonization from a Catholic coded religious organization, and the royal family (the current generation of which is all Black) was converted a couple generations back. The primary catalyst event of the series is a coup overthrowing the queen and king following a religious crusade. I’ve been looking over this blog after seeing it recommended for sensitively writing characters of color as a white author and one thing I’m afraid of falling into in the beginning of the series is the abused Black people trope/Black one dies first trope.

For the first third of the first book in what I plan to make a trilogy, it appears that the oldest child, the son and heir, (aged 18) is the sole survivor of this coup. However, it is then revealed that the princess, his younger sister, (aged 17) survived as well, physically unscathed, and emotionally recovered for the most part. They were both taken in by lowborn people who had suffered at the hands of the church, (the prince’s group’s ages are 20, 22, 19, and 19, princess taken in by one man who is 20) which was heavily supported by their parents. The two siblings don’t reunite until the end of the first book, and the loss of their parents and the attempts on their lives during that coup are the only real violence they face throughout the series. The queen and king being overthrown and dying is intrinsic to the plot of the series (it’s the catalyst for everything else that happens). Their children regain power in the second book after they are reunited with their aunt, and the only real suffering they experience following the coup is emotional (pining for the lowborn romantic partners they fell for during the first book). I don’t plan on going into much detail about the coup (it’s told from the perspective of the prince who is out in the town incognito when it happens, so he’s away from the action). I want to be able to write these characters and events respectfully and in a way that isn’t triggering to Black readers. Any recommendations for that?

Hi! Focusing on your Black characters and not other plot aspects of the story:

This does not read as highly violent or full of suffering for your Black characters. They experience hardship, but it does not feel exploitative and has minimal physical impacts. It’s definitely unfortunate that the Black parents die, but 1) you do have prominent Black men and women 2) their deaths are highly plot relevant and are a catalyst for all the events to come. I’d say carry on with this story, sounds like you’re on the right track and doing an excellent job. 

If other Black readers have anything to add or that this writer should keep in mind, please chime in.

~Mod Colette

Emmy asked:

Hello, thank you for your time reading and helping me with this. I am currently writing a novel featuring a main character who is a Black man. I am a white woman, and while I did a great deal of research, I want to make sure that I am not using any negative tropes or propagating any harmful stereotypes. 

My main character is a mycologist with the power of mushroom manipulation and, later on in the story, functional immortality based on the condition of a book. He received a PHD from the University of Chicago in the late 1960s. (the story takes place in 1971). After being denied tenure due to his race, he takes a job fighting monsters in a national park. (it had a really high salary) He is a highly empathetic, rational, person who spends most of the story trying to make sure everyone stays focused on the mission at hand. His greatest character flaw would be his tendency to see the best in people to a point that it borders on naivete. Throughout the course of the story he slowly grapples with this flaw and eventually has to come to terms with his new boss, his old mentor, and his girlfriend manipulating him. 

He eventually saves the park using the power of loopholes in a demonic contract. The way he exploits it however, is by killing himself. (The demon’s power was contingent on him staying alive) His body reforms and he comes back a few days later due to his functional immortality. 

A additional potential problem is that one of the side characters, a doppelganger that usually presents themselves as a white man, is the one who performed the ritual giving the MC immortality. Additionally, this character spent a great deal of time lecturing MC into learning how to prevent mind control (a detail that is relevant to the plot) and not to trust the other characters. However, this character has shown themselves to be decidedly untrustworthy. Is this an example of the white savior trope? 

Sacrificial Black man

This is an interesting concept. Regarding the Black man MC killing himself to kill the demon and save the park: Does he know about his immortality? If so, I don’t see it as explicitly sacrificial or devaluing Black life. I’m seeing some Christian / Jesus connections (not sure if intentional) though. If he undergoes torture or pain in killing himself, that feels a bit more iffy, but also not as explicitly problematic if he knows that he’s returning.

If he does believe his death is final upon the self-sacrifice:

Please ensure he (and/or his allies) explored all other possibilities before deciding to kill him. 

• For example, was there no way to entrap the monster or an attempt before it was decided to sacrifice the Black man?
• Why was the curse connected to his life or death in particular?

Based on the character’s personality of high empathy and rationality, perhaps the sacrifice goes hand in hand with his nature. Still, his life should hold value. 

• Who mourns him? 
• Or, if knowing he’ll return, helps to lessen the burden of things or cares for affairs in his absence?
• What do others do to contribute to saving the park, or is it all on the Sacrificial  / Magical Negro to save the day? 

If you want to reduce some less than stellar aspects of this, it should not all be on him. If it is, then you’ll want to explore those problematic aspects in the story and how racism likely contributes to others devaluing him and taking advantage. 

White savior

So, a white person (or presenting, as they can appear as others it seems?) gave the Black MC his immortality powers and offers advice that will protect his mind. This doesn’t feel like a white savior to me. Not on its own, at least. Giving him powers isn’t directly saving him (although, perhaps it does eventually) White people helping and mentoring BIPOC doesn’t make them a savior. I’d need more specific details to say if I thought it went into that territory. Perhaps their reasoning might change things. For now, I’d say look into the definition of a white savior and see if they apply to your character.

~Mod Colette

Anonymous asked:

Hi there. I wanted to write a Middle Eastern action story set in near future Kurdistan. These are 5 of the most important points:

1) It’s about a syndicate called “The Kurdish Order”.

2) My two heroines are a Kurdish woman and her Arab partner.

3) The reason for them living their lives as professional assassins was because their parents were survivors of a civil war in their country.

4) The supporting characters are the Kurdish woman’s parents who contacts her from the headquarters via a radio, and informs her about the targets’ whereabouts.

5) The main villain is an Arab woman whose evil plan is to distribute a lot of firearms to the mercenaries around the world. When the two heroines confronts her and asks, “What did your parents taught you when you were young?”, the villain’s response is; “You’re correct, my nemeses. This is not a ‘My mom and dad hated me for no reason when I was young’ type of excuse. It’s more of a ‘My mom and dad taught me that the world is about the survival of the fittest’ type of motive.”.

The issue here is that I want my story to take place in the Middle East, but I don’t want to perpetuate the “Muslims = Mercenaries” stereotypes. Would my story still work the same if my characters are coded as Christians or Atheists?

I don’t know enough about this topic to speak on it authoritatively but I do want to point out that Kurdistan isn’t currently a country. It isn’t clear from your ask whether you want to set your story in a near-future setting in which Kurds have gained independence and founded their own country, or whether you are referring to the geographic region that spans present-day Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran in which Kurdish peoples are mostly concentrated. 

Either way, it’s worth noting that Kurds are currently a marginalized ethnic minority in all of the countries in which they reside. Kurdish nationalism dates back over a thousand years and has a complex history including many instances of violent repression. If you are not Kurdish yourself, I would recommend doing a lot of research into Kurdish history and current political issues before attempting to write this story. 

-Niki

The Middle East is diverse in ethnicities and beliefs. Even though Islam is the religion that many people from the region follow, is not the only one. My suggestion in this case, to avoid the “Muslims = Mercenaries”, is to give your readers a clear image of how much of a mosaic the Middle East is. And this can only happen when the worldbuilding is correctly done and the focus is not only on the Muslims but on the rest of the people as well and their customs. As for the rest of your question, I agree with Niki that before you proceed with this project you must inform yourselves deeply about Kurdish history and especially the current political climate 

-Asmaa

We would like to turn this over to our Kurdish and Arab readers. How do you feel about the asker’s story premise? What advice do you have for them and which stereotypes would you like them to avoid?

I’m pondering on whether or not to write a Black character for what can be described loosely as a shared roleplay multiverse. This setting is strongly influenced by Xianxia novels, power fantasy Isekai, and the kinds of videogames where you get to go around killing gods. Extremely powerful magic is rampant, power and might makes right is the order of the day. The effects of power on people, and the implications of single individuals being powerful enough to challenge armies are recurring themes. Atrocities of cosmic scope are rampant, like gods seeding worlds with styles of magic that incentivize atrocities from their users, or annihilating universes to win fights. The unifying factor of the setting is a being of extreme power, borderline omnipotent, who’s disgusted by this but burdened by Curses powerful enough to threaten even his freedom of action.

To get allies to fix the status quo and eventually free himself, he approaches people and offers them a semi faustian bargain(because one of his curses means very few will ever do anything for him for free). A shot at power beyond reason, power beyond common sense, power beyond the fever dreams of lovecraftian horrors should the contractor live long enough to attain it, but the price of entry is taking up a measure of his highly unpleasant curses, and should they do so, their only shot at being fully free of most of those burdens without dying is becoming the kind of being who can say “Puny God” and back it up. 

The exception to this rule is what I’m wondering about. One of the options for curses he gives people the option of taking is Isekai as deconstruction, Isekai as a fate potentially worse than death. One that carts you around the multiverse demanding you perform assassinations of chosen ones and conquering territory or die trying for octillions of years or whenever you become powerful enough to  break the curse, whichever comes first. Supposedly the curse ensures the work is not totally abhorrent but your milage may vary.

If a Black Protagonist takes a curse like this, does it fall under the “Why we always gotta be slaves” territory? Is there anything else you’d suggest watching out for in a scenario like this?

Disclaimer: I’m not familiar with all of your story influences, except perhaps a video game that has god-killing (i.e. god of war)

There are slavish aspects to this. For example, being trapped and in servitude to do the violent bidding of the curse, but the concept overall is different enough that my mind doesn’t associate this story with chattel slavery. Still, the connection is there, even from just looking at the definition.

The Faustian bargain is

 “a pact whereby a person trades something of supreme moral or spiritual importance, such as personal values or the soul, for some worldly or material benefit, such as knowledge, power, or riches.”

(britannica.com) 

It’s also described as a “Deal with the devil.”

There’s some things to think about:

• Why was your MC targeted with this curse? Did they “play with fire” or are they an innocent person who was entrapped with a curse?
• What other type of people have been given this curse? Do they come from different backgrounds and not all just Black or People of Color, etc. 
• Are there Black people in the story who aren’t entrapped in a curse? What about non-violent Black characters?
• What sort of choices, freedom and accommodations does the character have while living with the curse?  E.g. living conditions, free time, nutrition, ability to form friendships or romances. Essentially, do they get to have a life outside of their commitment to the curse or is it all about the job with no sort of rest in between?

Also, depending on the setting’s relation to earth history, it’s not off-limits to acknowledge slavery or explore how the Black MC feels about being bound to this curse. If their ancestors were connected to slavery, they might lament the entrapped connection and compare it to their people’s history. Or perhaps they don’t feel highly burdened by the curse, and learn to co-exist with it due to still being able to have somewhat of a normal semblance of life (besides the whole high-stakes assassination commitment and violence, right?). That’s up for you to explore. 

I do think of Marvel’s Moon Knight upon reading this, so reading it or watching the series may offer some insights on how to handle the bargain without explicit chattel slavery connections. The Moon Knight character does have the power to make decisions and live their life while balancing the commitments associated with their bargain.

~Mod Colette

@ask-jeff-and-the-lads asked:

My story follows a bunch of criminals and one non-criminal who was kidnapped in a robbery gone wrong. The criminal group is a robot, an alien, a white woman, a white man, and a black woman. The two women were raised in an assassin program (like black widow but done better) until they defected as young adults. However, they both had early childhoods before being ‘selected’ and it could be problematic. The black woman’s story was that her father was abusive and eventually killed her mom. She bore witness to this, and attempted to later kill her dad with the same gun, in a ‘young child not really comprehending the gravity of things’ sort of way. I don’t want it contributing to the violent black man stereotype, and the non-criminal character is black and had a loving and supportive father. Everyone in the story pretty much has a terrible backstory to varying degrees, but should I change hers to have less outright violence? 

The white woman was neglected and physically abused by her single mother, and eventually locked her mom in a room and ran away, for comparison. They’re also mostly morally grey, but a central idea of the story is recovery and redemption, so they end up as better people after working through the violence they were forced to commit by the program.  

Fiction in which

• Others inflict death and violence against Black women
• Black men are violent, abusive or murderers
• Black men perpetuate violence against Black women
• Combos of the above

Requires you, the writer, in my opinion, to do the following:

Trace your logic

Why these particular scenarios out of all the other possible ones? I understand that all of your characters have violence in their pasts. Still, you the author choose these particular details for the history of your Black characters. Brutalized and murdered Black women and Black men / people being deemed violent are common, overplayed scenarios in media. You can give a character a tumultuous history without making Black people violent / victims of violence. Before jumping to this idea, brainstorm the many other possibilities.

Check if you’re the right voice

Now, it’s one thing to choose stereotypical, overgeneralized portrayals because that’s where your brain goes. It’s another to make intentional commentary on an issue. Violence against Black women and/or violence done by Black men towards Black women are all real issues. But note that you’re adding your voice to a topic in which you might never have been asked to speak on, and will not be openly embraced by all. If this is not your lived experience based on events in your life or community connections, your voice may not be welcome in the conversation, or able to capture nuance, avoid stereotyping, etc.

Do some hard work

Writing this sort of background requires research and work with the right beta or sensitivity readers to portray this well. This is the case even if the character’s background isn’t a large feature in the story. As long as you’ve written that in, it needs careful writing and potentially, revising.

Balance it out with non-stereotypical portrayals

Whenever you brush even the essence of a stereotype for BIPOC, it’s always a good idea to have a clearly non-stereotypical portrayal. You have a Black non-criminal character with a loving and supportive father, so that aspect is taken care of. Also, please include Black women who aren’t abused and murdered as well. Another thing: If the murdered mother is a dark skinned woman, while she’s not replaceable, please ensure there’s dark-skinned Black woman (who live, aren’t abuse) as well. It’s a whole different commentary to have an abused and murdered dark-skinned woman while light skinned Black women are allowed to avoid abuse and struggle.

~Mod Colette

(to find out more about the holiday, click here!)