Brand MU Day
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Groups
    • Register
    • Login

    Writing character diversity - resources

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Game Gab
    8 Posts 5 Posters 332 Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • AshkuriA
      Ashkuri
      last edited by

      Representation/Diversity can be a charged issue when it comes to writing characters, both in fiction in general and in this hobby. Some people never write outside their own experience, due to comfort levels or for fear of getting it wrong. Some people do write characters from a background different to their own, and that either goes well – and adds something to the game imo – or is uh… reductive and problematic. To say the least.

      Writing the Other is maybe 20 years old at this point but it’s useful and fairly inexpensive if you’re interested in digging into this stuff.

      They also have a number of articles and essays and other resources on the site, some of which are free and some of which are paid webinars and stuff.

      Worth looking into if this subject is something that interests you!

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 7
      • RozR
        Roz
        last edited by

        I’ve had this post bookmarked for a long time: Writing with Color.

        she/her | playlist

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
        • GashlycrumbG
          Gashlycrumb
          last edited by

          Soooo… can we have story hour?

          Back in the early 1990’s I played a Jewish character and made some comedic mistakes about traditional Jewish weddings.

          The guy who played Blaze the infamous gay werewolf played gay characters who almost certainly would have been offensive in the hands of a straight player. But by and large I’ve not encounted badly done MU characters who belong to demographics I share. How about you?

          "This is Liberty Hall; you can spit on the mat and call the cat a bastard!"
          – A. Bertram Chandler

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • PavelP
            Pavel
            last edited by

            When it comes to writing, I’ve always held that one can write whatever kind of character they want, but they cannot write whatever kind of story they want. A straight person can write a gay character, for instance, but can’t tell a gay story as they lack the kind of lived experience and personal connection that lends authenticity to those stories.

            Translating that to MUing, though, is tricky.

            He/Him. Opinions and views are solely my own unless specifically stated otherwise.
            BE AN ADULT

            FaradayF 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • FaradayF
              Faraday @Pavel
              last edited by Faraday

              @Pavel said in Writing character diversity - resources:

              as they lack the kind of lived experience and personal connection that lends authenticity to those stories.

              While I agree that experience and personal connection can deepen a story, I don’t think it’s a prerequisite to authenticity. Imagination is central to writing. There have been plenty of compelling stories of people with differing genders, ages, cultures, etc. as the author. Even non-human characters.

              Whether an author should attempt to tell a diverse story not their own is a touchier question, and not one that I feel has an easy answer.

              PavelP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
              • PavelP
                Pavel @Faraday
                last edited by Pavel

                @Faraday said in Writing character diversity - resources:

                I don’t think it’s a prerequisite to authenticity

                And I disagree, which is fine. Though I imagine it depends on how we define authenticity. A story being compelling isn’t the same as a story being authentic, for instance.

                ETA: We could have this discussion for months, but as it applies to MUing I’d say simply that one should be careful they aren’t using their diverse character to speak over, or for, the people said character represents.

                He/Him. Opinions and views are solely my own unless specifically stated otherwise.
                BE AN ADULT

                FaradayF 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • FaradayF
                  Faraday @Pavel
                  last edited by Faraday

                  @Pavel said in Writing character diversity - resources:

                  Though I imagine it depends on how we define authenticity.

                  Totally. For me it just means that readers from that group would generally feel that it captures the essence of their experience. Which, of course, is not a guarantee even if the person writing the story IS from the group in question, because humans have differing experiences. I’ve seen it done in groups that I am a part of, but it’s certainly hard. I agree with you that it should be done with caution.

                  PavelP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                  • PavelP
                    Pavel @Faraday
                    last edited by

                    @Faraday said in Writing character diversity - resources:

                    because humans have differing experiences

                    Nuh uh! All sub-categories of people are monoliths, and each individual is an exemplar.

                    He/Him. Opinions and views are solely my own unless specifically stated otherwise.
                    BE AN ADULT

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • First post
                      Last post