Scared to Write DIVERSITY as a Christian Fiction Writer?
Image by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Are you afraid to write diverse (or not diverse) characters?
The word “diversity” carries so much weight these days. Especially in media. I’m sure you’ve heard people making comments like, “that movie was so white-washed,” or the opposite, “why does everyone feel the need to do color-blind casting in movies these days?” This is a sensitive topic for just about everyone, it seems, and there is zero consensus.
So, what does this mean for fiction writers like us?
And more importantly… what does this mean for Christians who are fiction writers?
How much diversity “can” or “should” we include in our fiction?
Part I - The Fear
I spend my days afraid of insulting people. I have been told I apologize too much, and for things that really shouldn’t require an apology. My most embarrassing moments in life have come from saying something that I didn’t fully know the meaning of until someone told me later.
I have a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in sociology; cultural sensitivity was a huge part of my education and it means a lot to me.
But I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that no matter how hard I try, I will mess up. At some point I will accidentally say something that means something I didn’t intend. It’s going to happen. Why? Because I am human and my knowledge and awareness is very limited because I am not omniscient. (Thank God for forgiveness, right?)
I have to remind myself of this as I write my current WIP (work-in-progress). I am writing about several cultures that are different from my own, and I have an ever-present fear of receiving vehement backlash as soon as I publish this novel.
My inner voice says, “people will attack my work because there are very few white people in this book. They’ll think I’m just making it diverse for the sake of diversity.”
My inner voice also says, “someone is going to realize I don’t know much about this culture (having never been part of it) and will call me ignorant and disrespectful.”
Have you also struggled with this fear?
I’ve been wrestling with all this for awhile now, and the rest of this post will dig into some of the root issues and give some helpful guidance moving forward. But to start us off, here is what I’ve learned about writing diversity in today’s political climate:
Some people will criticize your choice, no matter what you do.
You can’t control people’s thoughts and opinions, but you can (and I believe you should) make an effort and do your best to develop cultural sensitivity and empathy
We must have grace for ourselves (hard), and for others (also hard)
Part II - The Politics
If you were to google the definition of diversity in it’s most basic form, you’d find words like “variety” and “different.” Yes, in today’s political climate it’s often applied to racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation differences. But social diversity also includes: religion, disabilities, language, customs, etc.
Although in certain corners of your state, country, and the world there are still homogenous cultures in which almost everyone looks, thinks, acts, dresses, speaks, and spends their time similarly, globalization has made many parts of the world diverse. Thus, diversity is normal.
So, writer, with that in mind, here are some questions to ask yourself as you write diversity:
Is this diversity “realistic?” Does “realism” even matter to you in your writing?
In my first novel, the setting was a small, rural, middle to lower-middle class town in the modern midwestern United States. The main character was a white man in his twenties. His grandparents had been farmers. Although my own childhood was a little different from his, my own nostalgia fueled his memories of childhood, including some of the demographics of those he grew up around (i.e., he was surrounded by more “diversity” the older he got).
Although I included side characters from different racial backgrounds, I never drew attention to that fact, because it didn’t impact that particular story.
In contrast, my current WIP is set in a different part of the world, and even the characters who are American are not from the same ethnic groups and sub-cultures as me. This diversity is crucial to my story.
Writer, it’s ok to write more diverse characters in one story and less in another.
But maybe you don’t feel the need to prioritize realism in your writing. Maybe you love color-blind casting. Some people will love the inclusivity, and some will hate that it ruins the realism. But at the end of the day, you get to choose. You are the writer, and as long as you’re not sending offensive or prejudiced messages, is there really harm in color-blind casting? There is something to be said for normalizing differences. Don’t forget, heaven will be “diverse.”
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ’Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Revelation 7:9-10 NIV
Are you “pushing a political agenda?” If so, are you meaning to?
I think the biggest gripe that people have with “excessive diversity” is not actually the diversity itself, but the political preachy-ness of the work. I do think it’s possible to include diversity in a work of fiction in a way that does not sound politically-charged. People can tell when a writer is “pushing an agenda.” That’s not to say “pushing an agenda” is wrong, per se, but it changes the effect of the story. It will feel more forced. It will feel as political as it is. It may take some of your readers out of the story because it won’t feel as organic. So if you want to push some political agenda with your writing, just know that your story will be affected. You just have to decide if you’re ok with that or not.
Should you push a political agenda?
Diversity, like family, work, and education, are hot-button political issues today. But like all those things, diversity also supersedes politics. What I mean by this is, regardless of political party, regardless of your country’s political system, regardless of any government, and no matter what changes happen over time, our world will still be diverse. Diversity is not just something “the liberals” made up that “the conservatives” don’t like.
Like with most things these days, politics is ripping the topic of diversity to shreds. We all know how exhausting that is.
It’s our job as Christian writers to prioritize our God-given mission over our political ideology.
Whether you vote democrat, republican, or neither, we have a higher calling and a higher purpose.
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29 NIV
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
So, the more important question is:
If I push a political agenda here, whether liberal or conservative, will I be sending a message that contradicts the message Christ gave us to tell?
Part III - Helpful Guidelines for the Fearful Writer
Each story and culture is different, so there aren’t hard and fast rules, but here are some helpful guidelines about how to write diversity in fiction.
Pray that you would represent other people’s cultures as best you can, and that the Gospel message will be the thing that shines through the most.
Do your research about the other cultures, sub-cultures, religions, languages, ethnic groups, etc. featured in your story - don’t just make assumptions.
Before you publish, ask for feedback from people from those different cultures, ethnic groups, etc.
People are people first - several years ago I read an article about how to write male characters (as a woman) and something that stood out to me was the reminder that, although men and women are different in certain ways, we are all people, and there are more similarities than differences between us. This applies to writing diversity, too. So, when you’re not sure how one of your characters would act or react in a situation, remember that, at our core, people aren’t all that different from each other. (I wish I could find that article again to share it with you).
There is more variety among us than just racial or cultural - this may seem to contradict my previous point, but here’s what I mean: say you want to write a “realistic” male, Peruvian character in his 80s. Or a “realistic” 10-year-old from Zimbabwe. Or a “realistic” Chinese American college student. Do your research, yes, but remember that even within the same cultures our personalities are extremely varied. The factors that make a character realistic are more than just traditions, language, apparel, food, etc. They are also:
Background, upbringing, and family life - these influence our personalities in big ways. (and I’m actually teaching a Sociology of the Family class about this right now!)
Logical thinking patterns (unless the character has a big problem that prevents logical thinking) - for example, have you ever yelled at a character in a book or show, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!” - readers notice when something literally doesn’t make sense.
Inconsistencies in their words, behavior, character… without explanation - for example, a cool, emotionally distant, stoic teenager walks into a party and is suddenly Mr. Social Butterfly. Or Miss “I’m-scared-of-everything” suddenly does something very brave but you haven’t seen any internal work to justify that change in her behavior.
Character depth, not just personal expression - values, beliefs, and moral weaknesses make characters way more believable than just telling the reader about the character’s favorite color, favorite Starbucks drink, and preferred clothing style.
Have grace. Always have grace. We will all get things “wrong” at some point. But we can choose to respond with love and patience.
So, what do you think? Do you feel this tension in our world today? Do you also struggle with writing diversity in your fiction or do you have tips for other writers? What sort of things do you need help with in your writing? I’d love to hear from you!
