Diversity and Representation in Literature

[hlspoet]

So, I am writing a science fiction novel about a spy and having a diverse cast of characters is important to me.

The main character is a bisexual woman with PTSD. Her romantic interest is a Latino man with a prosthetic arm who also has PTSD. There is a happy lesbian couple who are deeply in love, a trans man who is the adopted father of an black autistic boy. The boy has a central roll to play in terms of providing critical information to the protagonists, he’s important to the plot.

The aliens in the book are divided into two categories:
the privileged bipedal beings and the downtrodden minority quadrapedal beings who are second class citizens in one culture and not considered sentient in the other.

What do you think? Have I done a good enough job of providing a diverse cast of characters? Should I call the boy’s autisim by another name?

[Gravy]

Firstly, I would like to thank you. There is still so little representation.

Secondly, (though you probably already have) I would suggest reading as many representative works that you can (good and bad).

I believe autism would be acceptable, but you could always reach out to someone who would be more informed.

And your cast of characters sound very interesting!

[Lincolnshirelass]

This sounds like a fascinating premise. Particularly pleased you include someone with a prosthesis, as my Dad had one - though in his case, a leg. All too often people in this situation are presented either as figures of pity or heroic Paralympians - not saying I disapprove of the latter, but it can get a bit stereotyped.

[Carmel Bachelor]

I think you did brilliantly with the wide range of characters you have, especially with representing those with a prosthesis and autism! I think its fine to use the word autistic, as my cousin who has a mix of Asperger and autism has never been uncomfortable or embarrassed by the word. Its really just how you use it.

There is a lot of hard hitting topics here and I hope you do every representation justice!

[DustinPBrown]

This sounds like a very diverse cast, yes. I only want to caution you against making their whole "thing" about that one diverse quality. Like, there should be more happening in the trans man's life than just him being trans, you know?

[Zilelabelle]

This sounds like a great book! I agree with the previous poster's advice, definitely make sure not to make the character's orientation or disability the only interesting thing about them. If you make sure everyone is well rounded, that's a good start.

[Monet_va]

Representation is so important in books! Everyone wants to see themselves in novels and their favourite characters. It sounds like you've done a good job of representing a diverse cast of characters!

[clint_csperry-org]

I love that you are putting out this effort. I agree with others who state be sure that you read stuff that adequately represent those groups outside of your personal life experiences. There is little worse than having a cardboard character who just happens to fit into this category and the author thinking it is adequate. The characters need to be as real as possible with real experiences too. (sorry, my 2 cents worth)

[ElizaPeaks]

A word of caution for any writer preparing to tackle diversity: If you haven't compiled a Works Cited page on the disabilities or cultures or sexual identities for your diverse characters, then you will most likely fail to represent them in an accurate and respectful way. For instance, if you are writing about a character who suffers from a personality disorder, you're likely to do at least some research to start things off. However, many people stop after their primary questions are answered, and they often go to sources like WebMD that give them a quick checklist of what this personality disorder involves. This is a big mistake. Firstly, if all of your research focuses on answering yes or no questions (e.g. is it possible for my character to talk with his other personalities while he's in control? Or, is it possible for my character to switch between personalities whenever he wants?), then you're only writing this character for your personal gain and to the advantage of the plot, not to represent a realistic form of diversity. Secondly, if you stop at a list of symptoms, you will never be able to write a realistic character who truly embodies what makes them diverse.

Please, if you are writing a diverse character, read personal accounts of people who have experienced life with this form of diversity! And don't read just one or two blogs, read as many as you can and read so much more than that! Read poetry! Read personal essays! Immerse yourself in the culture that surrounds your diverse characters. And, for the love of all things holy, don't pretend that you can write about someone else's experience better than they can! Don't pretend that you are going to shock the world with a new and improved view of autism unless you have autism yourself or unless your friend who has autism is sitting next to you for every word you type and can offer suggestions and input as the story goes along.

Create that Works Cited page. You can only write better characters when you research so thoroughly. It will be proof that you can go back to when people become offended with your diverse character and claim that you don't know what you're talking about, too.

[Inkroverts]

That's a good idea. But you have to be careful though. You can read more representative stories or talk to different people in real life.
It's better to represent one group of people well, rather than piling multiple groups of people when you have yet to understand them. If it's the latter, you might end up having characters that are only diverse in terms of "identity", but not in "character and personality".

[SMAhmed]

This sounds like a very diverse cast, yes. I only want to caution you against making their whole "thing" about that one diverse quality. Like, there should be more happening in the trans man's life than just him being trans, you know?

^^^THIS!
I think you've done a great job of providing a diverse cast but yeah you have to make sure it doesn't devolve into tokenism. If you want references to diverse casts in a similar sci-fi story that deals with classism, racism, and sexism, I'd check out An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon.