How do we write diverse characters in fiction? What are the do’s and don’ts of writing race, gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, origin, ability, age, appearance, and so on?
Join Bethany A. Tucker and Mariëlle S. Smith as they explore why representation matters and how we, as writers and editors, can do better.
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How do we write diverse characters in fiction? What are the do’s and don’ts of writing race, gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, origin, ability, age, appearance, and so on?
Join Bethany A. Tucker and Mariëlle S. Smith as they explore why representation matters and how we, as writers and editors, can do better.
In this episode of Doing Diversity in Writing, Bethany and Mariëlle talk about how to write transgender characters.
Here’s what we discussed:
Who gets to write trans characters
Which stereotypes and tropes to avoid
Other things to avoid when writing trans characters
The things we SHOULD be writing about when writing trans characters
And here are the (re)sources we mentioned on the show:
“The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Transgender Characters” by Alice Thomas: https://properz.medium.com/the-dos-and-don-ts-of-writing-transgender-characters-15ae8fbfab6b
“How to Write About Trans People” by Eli Cugini: https://electricliterature.com/how-to-write-about-trans-people/
Quora forum: https://www.quora.com/What-should-a-cisgender-author-remember-to-take-into-account-when-writing-transgender-characters
“Writing Better Trans Characters” by Cheryl Morgan: http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/writing-better-trans-characters/
“Writing Trans Characters” by Alex DiFrancesco: https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2016/11/08/writing-trans-characters/
“How to Write Transgender Characters” by Michael Brewer-Berres: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/write-transgender-characters
“Before you write about a transgender character, read this” by Casey Plett: https://www.cbc.ca/arts/before-you-write-about-a-transgender-character-read-this-1.3919848
“Transgender People” in the GLAAD Media Reference Guide 11th Edition: https://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender
“Glossary of Terms: Transgender” in the GLAAD Media Reference Guide 11th Edition: https://www.glaad.org/reference/trans-terms
“Trans 101: glossary of trans words and how to use them” by Gender Minorities Aotearoa: https://genderminorities.com/glossary-transgender/
Disclosure: https://www.disclosurethemovie.com/about
Sense8: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2431438/
Dreadnought by April Daniels: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30279514-dreadnought
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52339313-cemetery-boys
Silence of the Lambs: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926
Tootsie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084805
Mrs. Doubtfire: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107614
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: https://www.caseymcquiston.com/red-white-royal-blue
This week’s episode page can be found here:
representationmatters.art/2023/02/08/s3e7
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Doing Diversity in Writing
How do we write diverse characters in fiction? What are the do’s and don’ts of writing race, gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, origin, ability, age, appearance, and so on?
Join Bethany A. Tucker and Mariëlle S. Smith as they explore why representation matters and how we, as writers and editors, can do better.
