sibilant Posted June 29, 2020 Posted June 29, 2020 I can't believe a topic like this doesn't already exist (and was convinced that something did? so please merge if something already exists). I wanted to start compiling resources for representation in fic. Most of the resources I share below are related to representation of people of color (POC), mostly because I feel compelled to keep bringing attention to this, since HPFT is a majority-white community and therefore, most of you have the privilege to stop thinking about it. But of course, this extends to many other identities--in particular, most of us are cis, and therefore we have the privilege to stop thinking about trans rights. (I would love if people helped collect resources on trans representation!) Most of these resources come from Writing with Color, which is a fantastic Tumblr blog. I highly recommend bookmarking the blog for reference if you're trying to be more inclusive. Most of the resources I'm sharing are also geared towards white people. Most of these resources are also short reads. I don't agree with everything said in all the resources, but agree with the general messages. Feel free to add your own resources in this thread! Or reflect on any of the resources shared. first, a few things to think about while looking at these resources: There are no easy answers about what makes representation good. Most of these resources start with things like "How to", but they're not really "how-to" guides, since there isn't a clear formula to represent all the complexities of a person's story. There is nuance in every single situation, and you're just gonna have get comfortable with that ambiguity and uncertainty. Consider this a long-haul: you will find some answers now, and will probably find other answers through other sources and experiences later, and they may be in conflict with one another. Don't read through these resources expecting a simple and complete answer about how to fairly, accurately, and inclusively represent POC--especially if you're not a POC yourself. Truly understanding will take time and effort. You might feel uncomfortable reading some of these resources. Sit with the discomfort and question it. Being able to hide from it is privilege; accountability means leaning into and confronting the discomfort. Keep asking yourself why you want your writing to be more inclusive, to check whether this is performative allyship or genuine allyship. Is it because I, or someone else, said you should--because of a perceived social pressure (m)? Or is it because you truly understand the power and necessity of representation. TBH, I would not want a white writer to try to write a fic with POC if they're only doing it because they feel pressured to do so. I would not want to read that fic. Characters of Color in Harry Potter The problem with "POC HP" (m) Fanfiction as performative criticism: Harry Potter racebending [an excellent academic paper] Characters are not a coloring book or, why the Black Hermione is a poor apology for the ingrained racism of Harry Potter Navigating a white space as a PoC (m) Getting over yourself as a white person (or, "what if I mess up????") On White Fear & Creating Diverse Transformative Works (m) "Overthinking" Writing Characters of Color (m) On White Authors "Getting it Right" (m) On White Authors Writing Characters of Color (m) Researching PoC and Supporting Writers of Color (m) So You Want to Save the World from Bad Representation (m) How to write POC if you're white (m) Making efforts in diversity (m) General tips Writing about "struggle" Writing about POC trials and tribulations (m) Incorporating micro-aggressions in writing (m) Everyday racism, friendship, and white allies (m) A wild thought: POC just...exist. No explanation needed. Show, not tell: diversity exists in the real world without having to have a reason (m) Bad representation v.s. tokenism v.s. diversity just existing without justification like in the real world (m) How to include realistic diversity for your story's setting without coming off as trying too hard (m) Avoiding tokenism/please, make us human. Stereotyped v.s. nuanced characters and audience perception (m) The key to moving beyond checklisting is not LESS diversity (m) As you know, Bob...: we are not monoliths An example of the complexity of intersectional feminism (m) Escapism Balancing escapism with real life issues (m) Finding yourself in fandom (m)..."escapism isn't truly escapism when you keep finding the same microaggressions, erasure, and stereotypes in the stories you love and are trying to escape into, and we ignore this truth at our peril because it's never 'just a story'." World-building: a fantasy world without racism (m) My genre makes a monster of me Blogs that give me joy The Desi Harry Potter Blog (m) Potters of Color (m) Mermaids of color (!!!!!) (m)
magnifique Posted June 29, 2020 Posted June 29, 2020 I love this! and I'm here to add on with some resources for writing trans characters though I am a white genderqueer/gender non-conforming person and this should not be taken as the be-all, end-all for anything, especially where race/ethnicity/culture are concerned because those have massive impacts on someone's gender identity and if you're writing a 'realistic' (read: homophobic/transphobic/oppressive) society, the intersectionality of oppression is going to be different as well and you're probably going to have to look up resources by or even reach out and talk to trans people from that identity if possible. This is reiterated in many, many of the links I'll share but I want to say it as well: there's no one trans experience - because there isn't. There are similarities, there are certain things some of us may have in common (one of my good friends is agender and we frequently commiserate about being misgendered re: pronouns because we use the same ones, for example, but their dysphoria is very different from mine). Dysphoria is not "needed" to be trans, physical or biological transition is not "needed" to be trans and some trans people (myself included) don't want that. There are others who could die without it and it's a very serious and necessary part of their identity/humanity. I also want to reiterate what Shreya said - reading some of this might make you uncomfortable and not only is that okay, that's a good thing. If you're uncomfortable, it means you're ready to examine the implicit transphobic bias all of us are raised with and make steps to do better and be more accepting and open in the future, not just in your writing, but in your own life as well. general: writing better trans characters [m] - general resource, covers some of the most common pitfalls (old but still good) writing trans characters [m] - this guest blog/article focuses on the differences between cis people writing trans narratives and trans people writing trans narratives is your script actually trans positive? [m] - this is quite specifically about trans rep in film/tv but I think that the tropes and also what message these tropes send is really important and applicable to writing as well. For example - the choice to use a trans model/actor to represent your trans character on a banner versus using a cis model/actor - ask yourself why - there are more and more trans and gender non-conforming actors and models coming into the industry every single day and there's no excuse anymore not to use one because you can't do a google search or there aren't enough pictures. Do you have to use one every time to represent a character? No, I don't think so. I didn't use a trans model to represent Tonks in the banner on their coming out story, but there was a very specific reason behind that choice and I thought about it for awhile. So do your due diligence, do some thinking before you decide. is this trans character I'm writing okay? [m] - this is a post from the 'trans style guide' which I just /chef's kiss, recommend highly as this is only one example of wonderful, thoughtful advice that makes a point to give helpful, thoughtful, and clear advice as well as redirect to other resources when/if necessary. writing trans characters: corrections of common mistakes [m] - this is a tumblr post of just a number of common mistakes, some of which were covered in the previous links, but with a few more as well as further resources/links that are specific to those mistakes how do I show that a character is trans? [m] - this is a great blog response when it comes to talking about trans characters who exist in a narrative where transphobia does not (for whatever reason) and how to show that they are trans without using their oppression to do so. media to model after: 9 transgender and gender nonconforming writers you should know [m] - shoutout to vogue for being a real one - as in all writing, reading and absorbing media by the people you want to write about is something I think is of vital importance, so if you really want to get to know the beautiful rainbow of the trans experience, check out our artists george by alex gino [m] - this is actually a children's book about an elementary trans girl written by a gender non-conforming author and it is wonderful, it's also very short, a very easy read as it's written for kids, but so powerful in its simplicity and the way it handles George's story. six debut novels by trans women [m] - more trans authors!! honestly it's so much easier to find trans media these days than it used to and a quick google search will get you far, far more than I am right now. sense8 [m] - this was a netflix series and I have a lot of feelings about it but I will say they cast a trans women as a trans women and she's one of my favorite actors so for that alone I recommend you look the show up if only to check her out, she was also recently in a netflix documentary about/by trans representation in media that I haven't gotten to see yet so I won't recommend, but looks very good. pose [m] - five transgender actors !! five!! and not only that but five trans women of color on the show, written and produced by a trans woman of color so you know the representation is authentic and the kind of work to be inspired by. this is quite literally a drop in a big bucket of trans people on the internet and across the world who are talking about our experiences and who want to see better, thoughtful representation of our stories, but I really hope these few links can/will be helpful to people and again, I can only speak for myself, and for my experience as a genderqueer/gender non-conforming person who has not transitioned and does not want to, but I would be happy to chat further with anyone who does have (respectful) questions and the desire to learn more
sibilant Posted August 23, 2020 Author Posted August 23, 2020 coming back here with a few more resources! these resources are geared specifically around finding pictures of POC models/faceless pictures for aesthetics with POC characters, though some blogs also provide generally good information relevant to the cultures they celebrate. It's really important to have POC characters visible in your stories, which starts with, you know, having them on banners/picspams/etc, if they feature prominently in your stories. (NOTE: don't put POC on your banners/etc if they don't actually feature prominently in your stories; that's tokenization. Also, if you realize that you have POC in your stories, but they don't have any identities beyond being people of color, you should probably focus on addressing that first before finding pictures of POC to put on your graphics.) Also, these blogs are just super fun to look at Every blog is on Tumblr, therefore every link is rated M. high fashion pakistan (about pakistani fashion / good overview of pakistani fashion) pakistani fashion files desi male models bollywood editorial indonesian models the asian male model hell yeah black models filipino model korean model links to blogs with faceless/semi-faceless pictures of poc
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