The importance of writing diversely
How to ensure your work represents the world around us.
It’s our job as writers to represent the diverse world in which we live through our work, without perpetuating stereotypes. This newsletter features advice from brilliant authors on how to ensure you’re writing diversely.
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Content corner: Top tips for writing diversely
Both writers and publishers have a duty to make books reflect the beautifully diverse world we live in. Here are some top tips to think about when you’re world-building.
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Step outside your usual circles and speak to other readers. Could you help reflect their stories in your books?
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Research and ask for help. It’s important that we reflect lives that are different to our own in a way that is sensitive and avoiding stereotype. Spend time researching this and speaking to real people about their lives.
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Think – is this your story to tell? Although it’s important to reflect the diverse world in our writing, it’s also important to recognise when a story would be better suited as own-voices.
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Use a sensitivity reader. You can hire someone to read your work to check for representation issues. Sometimes, a publisher will pay for this for you, but it’s a vital thing to have, especially when representing topics outside of your personal knowledge (and particularly important for those writing for young people).
We can all do our bit to make literature more inclusive to readers. So, what are your top tips for writing diversely? Are there lives you’d like to see feature more widely in the books you read? Join the discussion here.
Sarah J
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