INTRODUCTION:
There’s been a lot of
talk about adding diverse characters to fictional books. Most of the time, this
is about including people of color if you’re a Caucasian writer, but all
writers can add diverse characters to their books. And why stop at race? In
this series, I’m going to list all sorts of diverse characters.
Note: I'm not knowledgeable about all types of people, so I'm skipping my usual tips in favor of letting others share their knowledge. See below
**I won't be able to list them all, so here's a list of ethnic groups...with a list of even more lists at the bottom of the page. lol
Here are the diverse characters for E:
Ecuadorians (Individuals from Ecuador)
Egyptians
Estonians (Individuals from Estonia)
Ethiopians
Exotic Dancers
Ecuadorians (Individuals from Ecuador)
Egyptians
Elderly
Elves
Estonians (Individuals from Estonia)
Ethiopians
Exotic Dancers
Extraterrestrials
Here are the diverse characters for F:
Fairies
Farmers
Filipinos (Individuals from the Philippines)
Finnish Individuals (Finland)
Filipinos (Individuals from the Philippines)
Finnish Individuals (Finland)
Individuals with Freckles
French Individuals
French Individuals
Foster Children/Foster Parents
Here are the diverse characters for G:
Gay Individuals
Gamblers
Geeks
Geniuses
Germans
Geeks
Geniuses
Germans
Germaphobes
Ghanaians (Individuals from Ghana)
Ghanaians (Individuals from Ghana)
Ghosts
Giants (Fantasy)
Gnomes
Goblins
Gods/Goddesses
Gothic Individuals
Greeks
Guatemalans (Individuals from Guatemala)
SHARE: If you can come up with more diverse characters that start with E, F, or G, let me know and I will add them to my list.
QUESTION: Do you have tips or Do's/Dont's for one of the characters I mentioned above? Share your advice for writing about those characters in your comment.
Have you written about a character from my list?
Hi Chrys ... I've no idea why these came into my head .. but Godzillas ... Freakies ... and I guess one could guess more ... and as I don't do characters - I think I'll stop there! Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteGodzillas. lol
DeleteDon't forget geeks!
ReplyDeleteI think I might have nerds for N. But I'll add geeks. :)
DeleteLet's see. E=Ethopians F=Finns (as from Finland); G=Ghanaian
ReplyDeleteThanks for these!
DeleteI love to write about diverse characters, but I'm very cautious when I do. My biases, my white, female POV, my socio-economic experience are things I can't change, and I worry that I'll stereotype characters that are not from my background. I also know there are some people I will never put in my stories because I won't get them right.
ReplyDeleteBeing cautious is important when writing about diverse characters outside your own experiences and knowledge.
DeleteAliens for the win as E.T. phones on home. No Giants are had though at your pad?
ReplyDeleteMy dad is 6 foot 6, but I wouldn't call a tall person a giant. A fantastical giant is at least three times the height of a normal person. :)
DeleteI'd add that, while many natives of the Arctic don't mind the word Eskimo, many find it derogatory. It took me until sometime in my twenties before I finally began using the terms Inuit and Native Alaskan, though I'd always used the word Eskimo growing up, having been introduced to that from the then-Eskimo exhibit by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. It's like the word Indian; some Native Americans have no problem with it, while others will prefer the name of their tribe, or other terminology.
ReplyDeleteAnother E could be Esperantist, someone who speaks Esperanto as a second or first language, and might also live in an Esperanto-speaking community.
I didn't know that some viewed the word "Eskimo" as a derogatory term. I do know about word "Indian," though, in regards to Native Americans, which is why I have Indian for those from India under "I" and Native American under "N."
DeleteFreaks and Geeks just like the TV show:) I would never write about Germans being all bad or all of them knowing what was going on during WW2 and enjoying it. I don't like judgements or assumptions since people look back with 20/20 hindsight
ReplyDeleteI'm German, and I am appalled by what happened during WW2.
DeleteDespite nicknames growing up, I'm not actually a foster child ;)
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started writing gay characters, I was a bit terrified of getting it all wrong (ok, still a little terrified of that) but I knew these were the characters the story needed. I think spending a lot of time working on your characters as well as reading other books with similar characters helps a lot. Now it seems even all my new story ideas have gay characters. I blame the muse.
LOL That was cute. It took me just a second to link that with your last name. :)
DeleteThe muse can be funny when he/she finds a character type he/she likes.
One of my foster daughters was very goth, so she had two covered.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that you had foster children. I think that's awesome. :)
DeleteI've actually met a couple Egyptian immigrant students.
ReplyDeleteCool.
DeleteGreat brainstorming. We could probably come up with story ideas from this. I've written about fairies and elves. I like to write fantasy.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to share these. :)
DeleteFreaks and Geeks? I'm all for diversity as long as it's a natural component of the story and not forced.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Natural is good. Readers can tell when something is forced.
DeleteI like diversity in a novel as long as it's subtle. So no stereotyping is done, but that's hard not to do when it's been ingrained in most of us since birth. A tough line, one I hope we all improve at!
ReplyDeleteIt is hard. Reading literature about the specific diverse characters helps a lot.
DeleteI've written a couple of ghost stories and am working on another one. Love ghosts. Another idea is rattling around in my brain, but it just won't quite come to me. Keeping on.
ReplyDeleteI love ghost stories, too. :)
DeleteI always like to include an aboriginal Australian in my stories when it's apt. Thanks for your list. :-)
ReplyDeleteI like that. :)
DeleteSome great inspiration for diverse characters. I like the idea of writing about people with freckles, especially those that have tons of them and got teased as a child.
ReplyDeleteFreckles isn't something we tend to think about a lot when we're creating characters, but we should.
DeleteI have a story with a character who is an extraterrestrial. It's a bit surprising I don't have more geeky characters considering that's me. ;)
ReplyDeleteYour next book should have geeks and extraterrestrials. ;)
DeleteI've never written about any of those types of people before, so I'd have to do some research first. It'd be hard to get into the mindset of an exotic dancer, partly because I'm very conservative when it comes to clothes; I don't even like wearing V-necks. And yet I don't mind when other people aren't conservative with clothing, like say, the cast of Magic Mike. :)
ReplyDeleteWe are so much alike. I dress conservatively, too, but don't care if others don't.
DeleteMy first thought was French and they are pretty diverse - my debut had a French-Canadian - more correctly a Quebecois - and various French characters from north and south so different. My Finns are actually Saamis so migrate across the border to other Scandinavian countries.
ReplyDeleteEven under one diversity there are many more diversities. It's great!
DeleteE- elocutionist, someone who studies and practices public elocution
ReplyDeleteF- fan maker, someone who practices the delicate art of fan making
G- Guyanese, someone from Guyana, a sovereign state in South America
*E- elocution, the skill of clear and expressive speech, especially of distinct pronunciation and articulation.
DeleteThanks for these!
DeleteI like the idea of adding a gypsy to my group of characters. They are judged on so many levels. I still remember my grandfather telling me that gypsies steal children who misbehave.
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Gypsies and witches have to deal with a lot of judgement and falsehoods, unfortunately.
DeleteFabulous round up, Chrys!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteVery cool list here. And me, being a goofball, I just like combining them to make the silliest one possible. How about an elderly exotic dancer who's a germaphobe? She gives lap dances while wearing a very thick, protective raincoat.
ReplyDeleteAnd she's be wearing yellow cleaning gloves, too. :P
DeleteI like your list! I don't know that I have any to add at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tyrean!
DeleteThe more diverse the more interesting the story. It's exciting.
ReplyDeleteThe only diverse characters I write about are my family, as I only write about what is or happened in my life.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Chrys, enjoyed the read.
Yvonne.
Families can be very diverse. :)
DeleteI do like diversity. We are all unique and interesting in our own way. Great post, Chrys.
ReplyDeleteWe sure are. :)
DeleteI like the idea of having a character who is a germaphobe--or any phobe for that matter. It would be fascinating to read about what's it's like to navigate life with a fear.
ReplyDeleteSo do I. I lived with a phobia that I eventually overcame, so I only know a little of how hard it can be.
DeleteI don't know if you've ever seen or read Dune, with the evil House Harkonnen. I was shocked earlier this year to find out this was a Finnish name. I wonder how well that plays in Finland.
ReplyDeleteI have not. Hmm...that's interest. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI generally use people of colour in my stories, whether they be Black or Native or Metis. I think diversity adds flavour and helps end stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteThat's great. I agree. And bringing an end to stereotyping is something everyone should strive to do. If only that were easier said than done.
DeleteIf you're going to write about Egyptians, it's worth a trip to Egypt. I'm so glad I got to go--it's been on my bucket list since I was in Grade Two! I learned so much about the Muslim faith--the world would be a kinder place if everyone made Muslim friends. It shatters a ton of misconceptions.
ReplyDeleteSorry, that's all I've got. :)
Since I was a kid and learned about mummies for the first time, I've wanted to go to Egypt.
DeleteI love your comment about Muslims. So true.
I think the key is respectful representation. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThat is the key. :)
Delete