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Guest blog post by Kathryn Fletcher
We live in a diverse world and our stories should mirror that diversity. Many authors and publishers are working to include more diversity in their stories. So you might think that means you need to throw in a bunch of black and brown characters, maybe some LGBTQ characters too, and you are good to go. No, not exactly. As with everything in writing, careful thought is necessary so you don't do more harm than good. Good intentions can still hurt people. There is a lot of controversy around this topic and how best to approach it. The absolute best way to get diversity in writing is by publishing #ownvoices works. Those are works written by people of that diversity group.
Write What You Know
As a CIS white woman, does that mean I can only write white women characters in my story? No. Does that mean I can't write from a male perspective? No. Women do that all the time, just as men write from a woman's perspective.
Could I write from a trans woman perspective? No, I don't believe I could do that perspective justice. I have no experience in that area; I don't even have any trans friends. I lack the knowledge needed to write that perspective. I don't know the struggles they face, the injustice and prejudice, the joys, or anything about their life. I do, however, have male friends. I have read hundreds of books from a man's perspective by men.
Beta Readers
Even so, I still get beta readers for all my stories. The beta readers always include men and women. I recommend everyone enlist beta readers for their stories because it helps a person grow in skill and strengthen their stories. I've had the honor of beta reading for Mary Robinette Kowal a couple years ago. She is the Nebula and Hugo Award winning author of The Calculating Stars (though I didn't get to beta read that novel). If she, winner of the most prestigious SFF awards, enlists beta readers, then you and I most certainly need to as well.
For more information about beta readers and a beta reader letter, visit this post on my blog .
A little over a year ago I wrote and published a story about a boy with Autism. (YouthImagination.org) I do not have Autism, so how could I write that? As a 20 year veteran teacher, I have worked with dozens of students with Autism over the years. I've seen the myriad of ways this neurodivergence can present itself in people. I've seen how delightful and fun these students are and I've seen some of the uglier side of it. I've seen and heard from parents who love these children with all their heart. I've heard their struggles and cried with them when they don't have the financial means to get the help their child needed. I've read books by people with Autism and read research about it. I have experience with this form of neurodivergence, enough that I could write a short story about a character with it. Why, though? This story was about a type of magic available to people with neurodivergence. I wanted people to see Autism as a plus not a minus. It's not a disease that people suffer from. It is merely a different way of perceiving the world.
I gave him a partner that had ADHD. Many children with ADHD struggle in school because of the way schools are structured. People see ADHD as a detractor, but the truth is people with ADHD get a lot of work done when they channel their focus and energy into the right tasks. They are often very successful adults. Again I wanted my story to highlight the positives of being a person with this type of neurodivergence.
Am I qualified to write that? My son has ADHD, and I very much suspect he got that from my husband and I who likely have ADD but have never been diagnosed because it was not recognized as well when we were kids.
But, is that enough? No.
Sensitivity Readers
Even with all my experience with these neurodivergence, I still enlisted sensitivity readers. A sensitivity reader is a person who has intimate experience as a person from that perspective and examines manuscripts for details which may be inaccurate, degrading, or harmful in a way that might not be obvious to the author.
I love this quote about sensitivity readers: "Sensitivity readers don’t just skim manuscripts waiting to get offended. They are an active part of the editing process, making books sharper, deeper, and more perceptive than they were before. So let’s call 'sensitivity readers' what they are: diversity editors." (Hecker, https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-faqs/problem-sensitivity-readers-isnt-think )
I was lucky enough that my critique group had a member that was a parent to a boy with Autism. She read it and her son, a high school student, read it. Both gave me some pointers to make the story more authentic. My critique partner said she had the exact conversation with her son about pep rallies that was in my story. It felt good to know I had nailed that. I also enlisted a few other sensitivity readers with Autism and ADHD.
How do you find sensitivity readers?
The best sensitivity readers are professional. Reedsy and Fiverr have sensitivity readers that you can hire. I prefer Reedsy because they have a vetting process. I know many of us are running in the red financially, and you might not have the funds to hire a professional. Asking your best friend might not be the best way to go though. Writers pour their heart and soul into their writing and we can sometimes take things personally. I don't want you to jeopardize your friendship if they give you feedback in a blunt way. Or they might read it and say, "Yep. That's the best story I ever read!"
Not exactly helpful.
I suggest you rely on fellow writers at first. The internet is an excellent place to meet people that can help you. Build relationships with people and then when you need a sensitivity reader, they might be willing to help you.
Rules for Sensitivity Reading
Pay them something. Maybe you can't pay them what they are worth, but offer them something in exchange for their time and effort. Maybe it's $20, maybe it is credit in the acknowledgements and a signed copy of your book when it's done.
Get more than one sensitivity reader. One person cannot speak for everyone. People have vastly different experiences, so leverage that by asking more than one person to read your manuscript for sensitivity feedback. Even having 3 or 20 readers does not guarantee that you haven't made a mistake or that you won't hurt someone. If you do end up hurting someone, apologize and try to make amends.
Be open to what they have to say. Do not get defensive. They are the expert in this area, respect that. Never try to defend yourself to them; this is not a personal attack on you and the mistake you made with your writing. This is a person helping you improve your craft. Take their feedback, say thank you, and let it sit for a few days. You do not have to accept everything they say, especially if sensitivity readers contradict each other, but do not dismiss everything they say either. Gather your feedback from all your readers; let it sit for a few days to seep into your consciousness. Then decide what changes to make and how to fix your mistakes.
Be prepared to scrap the story if your sensitivity readers say the premise is flawed beyond repair. Better to hurt yourself by wasting time on an unpublished story, than hurt many other people. For more about this have a look at this post by Mary Robinette Kowal.
If you are asking a friend or acquaintance that is not a professional to be a sensitivity reader, you probably want to write them a letter explaining your expectations.
Questions for Sensitivity Readers
Is there any problematic language?
Are there any cultural inaccuracies?
Are there representation issues?
Is there any bias?
Are there stereotypes?
You might send a sample first, if you don’t know them, just like you would when hiring an editor. Then you can see if they can give you the type of feedback you need.