Where Normal Need Not Apply
In the writing world, we often hear the advice to “show, don’t tell.” I’ve mentioned before that telling isn’t bad or something to be avoided at all costs, and a fantastic post by Cecilia Tan points out how the advice can actually be harmful.
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If you attended RWA18, these thoughts might be interesting. If you didn’t attend the conference, these highlights might help you feel a part of the experience.
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Many readers want to read and support “own voices” stories, where authors share a marginalized trait with their protagonist, but authors can be uncomfortable with the label due to judgment or privacy concerns. Bran L. Ayres shares their tips for avoiding problems.
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Many authors try to create a sense of friendship and connection to their readers. But some “authors” aren’t authors at all—they’re marketing people using ghostwriters and fake personas to trick readers into forming those connections.
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Science can be influenced by societal assumptions, so we certainly can’t keep “social ideas” out of our fiction. Our preferences, biases, beliefs, assumptions, etc. affect everything—whether we recognize them or not.
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When we want to write inclusively, letting our lazy brain rely on assumptions can lead to problems. Bran L. Ayres is here with resources and tools to help.
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Several situations related to the line between disagreeing and bullying have been swirling through Publishing Land recently, so I want to address the subject while it’s relevant. That said, I’m sharing my opinion in this post, and you might have a different opinion. That’s okay.
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Clichés, tropes, and stereotypes all seem like signs of lazy writing. And they are—or at least, they can be. But it can be impossible to avoid all instances of stereotypical elements. So what should we do instead?
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While all diverse stories are important, the stories that should be most encouraged are those from authors who can provide an authentic perspective. Today, Wendy Sparrow shares her insights on what “own voices” means and how others can improve their non-own-voices stories.
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One of the many reasons we need feedback is to help us fill in the blanks for things we can’t see or for understanding how others might interpret our words. But what happens when readers see our words and understand our intention, but they don’t believe what we’re telling them?
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