NaNoWriMo Series: Writing Tip #19

Have you ever read a piece of work about a topic you knew very well and cringe at how stereotypical or completely wrong the author portrayed it? That, and that reason alone should be enough to do as much research as needed to get every topic you write about 98% correct. For those who have managed to skirt around this injustice, let me give you some cringy examples that I know first-hand are NOT true but have been portrayed to me all of my life (so, at minimum the last 20 years):

• Hispanics are drug lords from Mexico.

• All Irish people have ginger hair and dress like leprechauns.

• Black people are lazy people who eat watermelon and fried chicken.

• Americans are ignorant, slanderous, gun-loving folk who only love guns because they love to kill everything that blinks, breathes, and moves.

Do I really need to continue? If you are dipping a toe into someone else's culture, you need to do your research. Period. When you half-ass it, the natives are the first to notice and call you out on it. Representation matters just as much as authenticity. If you consistently represent a specific culture or tribe in a certain way, is it really representation?

Some of you reading may be thinking "Well, why does it always have to come down to this topic? Why can't write whatever we want? It's all fiction anyway. Plus, my world takes place in a fantasy world, so there is no way this pertains to me." Ah, wrong you are. If you think that this excludes topics like dragons, fairies, mystical beings, deities, and even folklore, YOU ARE DELUSIONAL! I humbly believe that the fandoms of fantasy are sometimes scarier than an entire nation of angry, misrepresented people. If you plan on entering the world of writing you must do your research. I don't care what you're writing. Fiction. Non-fiction. Autobio. An email. A post-it note! DO. YOUR. RESEARCH! And before you do, ask yourself a few of these questions to get you on the right track:

1. What don't you know about the topic you're trying to write?

2. How much information do I need to know before I can start writing?

3. Am I confident in my knowledge about this topic to show it to people who also know a lot about this topic? (I.E. you're writing a story that is about a farmer and you show it to a farmer)

4. Are the things I'm writing about being written in a biased/harmful way on purpose for the sake of the story's overall arch (like Freeza being a racist towards Saiyans) or is it my own biases that are being portrayed in my work?

If you want to learn more NaNoWriMo tips, check out the 30 Days of Tips that will unfold this month. Can't wait? Then check out my mini-course on The Basics of Storytelling that's available for $1. I look forward to seeing you in whatever form I appear. Until next time.

About the Author

Crystal Cabrae is a storyteller who specializes in writing dystopian, romantic, and adventurous worlds for animation and fantastical fiction. She is a proud graduate of Full Sail University, AMDA, and New World School of the Arts. Her six years of acting training in New York and Miami gives her a unique perspective when approaching her characters. She has a passion for sharing how to create stories with the world and inspiring the storyteller that lives within all of us. Follow her on IG or Pinterest to know the latest.