The Helpful YouTube Writing Videos Thread

My motto is always write a person as a person. We're all people yet some writers seem like they can't understand that. I am a black female. I cringe every time I see a topic or thread that says, "How do I write diverse character, black person or POC of color?" I know many don't realize it but the question itself is extremely offensive. You write these characters the same you would a white, straight character, as a person FIRST. We're all people.

I write all types of characters from diverse backgrounds. Never had an issue with seeing those different from me as anything more than people. We all are individuals and everyone is different no matter what race, sex, nationality, gender, anything. So I always tell my peers who struggle with diversity to write these characters like you would want to be written. Like you write the straight, white ones.

One thing that is so weird to me is how authors can write about aliens, shapeshifters, creatures, etc. but can't write a person that's a different color, gender, or sexuality from them. That's hurtful because it makes me think some see a person of color or a homosexual person or transgendered person as anything other than human.

You don't have to write characters to a certain stereotype. That's the issue right there. People are hung up on what they assume a certain type of person is. They can't believe there are people who don't fit so easily in a box just because of their race or whatever.

Also, it's telling that you never see or at least I haven't, people asking, "How do you write white, straight characters?" Let that sink in and then it's easy to see why POCs and whoever else might get ticked off that people find it so difficult to write anyone else. 

I'm not knocking the videos or anything. Just talking generally because I see these types of questions all the time. Would be great if we didn't have to ask them in the first place.

I’d like to share the Storytelling playlist of Kiri Callaghan: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKv3nOJnmQbQ5Pf07KrnqqgqhoKcc6hq1

Kiri is a writer and actor. She used to have a channel on Geek & Sundry when they were doing vlogs. In these videos she talks about various aspects of telling stories, from characters to emotions to arcs. She uses examples from the games she plays, what she reads, and recently from the webcomic Lore Olympus.

And I just remembered, because another video went up, there’s Gail Carriger: www.youtube.com/user/gailcarriger

She posts her Facebook Live videos, plus others. While there are questions from fans about her books, she often touches on how she writes, the publishing process, promoting books, and so on.