Opinions on race in stories

I’m a woman of colour and well, I think what has been said on this thread has covered.

You do not have to just use your character’s race as a form of struggle/conflict in the story. It can come across as trauma porn and can do more harm than good especially as an individual who hasn’t experienced racism. Same with sexuality, conflict can arise from simple things like different opinions over a project and it can start a rivalry or something like competing over a certain job/role in school.

Rather than making the suffering and trauma of marginalised people be the prime focus, instead you should try to develop your characters with their own quirks, personality traits, pet peeves, etc. When you develop a good idea of what kind of conflicts/drama characters can have between each other. Like a slacker vs a high achiever, they end up arguing over their futures, etc. There is a lot to work with other than making a character’s race and/or sexuality their only trait.

Main thing about representation is POC and LGBTQ+ people want to see people like them in a story, with fully developed characters and just being human. Avoid stereotypes completely, focus on developing decent characters who may need self improvement in ways like learning to love themselves, letting themselves be vulnerable and it goes on. Since you’re doing double life ideas like even a superhero, assassin, spy, an agony aunt/gossip girl kinda vibe could work?

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