How To Write Women Of Color And Men Of Color If You Are White.

How to Write Women of Color and Men of Color if you are White.

A colleague of mine was talking to me recently about her misgivings about her capabilities regarding writing Women of Color. She wanted very badly to include several WOC characters in her sci-fantasy series, but she had some concerns about correct portrayal and writing them in a way that wouldn’t instantly piss people off. I told her I would write something about it that might help. So, here we have it: How to write POC without pissing everyone off and doing a horrible job.

physical intimacy

holding hands under the table

touching your lover's thigh under the table

hiding behind a wall, pulling your lover into a kiss as they walk by

''you need to stop doing that.'' ''do what?'' ''that little eye thing you do when i walk into the room.''

leaving notes in obscure places for your lover to find

pinned against the wall in the elevator

we kissed last night but we have to pretend like nothing happened

your hand is touching mine and i can't stop myself from taking it

making eye-contact with your lover from across the room, gesturing at them to follow you outside

tracing a finger across your lover’s scar

leaning in for a kiss but pulling away last second

whispering ''i love you'' in-between kisses

smiling in-between kisses

intertwining fingers

comparing hand sizes

straddling your lover’s thighs

tying your lover’s tie

falling asleep in your lover's arms

very obviously checking each other out while undressing, trying to deny it even though it's obvious

tending to your lover's wound

kissing your lover's forehead or knuckles

scooting closer to your lover in bed

good morning/good night texts

looking into your lover's eyes, then *gaze drops to lips*

Writing a good antagonist

First I want to start off by saying that an antagonist doesn’t have to be only a person. Anything standing in the way of the protagonist is an antagonist. But for the sake of this post, we’re assuming your antagonist is a person/humanoid thing.

Ask yourself:

Why are they evil/bad?

“They just are” is not an excuse. That’s just weak writing. Dig deep into your character’s insecurities, their past, etc. For example, in Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy is such an absolute dickhead because of his parents high expectations, lack of attention, and him generally being an underdog.

What do they want?

This is an important one. Your protagonist and antagonist should want opposite things. They should be opposing forces, which creates the plot. Figure out both of their goals first, and then start the plot. And “rule the world” isn’t valid. WHY do they want to rule the world? What would that look like for them? Figuring out what your antagonist wants prevents them from becoming a flat character.

How do they get what they want?

What are their tactics? This helps build and form your character. If they’re the antagonist, they must be good at what they do. So how did they get that good? Keep in mind that all character traits are double-sided. For instance, if your character is manipulative, they’re probably also charismatic and know how to size people up. 

How far will they go?

What is their breaking point? When do they back down? Everyone needs a breaking point, and your antagonist does too. Even if they never reach their breaking point (they should get close!) you should know what it is to base their reactions to certain situations off it. 

What would they do if things don’t work out?

Your antagonist could be the most confident person in the world, but no one is perfect and they’re certain to doubt themselves. Do they have a backup plan? Maybe a way to get away if things go downhill for them.  

What are their long term plans?

What will they do when they achieve their goals? What will their everyday life look like? What will the rest of the characters be doing? This is the side of the story where the villain wins. What will happen after the climax if the villain were to win? (also super fun if the villain DOES win!)

→ enemies (to lovers) prompts

"fine, continue to act like you hate me."

"don't you dare look at me that way. not now, after every vile thing we've done to each other."

"i hate you, i hope you don't forget that after tonight."

"why can't we just let whatever this pointless rivalry is go?"

"oh really?" / "yes, really." / "lying doesn't suit you, sweetheart."

"last time i checked, you guys were at each others' throats. how come you're sending heart eyes every time you see her now?"

"i might not be the best at this thing, but like hell i would let you be better than me."

"this is a one-time thing only. don't let me being nice to you get to your head."

"well, well, well. look who's running back into my arms. i told you that i'm irresistible, didn't i?"

"i am not driving home with you, are you crazy?"

"i may not like you, but i'm not heartless."

"say goodbye to being first place, asshole."

"you sound pretty hot when you shut up."

"you know, i still don't really know why i used to despise you."

"happy second anniversary, honey. remember when you first dumped an entire bowl of soup on my lap?"

"the world could really use some of your silence right now."

"your opinion doesn't matter. next, please."

"it seems like i'm out of fucks to give, oops."

"i don't need your pity."

"there are only three things in this world i truly cannot stand: you, you, and you."

"any time something bad happens to me, you've always been there. are you cursing me or something?"

"take your time, darling. hell's happy to wait for you."

"fuck you." / "i'm flattered, really, but no thanks."

free to share and use!

thirty-three questions / ideas to write a sci-fi world

does the story take place on Earth?

when does it take place (future, present, past) ^ side note: it can take place in the past—think of Star Wars' "a long time ago"

what is the government type?

are there extraterrestrial species?

what is the effect of the world to the plot?

what are forms of new technology?

is there a developed timeline?

check out some sci-fi movies and series (Star Wars, Star Trek) and write down the scenes

read some sci-fi books (Ender's Game, Dune) and note the recurring themes and tropes

sci-fi often crosses with dystopia. does your story touch other genres?

what is the main differences between that world and ours?

what languages are spoken?

why did you decide on sci-fi?

draw a map of the world

draw some of the creatures

fix together a playlist from different sci-fi movies and shows to create a background to your story

what books is it inspired by?

could the world be Earth-similar?

what are the great events in this world's history?

how is the culture different?

what foods are common? is it similar to the kind we eat now, or is more developed for activities such as space travel?

what do people in this world wear?

how far have people travelled in this world?

what are common activities in this world?

how is long-distance communication done?

what is the main/Universal tongue?

what are some funky/different trends in this world?

how has technology advanced?

draw out one of the most important places in this world

are the names different? made up, for example

what drives the people in this world?

what is something about this world that is better than ours?

what difference of this world makes it worse?

Heist Gone Wrong Prompts 2

“I don’t ever want to do that again.”

“Well, that was a disaster.”

“You think?”

“I think that went wrong in every way it could’ve.”

“Mistakes have been made.”

“What even happened?”

“Let’s agree to forget this.”

“I mean, it could’ve been worse.”

“This is not what I thought would happen.”

“Maybe we’re not cut out for this…”