Red Thread Of Fate

Red thread of fate

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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.

ingrid sundberg's colour dictionary - writing help

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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!)

Inspiration From Trivia #14

General Character Motivations

Basic Motivations:

Survival

Failure

Peer pressure

Curiosity

Desire

Desire 

Instability

Nobel Motivations:

Love

Loyalty

Honor

Obedience

Inequality

Unfulfillment

Egocentric Motivations:

Vengeance 

Hatred

Dishonor

Pride

Greed

Lust

Jealousy

Fear Motivations:

Humiliation

Death

Pain

Rejection

Loss

Regret

Shame

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Word of The Day　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Frabjous (adj. Author Lewis Carroll, 1871): Delightful; joyous