The Lavender Blog

sassypenguine asks:

Hi! I’m writing a fantasy world where all characters are black/poc. The main cast includes 3 siblings + 2 friends. 

Youngest Sister finds herself taken by Older Brother (we find out later that she went voluntarily, and at the time Middle Brother + company did not know it was Older Brother who had “taken” her). Middle Brother goes on a quest to get her back, accompanied by Sister’s situationship/girlfriend. 

They do finally reach her, but after a fight between the two brothers, she ends up dying. This ultimately sends Middle Brother (main character) into a rage and alters his character forever. 

I understand that fridging is a common trope and one I really don’t want to fall into, particularly because we don’t see a whole lot of Sister before she gets taken (at least in my initial draft, this will likely change). That being said, I have considered changing her gender but also don’t want to take away black lesbian representation. 

There are other female characters (e.g. mom and a mentor who both play a big role, friend/situationship of Sister, side characters) that do alter the thinking of Middle Brother, but none that have as big an impact as Sister does. 

Additionally, I’m aware of the issues revolving around lesbians and the bury your gays trope. I’m less worried about this as there are a number of other queer/gay relationships in the book, though no lesbian relationships as front-facing as Sister and her partner, so perhaps it should be taken into consideration as well. 

Is this falling into the fridging trope? Should I make her a man?

Speaking from a Black woman’s perspective, I’m not a fan of this narrative, as is. Additionally, Black women representation is not interchangeable with “other queer/gay relationships” in the story, particularly Black + lesbian characters. 

However, I do think it can be improved upon! 

Let’s start with the fridging

Fridging treats the woman character as a little more important than an object, she’s a special object, with the sole purpose of motivating a male protagonist. She is killed or harmed in order to do so. Her story arc is put on the shelf, the back burner, if it exists at all.

A comic panel from Green Lantern: a New Dawn, showing him shocked and appalled discovering his dead girlfriend in the refrigerator. -Stuffed into the Fridge - TV Tropes

Intersectionality, representation, and the violence and death we face in stories and reality

Your story has multiple intersections that makes her death something to truly think over and handle intentionally and respectfully, if you still choose to make this character pass away. She is a woman. She is Black woman. She is a Black and lesbian woman.

There are three core identities here whose lives tend to be made expendable in narratives, often killed, for a multitude of unspoken reasons. 

For instance, there’s fridging and bury your gays, as you mentioned. Plus, the sacrificial negro, and the conscious or unconscious punishment of these characters for daring to exist.

Then you have our unfortunate reality. Where women are killed at higher rates globally.

“Every 10 minutes, partners and family members killed a woman intentionally in 2024″

Reading:

-United Nations “Why a woman is killed every 10 minutes: global femicide”

Combine that with being Black and lgbt, and the rates of deadly violence grow.

Just this month of posting this (April 2026) I’ve seen an unfortunate number of reports of Black women murdered. So much so, that I had mistakenly thought I was hearing about the same cases in some of the stories I was seeing…until I saw all their beautiful faces, lined up in one post.

Reading: Call It What It Is: Black Femicide

“Key Takeaways:

Black femicide, or the killing of Black women by intimate partners, is rising sharply.

Black women are disproportionately victims, often killed by gun violence.

Deflection and defending these violent crimes as ‘mental health issues’ are hindering addressing a larger community crisis.”

- Call It What It Is: Black Femicide (April 22, 2026)

Your story does not mention exactly how your character dies, but the two brothers fight and she ends up dead. This seems to imply to me she’s some sort of collateral damage of the dealings of men. Just another factor to be aware of.

All this to say; you must choose wisely when deciding to perpetuate this violence in fiction, particularly that which is not meant to be a social commentary, but is just something that “happens.” Because why is that? The implications will be there, and is something readers will recognize, because truly no writing exists in a vacuum and despite what is or isn’t intentioned, the people will notice.

When we pick up books, we want to see ourselves winning. Or at least, surviving long enough to have a meaningful impact, a storyline of our own. A purpose beyond serving to motivate another’s story… Characters who will ultimately carry on without us.

Where representation is limited and full of harmful, unhappy endings already for these characters, adding another tragedy to the bunch, particularly without thoughtful intention, is not something I advocate for here.

Of course tragedy isn’t forbidden, and writers can write what they please, but since you’ve asked for our help… :P i’d say we take another look at this.

“Should I just make her a man?”

Short answer; no, and that won’t fix things.

I’m never a fan of replacing a Character of Color altogether (especially a Woman of Color, as the representation is even more sparse). That is, unless it’s extremely harmful and the author is unwilling to remove the negative representation or compromise. 

Making her into a Black man isn’t really improving the situation either. Killing off a Black man, or really any Character of Color, with the intent to snub out their story to motivate others, has its problems.

Other fates and story arc for your Black lesbian character

I’d urge you to explore other ways to motivate the Middle Brother besides killing your only prominent Black lesbian character.

If you choose to keep her alive, here are some ideas, just for your consideration

What if she was…

Only thought to be dead, but survives. 

Perhaps separated from the others, making her fate unknown or seem as if death can be the only case? 

For example, falling from a cliff or into the supposedly guaranteed-death-place…but somehow surviving or being caught or saved in the nick of time.

If the story is multi-POV…

She could still be a prominent character on her own journey if/until she reunites with the others, while still motivating the brother who thinks she is dead.

This is more a subversion of the trope, without erasing it. In her brother’s mind, she is dead, and it motivates him. The difference is she is not, and her story continues.

Survives, possibly after a betrayal or suffering* that motivates her brother but…

Give her agency. Your character shouldn’t stay in the theoretical fridge, a passive symbol meant to motivate the man with no motivations of her own. No matter what might / might not happen to her that may fuel your character, give her a storyline afterwards. Her own goals. What does she think of being her brother’s motivation? Does she approve of it, challenge it? Give her an opinion on her place even in another’s journey that plans to use her as a figurehead, perhaps even a part in it.

*In regards to suffering: do look into tragedy exploitation and our other posts about it. Suffering is human, but it’s an issue when it tends to happen to BIPOC the most, or in particular. Physical and sexual assault is a prominent real life concern for the communities you’re writing about, reality but often sensationalized and overly explicit in story. 

As with any of these circumstances, I do hope there is a balance of trauma with some joy, and a somewhat happy ending for your Black, lesbian character!

Note: ask written in consultation with other mods. Black women and/or lesbian and queer followers, please chime in on your thoughts.

For coming up with character names:

Behind the name (my absolute fav)

Allows you to choose the origin of where you want the name to be from, whether you want a more feminine vs masculine vs androgenous name (as voted by users), random surname generator, and clicking on the name gives you important info like if there are any famous people with the same name, where it’s from, how common it is, and how people tend to see it, etc.

You can also search their name database by letter or meaning or origin, so if you know you want a character who has a name/surname that starts with an A from Ireland, there’s a whole list for you to choose from.

Census sites

Especially useful if you’re looking for a name from a specific place and/or time period. Just search “(country) census (year)” and you’ll find a database of real people who lived in that place at that time. No one can ever call your names unrealistic again.

For coming up with place names:

Fantasy name generator

This site can basically come up with any name for any person, place, or thing you might ever need. There are also specific generators for different fandoms if you’re looking to make an OC in an established world.

For finding that one word on the tip of your tongue:

One Look Thesaurus

This is my go-to. Not only can you find synonyms like a regular thesaurus, but you can also describe words like “unhappy smile” or “quiet laugh” to find the more specific word you’re looking for.

For coming up with ideas:

Word cloud

When I need to inspire a new idea, I write down all the things I’m interested in (hauntings, academia, lesbians, etc.) and put them into a word cloud to shuffle them next to each other. Sometimes seeing a concept in a new context can spark new ideas!

WWF Discord

This is my discord channel (shameless plug) for when you need to brainstorm off other people but don’t have anyone irl to talk to. We’re also happy to read and give feedback on writing, answer writing questions, or just chat!

For visualizing places and characters:

Pinterest

Pinterest can at times be a bit too sterile for my tastes, but if you use the right words, you can find more realistic photos of places. For example, adding “aesthetic” after basically any word will bring up a more broad collection of photos to help you flesh out places.

This is also a great way to find photos of people and fashion to help visualize characters. I’m bad at describing clothes, so I usually collect photos of outfits to help me know what my characters are wearing. Searching up “character inspiration” will collect more interesting photos and drawings of people who might not exactly be of our world.

(However, to make Pinterest not show you AI results, you have to go into your settings and check the “reduce AI” box. Luckily, it does mostly work.)

Death to Stock

Like pinterest but completely AI free (hooray!) Only drawback is that you have to pay a monthly subscription (about $20 CAD).

Cosmos

Very similar to pinterest but slightly more "artsy". I'm not super familiar with this one but I believe all the photos are human and you can save them and create collections with a free account.

Dupe Photos

Royalty-free stock image site with very Pinterest-core photos!

Minecraft

If you haven’t built your entire fictional city in Minecraft instead of writing, why not? It’s fun.

The Sims

This one is dual purpose because you can not only create your characters in Create a Sim, but you can design their houses. If you really want to go for it, you can bulldoze all the lots in your town and build your world from scratch.

For checking grammar:

Grammar Girl

Easy to follow definitions and examples, and if you learn better by listening, every article comes with a podcast to follow along with instead.

Grammar Monster

This one is my favourite for checking grammar rules because there’s tons of examples in graphics that helps for any situation.

Reedsy

Among other things, reedsy can connect you to professional editors within your budget.

For writing advice:

One Stop for Writers

This one was recommended from my discord channel and has all sorts of tutorials and resources for the writing craft.

My Blog Directory

Another shameless plug, but if you need writing advice on something specific, you can search through my directory to see if it’s there. If it isn’t, you can always send me an ask about it!

For an alternative to Google Docs:

Ellipsus

Think google docs but without AI. Yay!

Anonymous asked:

Hello! I'm writing a MG fantasy series with a white nonbinary main character who is half-angel and half-demon. They are trying to decide which magical school to go to (the one for angels or the one for demons) and also deal with some prejudices about the fact that they're both an angel and a demon, but at the end of the book they realize that they shouldn't have to choose just one part of their identity, so they make a plan with their professors to go to both schools. (It might also be important to note that in this story, the demons are not portrayed as 'evil' like they traditionally are. Neither are the angels, for that matter. They are more like two sides of the same coin, even if they don't always get along.) The story is based on my own experiences as a bigender person who was often told to 'pick one gender', but after writing the outline I realized that it could also be read as a metaphor for being mixed. Do you have any advice on how to write this story respectfully and avoid stereotypes about mixed people?

Hi! I’m a relatively new mod, and mixed Latina. Any time a story’s thematic argument challenges binary thinking and moves toward more nuance, I’m over here cheerleading from the sidelines. That would have been a very helpful message for me growing up. From what you’ve described, your story isn’t reinforcing harmful ideas about mixed identity but rather dismantling them by showing that the MC doesn’t have to choose one side of themselves over the other.

If your core message is about rejecting the idea that identities must be binary (whether that’s angel v. demon, good v. bad, or even gender) then any harmful prejudices or conflicts in the story should feel like natural extensions of the MC’s internal struggle and the flawed perspectives of those around them, rather than the story itself endorsing those beliefs.

As long as the narrative ultimately affirms wholeness and self-acceptance, you’re on solid ground.

Of course, execution matters, but based on your outline, your thematic structure seems thorough and mindful of the points you’re trying to make. Good luck and happy writing!

-Melanie 🌻

I’m taking a bit of a different direction. I’m intrigued by your concept and want to dig a bit into your metaphors. Personally, I think there absolutely is a way to take this concept and write a focused story on your experience as a bigender person without having to focus on or worry about portraying other intersections like race or ethnicity.

As Melanie mentions, the overall rejection of binaries in your message will resonate with mixed folks regardless, and as your question suggests you’re aware, you can’t actually prevent a reader from giving a story their own meanings. But!

If you want to tell a specific story about gender, there is a way, and that is to make the allegory very specific.

The only reason why the premise might currently be reading as a primarily mixed-race allegory is because I assume your MC is half-angel, half-demon by birth. Your physical appearance and genes are traits that exist from birth and cannot be hidden from the world or changed drastically.

But gender identity varies by person whether it’s been the same since birth or has changed over time. And you can choose to emphasize or hide your gender identity by employing different physical presentations, encouraging society to categorize you based on different gendered traits.

Change, transformation, and performance can be empowering in the context of gender, though it can also be used to shame and oppress (you can change your appearance to come out or go into the closet in equal measure). 

In the context of race, it’s almost entirely the shame and oppression half (think racefaking, race-fishing, people going under the knife or spending money on cosmetics to change racialized features, and so on). So it’s not exactly the same. 

To be clear—I’m not saying that you shouldn’t make your MC mixed angel-demon by birth. They can still absolutely be mixed in the story (see my point above on metaphor ambiguity being fine and good!).

Just consider de-emphasizing overt physical aspects to how one is categorized as an angel or demon (like wings, horns, etc). But maybe, at the same time:

Could there be nonsense about what facial traits make someone more angel-like or demon-like?

That one “can tell?”

That certain looks are more desirable for angels & demons? 

Consider adding proportionally much more to the metaphor that makes angel or demon status something that is embodied, presented, and performed, just like gender.

Maybe there are ritual aspects through which angels & demons must constantly prove their status to society and to their peers.

Maybe what people consider angel-like or demon-like are conventionalized norms that are followed and/or broken.

If you’re not doing so already, you can mold the culture of your angel & demon schools after gender-segregated boarding schools, with all of the traditions, taboos, and social microcosms that those come with. There may be linguistics quirks or social etiquette rules that vary based on whether you identify—or are identified as—an angel “or” a demon.

You’re already there with the idea that neither angels nor demons are good or bad, but don’t always get along; is their rivalry innate, or socially conditioned? Are angels & demons merely socialized to think of themselves as adversaries?

Sounds familiar! 

As a mixed person, I personally find your story a lot more interesting when told through this specific lens of gender. There’s a fair number of stories out there of characters dealing with reconciling two or more heritages or getting them recognized by the world. There’s also a fair number of stories out there commenting on cis-patriarchy and the way men and women are divided and oppressed, but more often told from the perspective of cis people within the system.

Your story which focuses on a character whose first reaction to the binary is “nope, I’m both of those” will be a unique and meaningful contribution to the ecosystem!

Anonymous asked:

Hello I have a fantasy setting with several different cultures, which are based on real ones. I have a pirate group consisting of people with different ethnicities and most of them are from the south east coded region (continental part closer to India/Sri Lanka and islands have several other inspirations etc.). Their pirate group has smth like a “robin hood” ideology — stealing from the rich and giving to the poor and stuff. I know that there is a stereotype of people of color being criminals and violent in general, and I remember reading about other south asian coded pirates on your page, but would their ideology make any difference? Like it is still messy, out-of-the-law and all, but comes with a selfless idea in mind. Another problem needed to consider: I don’t have much characters from the mentioned region and the pirate gang has kind of an episodic appearance. Would their group than be considered a tokenism? Also one of the pirates falls into the “big scary dark-skinned warrior” territory and I don’t know if his “softer inner side” would make this stereotype less harmful. Should I change his ethnicity or having other people on the team will make it less problematic? That’s also the question applied to the whole pirate team in mind. p.s.: sorry if I made some mistakes or wrote in a kind of jumbled style — I’m still learning the language (im russian)

Breaking up my response into three distinct sections, for each of the different potential problems raised here.

Also, before we begin, a gentle correction: the regions you have mentioned (India and Sri Lanka) fall geographically under South Asia, not South East Asia. 

Q. 1 “Do the South Asian coded pirates play into racialized stereotypes, i.e. people of color being associated with crime, violence etc. ?”

It is always good to be vigilant when basing your fantasy characters off real-world cultures, more so when they are not not white. However, while you could rightfully argue that racial coding in popular fantasy often negatively targets minority groups, you should also be aware that stereotypes can be vastly different across various communities. 

Hell, South Asian literary/cultural history is rife with contradictions: the Wikipedia page for South Asian stereotypes has a separate sub-section for region-specific historical prejudices.

Even a cursory look at Indian literature, media and cultures will reflect the historical tensions between various communities, and how such tensions shape popular representations.

Before you start to go down the rabbit hole of worrying about potential stereotyping, you'll need to do the following:

Be specific about which exact cultures/communities you are drawing from.

“South Asia” is an enormous region, comprising several countries; India alone has more ethno-linguistic and cultural diversity than can be homogenized by a general “brown people” identifier.

I am hazarding a guess that you are taking inspiration from the Dravidian ethnolinguistic groups–the Tamil, Telegu, Kannadiga, Malayali, Gondi people etc. to name a few–very roughly corresponding to parts of South India and Sri Lanka, which you have mentioned.

But even that doesn't really narrow it down, because a) there are many Dravidian groups, each with their own specific cultural markers b) I don't have enough information about your specific inspirations for racial coding, to make any further assumptions. 

Once you have narrowed down which exact cultures you are drawing from, research them thoroughly, looking into potential grey areas and historical stereotypes. In your case, focus on prejudices pertaining to violence or aggressive crime among said groups.

See, as a Bengali from an Indian Hindu family, I am also South Asian, but we are not traditionally stereotyped as violent criminals; instead, Bengalis are more likely to be depicted as lazy, servile or effeminate (in case of Bengali men), or “false” Hindus, for reasons stemming both from colonial history and present-day xenophobia.

My point being, when you derive inspiration from real-life cultures, you need to know the implications of group-wise stereotyping; this helps to refine your sensitivity research and identify specific tropes that may be offensive.

Now that you have identified both the group, and its associated stereotypes, ask yourself: are you actually challenging it or reinforcing it?

Intent =/ outcome.

A classic example of overzealous representation for me is George R. R. Martin’s Dorne in A Song of Ice and Fire, where there seems to be a sort of cognitive dissonance between intent and outcome. On the one hand, it refashions a geographically distinct ethno-linguistic group, partially inspired by MENA and Moorish cultural heritage, as being more “sexually liberated” and radically progressive than their Westerosi counterparts; on the other, there is the looming presence of persistent Orientalist undertones every time Dorne shows up in the series, including hypersexualization of the few recurring Dornish characters.

With all that being said, here is the final thing you need to ask yourself.

What representation do you hope to achieve through your South Asian pirate characters?

Will you be actively challenging stereotypes presented against them? Or are these stereotypes perpetuated, even unintentionally, by your narrative?

Mod Abhaya mentions an important point: when you speak of ideology (Are they anti-imperialist, and fighting to reclaim their indigenous land?), you must also remember to contextualize it against South Asian history, specifically documentation of armed resistance, people's rebellions, and piracy/crime in the regions you draw inspiration from.

Also, on that note:

Are the pirates, even with their Robin Hood ideology, presented as “activists gone too far” in their stance against authority, like, say, Jet from Avatar?

Does the narrative show the heroes as being more morally pure/sound than them?

Will the pirate group be presented as misguided but well-intentioned, to be “redeemed” by their interactions with non-South Asian characters? 

TL:DR;

Select a specific group/culture instead of blanket generalization → Research historical and contemporary stereotypes about said group to identify vulnerable areas to avoid → Actively challenge and resist these prejudices and biases. 

Q. 2 “Is this kind of representation tokenism?”

Please refer to our General FAQ post on tokenism first.

More on tokenism: What Is Tokenism, and Why Does It Matter in the Workplace? by Vanderbilt University

From a glance at the information provided, I personally think that in the current state of your WIP, these characters’ inclusion does sound like tokenism, particularly because you mention that you don't really have many other South Asian-coded characters (There is some information missing: what about the ethnicities of your other characters, especially the protagonists–are they primarily white? Is there any South Asian character of particular significance?) 

To avoid this, you might think of adding more South Asian characters with plot relevance, who are not affiliated to this group. Also avoid using the characters in a very heavy handed sense, by which I merely mean: don't use them as mere mouthpieces to make long, insincere monologues about racism or social issues faced by this particular community, especially if they have a very minor appearance in the plot. This practice reeks of artificial diversity. 

Q. 3. “Is it racist to play into the strong, brown warrior trope, even if he has a softer side?”

Let's be blunt for a second. Why do you think this might come off as possibly racist? Why are you so sure that your writing plays into the racialized trope?

Have you portrayed this character to be standoffish, aggressive or in an otherwise negative light?

Is his physique and skin color presented to be inherently scary?

Is his “softer inner side” presented as a surprise reveal, for comedic or shock value, or in direct juxtaposition to his physical features?

Are there lighter skin characters from other ethnic groups specifically, who are depicted to be afraid of him, especially for laughs?

Are there other characters with a similar personality/build, who are not South Asian, and if not, why did you feel drawn to portray this character in particular?

Check internal biases, and see if you can trace authorial logic and answer your own question. 

Also related, see this WWC post about racial stereotyping, and poverty driving BIPOC to crime.

All the best with your project.

-Mod Mimi [ Here is my kofi, I am a trans and queer student currently struggling with work and education, any tips are highly appreciated, if you are in a position to donate! ]

First, let’s discuss culture.

What are the other cultures you have utilized in building your setting?

You mention this group having episodic appearances within your setting, with few characters originating from their region. I’d invite you to question why that is and what it means to have the majority of your South Asian characters associated with piracy.

Contextualize them with your other characters and see if you have written in general patterns.

Also, you are condensing many cultures under a single label of South Asian in this case–determining the actual reference points that you want to draw from will enhance your research. 

Second, ideology.

How does their ideology play out?

What are the forces in opposition to your pirates?

Are they combating imperialism and/or other oppressive forces?

Interrogate the reasons why they would be choosing to do so. The framing of these characters as pirates, even with a Robin Hood ideology, opposition to the law–what is the structure that they are fighting against?

Additionally, the methods by which they try to resolve this conflict will change how they come across. If they are fighting on the same side as your heroes, what distinguishes them beyond in-group / out-group definitions via appearance? 

Third, bias.

What role is the pirate gang playing within the larger narrative?

Why are they the majority if not all of your South Asian characters?

Try to investigate the origins of these characters and why it’s coming across as problematic within your own mind.

As Mod Mimi said, why did you feel drawn to portray these characters in this manner?

Anonymous asks:

The main character of my story is an eleven-year-old black-and-asian girl who’s just moved to a little hamlet in northern Scotland. The first two people she meets, a pair of siblings about her age who have never seen anyone with dark skin or hair that isn’t straight and blonde or red, are gobsmacked to see her. Everyone knows everyone in that hamlet and they all see each other as family, so the siblings have never had to learn how to greet a stranger. They immediately start poking and prodding her, and asking what in the world she did to her hair, her skin, her eyes, and she grumpily asks what they did to theirs. There’s no malice behind their poking and prodding, only curiosity, and after this scene, no one bothers her about what she looks like again. This sequence is played for laughs, but is this the kind of thing that’s okay to play for laughs? I also want to make sure I handle it as tactfully as possible. This scene is used to establish that my main character is very out-of-place in the hamlet, and to show that the siblings are extremely sheltered and ignorant about the wider world.

As is, the “joke” is not funny; it’s just ignorant 

I do not see the humor in mocking a Black and Asian girl for their very natural traits, that have a heavy weight of discrimination and systematic racism working against them already, both historically and very much currently. 

You also describe her as being “poked and prodded" by these white girls. That alone is obtrusive and dehumanizing, to have them touch her to assuage their own curiosity like she is an object. Is this meant to be part of the humor too? If so, it also does not land.

Your story would not feel like a safe space, at least not for me, and likely other readers, if you make humor out of othering a BIPOC’s common physical looks and traits. This comes across as racism from the author, no matter your light-hearted intent.

“…and she grumpily asks what they did to theirs.”

Your Blasian character’s mumbled comeback doesn’t hold equal weight when these girls do not have historical racialized prejudice against them for their hair, skin, and eyes, particularly in the setting of your story where these white people's hair, skin and eyes are the norm and deemed acceptable. 

Your Woman of Color is outnumbered here; besides possibly mild discomfort, this comment won’t leave these white girls feeling out of place when they have a nation of blond-haired, redheaded people to back up that they are the majority and the “normal” and she is the odd-one out. 

Unless the character takes it to their level with the comments and returns the evasion of personal space, this simply feels like she’s saying “I know you are, but what am I?” and that's enough correction to address their racism and dehumanization, intentional or not.

Race-based humor requires a delicate, expert touch

All that being said; a scene of surprise and humor related to her presence could take place, and it could even be “funny” without singling out the Character of Color as being the victim of a joke” for being Black and Asian. 

The success of your joke will depend on if it’s relatable to BIPOC, vs. it appearing as if you’re just making fun of our features, cultures and existence.

It should make us feel vindicated and satisfied with the outcome, vs. simply reminding us of the harm and othering people do/have done to us in similar situations.

There is a distinct difference between laughing with a joke and being laughed out: being the punchline of said joke. When the latter happens, I’d know I am in enemy territory and the book will be put down for good.

I wouldn’t trust what is next to come if this is the first impression we’re getting of how you’ll treat this character.

And it’s not about not being able to take a joke — we sure can! 

Humor is actually a key component in many Black communities (particularly American which is where my perspective comes from), a way to honor the good moments and to process trauma and ongoing harm. 

There’s also a distinct difference between laughing at ourselves and among common company vs. someone intruding in our spaces to make a joke at our expense. 

Comedic writing

Important note to any comedic writers: there are cases where some topics and moments will simply not be funny to most, especially coming from an outsider of the group.

(Notes on my experience: I am a HUGE comedy fan with a natural love for humor, consume comedic-material daily, and attend live comedic performances. My laughter can be heard across the nation.)

Comedians as research

Humor that pertains to race (and towards all marginalized communities, really) must punch up, not down, or it’s not really a joke. It is just thinly veiled racism/sexism/phobia, etc. This concept applies to all comedy and some comedians handle it well, while others (too many) fail. Time and place makes a major difference as well. 

For research, you could do the following:

Search examples of humor based on race, gender, religion etc. where audiences either loved it or condemned the comedian for it. This could give you a baseline on how it’s done well and when it lands poorly. You can learn a lot from both cases.

Read and watch people’s reactions and discourse of said jokes, particularly from the very people from those communities. (e.g., If the bad joke harmed or targeted Black women, give weight to their discourse over any other group. Period.)

Where to find these jokes and discourse

Search engine search

YouTube

Comedian social media pages

Instagram

TikTok

Facebook

Blogs

Streaming channels like Netflix

Jokes found within TV shows, particularly shows with more risque or blunt jokes that make identity-humor (The Office (US), Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Curb Your Enthusiasm, etc.)

And don’t forget to look at the comment sections.

Questions to ask yourself while researching:

Failed jokes/comedy towards marginalized groups

What did people [of the identity] find offensive about the joke(s)? 

Beyond obvious fails such as using slurs from outside the group or black/brown/yellowface, what aspects in their delivery made a joke fail, whether overt or more subtle aspects of it?

Did present or historical context affect the failure of the joke?

What was the aftermath or consequences from the joke and overall community reactions? 

Does the comedian’s background seem to contribute to the failure of the joke? (For example, having a history of picking on a certain group, their history of interactions with said group, documented history of racism, anti-xxx, sexism, assault, etc.)

Successful jokes/comedy towards marginalized groups

What did people [of the identity] find funny about the joke? 

What aspects in their delivery made a joke land, whether in overt or subtle ways?

Does present or historical context affect the success of the joke?

What was the aftermath from the joke and overall community reactions? 

Does the comedian’s background seem to contribute to the success of the joke? (For example, being an ally or having strong activism in the group, being connected to the group via partner, family or friendships, being of the same background, etc.)

Addressing the racism in story

As we’ve said before: if there are microaggressions/racism in your story, it should be corrected and addressed in the story. 

It should not be brushed off or used as humor with no commentary. 

From how you describe these girls, I'm curious if they're just crass children, or truly do not know it’s wrong to treat strangers like this. I’ve got a lot of nieces and nephews, and even the ones a little younger/around that age you mention would know better than to start touching people and making such comments. 

Of course, people are raised in different ways and cultures vary, so maybe this is realistic for them. 

Reactions (from my experiences) of someone talking/interacting with BIPOC for the first time

Staring unyieldingly with open curiosity (sometimes expressionless, sometimes with a smile, rarely have I seen over the top fear or panicked reactions, but they could happen?)

Blunt compliments, observations and questions (e.g., She was dark and she was beautiful! The lady with beautiful dark skin! He had big hair!)

An excessive amount of comments and questions to the point of feeling invasive or like a dissection 

Asking why their skin/hair/eyes are how they are (e.g., why is your skin dark? Why is my skin light and your skin is dark?)

Comparing darker skin to things they’re familiar with like chocolate and night skies (obviously not greatttt, but is just a common comparison children might make, again from what I've observed)

Referring to brown skin as being painted

Asking if they are dark because they spent too much time in the sun

Giving them a nickname based on their appearance (e.g., The brown lady)

Reaching out or trying to touch hair, skin etc. or pointing at them

The above, including the examples, are exact scenarios I’ve witnessed and experienced first-hand from white and light-skinned children of younger ages, generally 4-7years, having reactions or making comments of curiosity about skin and traits that are different than theirs. 

Handling these reactions

Obviously children of this age are generally innocent and these questions/observations aren’t generally said with malice. But when they are wrong, offensive or are rooted in racism, they absolutely need correction, whether bluntly if they’re older, or in a kid-appropriate way.

I believe that these children do:

1.Deserve an answer, explained in a way they would understand. We shouldn’t shy around the topics and it is not shameful to talk about race! Colorblindness is not real and is a racist concept itself that attempts to erase and culturally-diminish BIPOC, so it’s okay to discuss. Children of Color are born with the burdens of racism from day one and can/do face it at all ages, so yes, let’s answer their curious questions, but correct where needed.

2. Can handle gentle corrections.

Examples:

“You shouldn’t call the woman chocolate. She’s a person, like you. She is not made of candy. You can refer to her skin as brown.”

“That’s enough questions. Let them answer your first question, if they want to.”

“You can look at him, but staring is not very polite. Would you like to say hello?”

“We do not touch people without permission. Would you like it if a stranger touched your hair and clothes?”

Adding humor to these moments

I suppose there are ways to make some of these reactions humorous. Your mileage will vary, though. I’d like to note that Alice, who grew up in a predominantly white European country, says your current scenario brings up bad memories for her. You’ll hear from Mod Abhaya as well.

So, what you may see as funny may be more discomforting to another.

I’d advise getting opinions on these scenes to gauge reactions from Black, Asian and other BIPOC and readers overall (of any race).

Here are some ways that a curious/ignorant reaction could, possibly, be funny in story:

Your Blasian character corrects them with a long, silent scalding look that makes them wither and instantly regret and realize they’ve said something ignorant. They have to do the thinking themselves to realize their wrongdoing.

She rewards their ignorance with a spray of a water bottle or a swat of a handkerchief, fan, or whatever is era-appropriate. A few words explaining why she’s doing it would reiterate the fault in their words. Note: this works best if physical humor is part of your story, otherwise it can unfairly paint her as violent. If other characters get involved in the corrections, that would help too.

She returns their treatment equally. (e.g., they pet her skin? She pets theirs. They compare her hair to something odd and unflattering? She compares theirs to greasy noodles and dead grass)

If excessive questions are asked, she returns the favor and asks her own and makes them feel uncomfortable right back (see above)

The character intentionally provides tall tale explanations. It could be simple or a myth of epic proportions. Whether they believe it or not, at least at first, could determine how funny it is).

The girls, having realized their innocent/ignorant wrongdoing, apologize in an over-the-top way that entertains your character.

Again! Please correct or chastise this behavior in the narrative

Whether from characters or author, this behavior should be deemed unacceptable.

In Summary:

Framing the ignorant comments as being the source of humor is something I'd advise against. Source the humor from the resulting consequences that come from their ignorant actions. Let your Character of Color get the true last laugh.

And if the children grow sullen or have their feelings hurt in this story, well, lesson learned to treat the young woman like a human.

Additionally, I'd avoid making truly egregious comments about the character's appearance. It may be fiction, but such words hurt when us real people have these features.

Take your creator responsibility role seriously. You are writing the words of these fictional characters, and some things cannot be unheard or taken back.

~Mod Colette

Intent does not excuse harm

Short answer: an individual lack of malice does not mean that someone’s actions are not harmful or indicative of broader attitudes. Playing something like this for laughs, when many people have had bad experiences like this, leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Longer answer: 

There are a couple of aspects of this that I would ask you to consider. 

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@truelexblue asked:

Hi, i'm playing as a character I created from a previous ttrpg and adapted for a pathfinder campaign. in this universe i've made her a Black-coded tiefling wizard (because tieflings are cool). Since I'm inexperienced with writing villains, I made her neutral evil. After her parents sent her to an academy with good intentions, my character's mentors abused her talents. Due to their ruthless methods, the void fractured her mind. Now her core memories lie dormant, replaced with revenge and self-destruction. I'm thinking about asking my dm if the rest of the party can help her with the power of friendship (so she doesn't destroy herself and everyone else with her own everything bagel) Am i avoiding harmful stereotypes of black women? I'll try my best to show how broken and unstable she became from her trauma behind closed doors. additionally, there doesn't appear to be any parallels of real life systemic racism in the campaign's setting. [ask slightly trimmed for brevity]

So this sounds interesting but with multiple pitfalls concerning the Strong Black Woman stereotype but also ableism. Intersectionality is important.

The power of friendship helps 

It’s great if the power of friendship could be a support for your character and allows her to be vulnerable from time to time. Especially when it comes to trauma, there could be this ingrained sense that she needs to keep herself together at all times and never show the messier sides of what trauma can do to you.

Portray the abuse mindfully

Given how the evil-alignment was literally forced on her with the abuse, you’ll need to be mindful of how she can be demonized for her mental health, doubly because of the Strong Black Woman stereotype, where people would have higher expectations of her keeping it together. 

There’d be respectability politics going on as well as she’d be demonized for showing symptoms and deemed dangerous. 

Self-destruction and the Black women feel less stereotype

Given her powers, that would go double. Another thing that comes to mind it that whole “Black Women feel less pain” bs which could also play a part if you lean into the self-destructive aspect of her story. I don’t only mean the physical aspects; there’s multiple and more subtle ways that can play out. 

But when it goes hand in hand with the Strong Black Woman stereotype, it could lead to: 

Downplaying of her suffering

Being overlooked, and

less compassionate responses from those around her.

Trauma shouldn’t be an excuse for her evil-alignment but it can lead to toxic coping mechanisms and ideas, especially since she seems maybe somewhat brainwashed by her mentors. 

If she’s forced to stop using her usual coping mechanisms and unlearning toxic behaviour and ideas, maybe by her friends, that would mean she’d also need to learn better ways. 

That’s a very messy process that isn’t linear and so those moments will be a quagmire in terms of how to perceive those mess ups:

Will she be demonized for it? 

Will those high expectations choke her process? 

Will she swing hard in the other direction and dig her heels in?

Her background of trauma

As for the traumatic background, it’s good to show the actual effects of trauma on a character and how it created an unsteady foundation for them as they grew up. That is something I see often attempted but also often poorly executed, so extra mindfulness and care on that part is warranted. 

Trauma doesn’t equate to becoming evil, but there are many messy aspects and chances for toxicity if not worked on/treated by said character. Cycle-breaking is a real, complex, and nuanced thing to explore.

The power of friendship can be a great support, but I’d warn against having that be the sole thing that heals them if healing is part of their story. Allow for relapses, and mess ups.

DCxDP

There! That's the Ghost Who's Been Stealing My Shit!, T, 16.6k: Imagine Danny goes to college in Gotham. Given his halfa nature, he's fairly not worried about most parts of Gotham and given he needs less sleep now, he likes to wander campus and Gotham itself like he's a natural Gothathes…at night like the half dead-half living man he was.

During these wanderings, he finds pieces of bat tech from fights. He figures it's safer in his care(and because he's really curious about the local vigilantes) so…he takes it.

It's usually just tiny things that the bats– probably –wouldn't even notice gone and he has things to fiddle with now. Unfortunately(for the bats), he finds Red Hood's destroyed helmet and takes it back to his dorm to fix, figuring it would allow him to return most of the items he snatched without a second thought. He doesn't realize it has an active tracker in it so the bats, when they activate it and discover it on the Gotham University campus, reasonably panic and flip on the camera...only to come face to face with adoption bait using bits of their missing tech to fix the helmet.

"Kidnapped" by A Teenager, T, 16.5k (Will Have 2nd Chapter): It was supposed to be a simple outing for the various members of the Wayne Family— legality notwithstanding —but then a simple message was sent in the group chat by Jason upon his disappearance's notice: "Going to Doctor's. Might be back by dinner"

Was it sudden? Yes, given he had come to the mall with them, but they tried not to worry. This was Jason, after all. The man probably had "crime lord" business to handle that allowed him an easy out of socializing.

It only became worrying when dinner went by and he was seen walking into a camera's blindside at the mall with a teen but not exiting the mall.

Stolen Jacket, Glowing Rock, T, 3.1k: Knifknightkorner on Tumblr: “Danny is a sewer monster. He is a little snakey fella.

The Bats catch word of a creature in the sewers that not even Grundy or Killer Croc want to tussle with.

This is how Jason ends up trekking through the sewers looking for whatever stole his favorite jacket. He stumbles across a nest(?) that has an odd glowing rock in the middle. He found his jacket though...wrapped around the rock.

Danny finds Red Hood in his nest, the guy isn't hurting Ellie so he seems all right.

Now the Bats are panicking because Jason's gone missing.

The Bats catch word of a creature in the sewers that not even Grundy or Killer Croc want to tussle with.

This is how Jason ends up treking through the sewers looking for whatever stole his favorite jacket. He stumbles across a nest(?) that has an odd glowing rock in the middle. He found his jacket though...wrapped around the rock.

Danny finds Red Hood in his nest, the guy isn't hurting Ellie so he seems all right.

Now the Bats are panicking because Jason's gone missing.

My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia

Tale of a Vigilante and a Hero, T, 7.9k: (BKDK) Katsuki has been keeping an eye on his childhood friend, usually delivering food and other supplies at varied intervals. It helps that Inko and Mitsuki have been helping given Izuku was sort of wanted for vigilante activities.

Currently, he has a deal with Izuku: If he gives Katsuki information on the villains they need and not go out hunting them himself, he gets a visit with supply deliveries and sometimes a kiss, if Katsuki wasn't busy. He added a bite mark to the list but anything to keep him safe.

Katsuki's Beast, T, 5.9k: (BKDK) Honestly, you couldn't fault Katsuki for what happened. Kids were known for making promises and telling their name for anything to anyone and he was not told about these things.

When Katsuki was two, he accidentally made a deal with a demon his age.

Neither really understood their situation, happily playing until their mothers arrived and had to explain that they were now bound to their promise and bound together by their souls. The latter had them excitedly talking about now being "soulmates" and Katsuki proudly exclaimed he will keep "his new friend Deku" safe.

I'm Not Afraid of Bakugou, I'm Afraid of Izuku, M, 3.8k: (BKDK) Denki and Mina had begun light-heartedly teasing him about being scared of their hot-headed classmate, but usually dropped it after Kirishima agreed that Katsuki was terrifying.

Today was one of those days where they were left back at UA while Katsuki and Izuku were on a date. Of course, they were teasing the unnatural red head when he told them the truth. It made the gossip group pause and look over at him.

"What? Kiri. Come on." Mina laid a pink hand on his knee. "You know we don't actually care if you're scared of him, right?"

Sero threw an arm over his shoulder and bonked their heads together. "Yeah, man. Bakugou can be a bit terrifying at times, especially if we mess with his night-time routine."

"Or enter the kitchen while he's cooking!", Denki added from the floor with a charger in his mouth.

"Sorry if it seemed like we were bull-"

Kirishima cut Jirou off with a long sigh as he ran a hand over his face. "I'm not scared of Bakugou!…anymore. I stopped being scared of him sometime in first year, but I'm…I'm petrified of…I am terrified of Midoriya."

Overgrown Puppy, T, 6.3k: Wolfman was an unoriginal and annoying villain, according to Katsuki, who had a bad history of successfully evading capture. She was fast, vicious in her attacks, known for avoiding conflict/interaction wherever possible, and currently one of Izuku's favorite villains to analyze whenever she cropped up.

Izuku happened to also have a stupidly large heart with no common sense and practically adopted the young villain upon first fight given she was only eleven, dragging his classmates and pro-heroes he's partnered with into countless attempts to capture her like she was a stray cat he wishes to earn the affections of. This was, unfortunately, something Aizawa taught his class.

This meant, despite now being third years, they were willing to follow Izuku into his latest attempt to capture her with their own pro-heroes in toe. The classmates who decided to join him, if not to help with his self-imposed mission but to keep him out of the hospital, were Dynamight(Bakugou Katsuki) with Best Jeanist, Uravity(Uraraka Ochako) with Snipe…and Hawks, who had been nearby. He didn't have a classmate with him today as Tokoyami was sick.

Technically Not a Sugar Daddy, T, 13.3k: (BKDK) Neither knew how it happened. Katsuki had been giving Izuku money and gifts since part way through Middle School in exchange for the green-haired boy to stay away from Katsuki, but eventually, it slowly changed to be deals that if Katsuki gives Izuku money, he had to do XYZ.

Essentially, Izuku walks up to Katsuki and asks him about some merch he wanted and Katsuki gave him the money for it in exchange for him to do various things like triple check his homework, go to bed at a reasonable hour, stop eating unhealthy food for X amount of days, etc. This didn't change when they entered UA, the two used to being subtle about this unique aspect of their relationship.

Little did they know that their classmates were more aware of their surroundings than their Middle School classmates and had begun to notice the odd interactions between the two followed by Izuku being ordered around by Katsuki.

Accidentally Smitten: A Childhood Engagement Story, T, 9.5k: (Sequal to Technically Not a Sugar Daddy) It was embarrassing, really embarrassing. Hell, it was a miracle neither of the three parents brought up their childhood engagement since they entered middle school.

It all happened one day after kindergarten when Mitsuki came to pick the two boys up. Katsuki, holding Izuku's hand with a wide smile, loudly told her he was going to marry Izuku who, with red cheeks, just nodded. He wore a blinding smile when she asked him if he really did want to marry her son.

The two just looked so happy about marrying each other that she couldn't help but play along, telling Inko and Masaru all about it so they, too, could play along. The kids even asked all three parents about their weddings and happily chatted about the photos they were shown.

Mitsuki, Masaru, and Inko believed it was a fading interest that they had stumbled upon because their teacher had recently gotten married. Unfortunately, the three forgot how obsessed their sons get about topics that catch their attention and how they never give up on those topics.

Hawks Like it Hot, E, 6.3k: (DabiHAwks, EnHawks) Hawks gets hit by a quirk while on patrol with Endeavor that forces a very suppressed desire (especially when he learned the truth) of his to come back with a vengeance and sends him into a near delirious state until it's fulfilled. Thankfully, his ex was forced to stay with daddy-dearest(court ordered) and allowed this quirk to be dealt with. Now if only they'd stop arguing while in his ass and just get to it!

Danger Sense Doesn't Activate Over Boobs, T, 2.9k: What if Katsuki was the, accidental, reason behind Izuku's fear of boobs? (Lots of Angst, Boys are traumatized and Aizawa is exasperated)

Submissive Stress Relief, M, 8.3k: (Sort of BKDK) 5 Times Class 3A Theorized About Izuku's and Katsuki's Relationship + 1 Time They Were Told

Given the state of Katsuki's and Izuku's friendship, when they first arrived to UA, it wasn't a shock that it took months for them to make up and patch up their rocky relationship.

They needed to take things slow and work through their personal issues, whether that's in- or outside of mandatory daily counseling sessions– something that only happened after Katsuki exploded and accidentally revealed his true feelings during a lecture from Aizawa –with Hound Dog and an outside relationship counselor.

However, it was around the end of the second term of their second year that their relationship truly started to more obviously change in day-to-day life. Training stayed the same, of course, albeit going a bit smoother not that they seem to be communicating better, but it was in their everyday lives that were visibly different. To the point that even those not in class 2A noticed.

Felon BF Discovered? Oops!...C'est La Vie, T, 2.4k: (BKDK) Out of curiosity and worry, Rumi decided to "break"(She has a key) into Keigo's apartment to see what he's been cagey about. She enlists the help of two other blonds who seemed to be only others who Keigo deemed friends though neither were expecting to find a heavily tattooed and pierced man walking out of the hallway in nothing but a shirt and boxers, fresh from a shower. They also were not expecting to see an ankle monitor.

Kacchan's Special Lunches, T, 4.2k: (BKDK) During a villain attack, a civilian doctor accidentally activates their quirk and uses it on Katsuki, much to his annoyance. Said quirk causes the one who is hit to lactate upwards up a few months but as it was an accident, he was stuck lactating for only 24 hours.

Puberty for an Incubus Hurts in More Ways Than One, G, 2.9k: Though succubi were well-known and feared due to rumors of them only feeding off of sexual energy and feeding off people's life-forces, even if that was technically true in the very distant past, they lived rather normal lives and often only created other succubi or human boys. Very rarely did one ever create an incubus, happening once every three hundred years. Izuku was that incubus though wasn't born the healthiest.

Unfortunately, his puberty hit him earlier than expected. He went to bed early, pain hitting him as he got under the covers. When he wasn't ready for school the next day, his friend tried to see what was going on only to hear his muffled screaming as pain wracked through his hot body and his stomach felt like several broken bones all at once.

Aizawa was called, his room was entered, and he was rushed to the ER with fanged teeth latched tightly around the hero's capture weapon as he was wrapped tightly in his blanket.

Fun Games In The League of Villains, T, 8.4k: Mostly out of boredom, and partially because none of them had grown up exactly healthy, the League of Villains found ways of…entertaining themselves when they were making plans. And of course, Hawks knew they'd have strange behaviors based on their info sheets alone. He just hadn't expected them to be so…violent?

Hawks discovered five games, in particular, that caught his interest and wasn't sure if he should tell the Commission. Were these games even important information?

Mr.Pro-Hero Man: Never Meet Your Heroes, T, 3.7k: All Might was everything Izuku wanted to be! He was big and strong and saved people with a smile, a beacon of hope. The Symbol of Peace. So imagine how Izuku felt when his hero, one of his reasons for wanting to be a hero, offered him a chance at being just like him! How could he not jump at that chance?

Now though? Now, at sixteen, dragging his feet on his way home after yet another lecture about how he made a mistake during training, Izuku wanted to smack his younger self.

There's a reason they say to never meet your heroes…

Dabi's Dancey Dance, T, 3.8k: (DabiHawks) Dabi, out of curiosity and because he wanted to mess with Hawks, decided to give the hero a little dance that's similar to several mating dances he's seen when researching some bird habits, albeit deciding on a combination of samba and salsa. He even practiced it a bit as to not cremate the bird hero and planned to use his quirk a little extra intrigue as he didn't have colorful wings but did have a colorful quirk.

All he had to do was get Hawks to the warehouse under the guise of their usual meeting, make sure his wings were tucked close, and give him a little show.

Operation: Space Invader, G, 4.1k: Due to growing up with Katsuki, the boy who treated Izuku's personal space like his own, and never really having anyone close enough to correct him, Izuku never learned what personal space was thus leading to his interesting encounters at UA once he started to make friends.

Why Don't You Take Me Downtown Anymore?, T, 5.4k: (EraserMic) After listening to Hizashi complaining about Aizawa not taking downtown like they used to for months, even going as far as playing similar songs on his show, the tired man gave in and planned a night out. He even got Hizashi's favorite outfit washed and prepared his own, something different than his usual jumpsuit or sweatpants.

He'll make sure to do smaller outings afterwards, of course, but he'll take the massive hit to his energy to see his husband happy.

Biologically Wired to Think Enji's Eldest is Hot, M, 6k: (DabiHawks) After months of sleeping around(or just making out) with most of the cold-blooded and avian mutant population that frequented a secret heteromorph club, Dabi accidentally gets on the nerves of a specific group who both hated that he A) frequented a club meant for mostly heteromorphs and B) is a non-heteromorph sleeping around with only specific heteromorphs.

Said group, after seeing him at a gathering and easily slipping between partners like usual, made the brash decision to turn the gathering into a hostage situation. They made one mistake, however: they kidnapped Endeavor's eldest son.

Wise Men Say "Only Fools Rush In", M, 24.9k: (DabiHawks) Dabi and Hawks break up after Hawks is stopped from killing Twice and taken before the League could grab him to interrogate him.

Dabi couldn't bring himself to burn what Hawks gave him after the breakup, not even the feather that gently rubbed along his hands during a nightmare.