WritingWithColor

Welcome to WritingWithColor

Your diverse and inclusive writing advice blog.

Since 2014, Writingwithcolor.com has been dedicated to writing and resources centered on:

Race and ethnicity

Religious diversity

WWC offers FREE Q&A-style writing advice, guides, book recommendations and more. We also serve as a space for you to use your voice and contribute insights and knowledge.

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WWC Follower Asks:

Hi! Im currently writing a story about an upper class Colombian girl (who lives in Colombia) who’s autistic and queer, and spends plenty of time online on fandom spaces. Due to the fact she spends most of her time on us-centric spaces, she has assimilated on aspects of US culture strongly, to the point her own thoughts are in English at the moment, as US-centric (or English speaking) communities of people with her same interests/neurodivergencies/sexual orientations are bigger than Latin American ones. This will causes her to have an identity crisis over where does she truly belong, as she doesn't feel that she fits traditional Colombian expectations (which is noted by people close to her) and she knows she will never fully “get” the people of her online spaces. I also must add she doesn't have a “traditionally” Colombian personality, as she’s quiet and nerdy. The issue comes with her character development, as i want her to come to terms with herself and find what she’s comfortable with culturally, but im scared this may end up on two routes: either the resolution implies she is not “Colombian enough” and she must correct herself for it and reject any aspect that's not Colombian (which is bad, as it implies there’s a right way to be Colombian) if she decides to embrace Colombian culture more, or the opposite but with us culture (which is even worse, as it can imply us culture is “better”, which is awfully colonialist). do you have any feedback regarding this? thank you. (clarifications out of submission: Im autistic and queer myself so i have no issue with that part, and I have consulted a colombian friend of mine for the story (which has been helpful, but they really emphasize the different cultures found on colombia and how departments sometimes seem like entirely different worlds, which makes me nervous. Aside from the fact culture regarding class differences works somewhat differently), but again, Colombian culture is very unfamiliar to me, so yeah)

Write your character's "specific" authentic self

I’m an Argentinian-American Latina, not Colombian, but I think I can help here! You seem to be asking about how to avoid stating there is a “right” way to be Colombian when you’re not from the culture, and don’t want to make all-encompassing generalizations? 

You’ll be able to fix this simply by getting more specific and stop talking in generalizations. Let me explain (and please bear with me a bit): 

Trigger Warning: Shakespeare slander ahead 

Specificity is universal. Let's look at two stories about vengeance: 

Shakespeare's Coriolanus, and Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus. Coriolanus is a very dry story about two war generals who want to f*ck, and the titular character wants to take revenge on “the people” of Rome. I care more about the plotline with the generals f*cking because I’ve seen them together. I know they’re rivals. There’s stakes there - they challenge each other. Who are these “people” of Rome that Coriolanus wants vengeance on for disrespecting him? IDK and I don’t care because these people are a nebulous abstract concept, compared to this general. 

Meanwhile, Titus Andronicus is like a real housewives show. It’s messy and dramatic, and everyone is petty, and over-the-top, and we pay attention. It's a spectacle. But it’s also really specific: Titus kills Tamora’s eldest son after the war, at the start of the play. That’s why she holds the grudge the whole time. She wants revenge for her son, and has her other two sons assault Titus’ daughter Lavinia in response. This is tit-for-tat and escalates the whole play through. This is specific enough that nobody thinks these characters represent Rome or the Goths – they represent themselves.

That’s where we’re at with your story – “colombian culture” is a nebulous abstract concept, and characters who don’t represent themselves yet. 

Once you specify what you think it is, it will no longer be abstract. Once you have the hyper specific circumstance that your main character is in, you can edit from there. Let’s say, your MC’s mom is super religious, and the MC is a teen Colombian girl in a rock back and wears black lipstick. Not “traditional” Colombian in the eyes of her mother. She cannot measure up to the expectations of her mother, over the type of religious and quiet Colombian girls she “should” be. And that’s difficult for your MC to accept. Now, when she turns to her American or online friends who do accept her, it’s not so much that "‘"America=good" but rather that these friends reflect her punk rock alt style, and offer solidarity. 

This specific scenario is not a story of generalizations and hyping up US culture. It’s a story of a girl in conflict with her mother over what type of young woman she should be. 

You can mix and match traits, but the concept works the same: 

Patriotic mother, who suppressed her indigeneity to speak on Spanish + indigenous daughter MC who practices her indigenous language with dad = MC is not "Colombian" i.e., not patriotic enough for the mother. 

Party goer Colombian high schoolers + shy bookworm MC = not Colombian i.e. outgoing enough for the schoolmates. 

Hyper religious family + punk rock MC = not Colombian i.e., "religious" enough for the family. 

We can see here - through story - how “Colombian” is being used as a purity test to exclude whichever trait the MC has. And now we can see how a young woman might chase peer approval or a mothers love. This is no longer about who’s Colombian or not, but more about specific expectations and desires. We know exactly what the abstract concept is here. 

Yes, we’ve all heard about how Latinos are perceived as loud and fun, and social, and maybe your character is a bookworm. But there’s always people going against the grain in society - when I did my exchange year in Japan - most kids were in cram school all day long. But, there were still those edgy kids– the girls hanging out in co-ed groups with messy uniforms, hiked up skirts, and *gasp* make-up. Like, I KNOW someone somewhere was like ‘those girls aren’t real Japanese.’ But they were just being themselves. So when you talk about this, it’s not that she’s not “Colombian enough” – it must be that she’s not up to someone else’s expectation of what she should be, compared to who she happens to be. When the MC therefore, finally finds solidarity with her online friends it's a safe space, not some ego-measuring cultural competition between the US and Colombia.

Good luck and happy writing.

-Melanie 🌻

P.S. listen to Colette’s suggestions about the research process.

Tread carefully and research thorougly

Identity stories are TOUGH to write from outside of the identity, particularly if you're not coming from one with cultural similarities.

While you do have some aspects of their identity down from personal experience (Autism and queer) that you can write from, if you are not Colombian yourself and have little/no personal connection here, you'll need to tread carefully, particularly if the being Colombian part is a large aspect of your character's identity struggle, as it seems to be. 

So ask yourself:

Why do you want to write this type of story?

What connection do you have to the communities not your own?

How are you narrowing down the identities to more properly research? For example, is the family Afro-Colombian, white and Colombian, etc.

What may people get out of the story, if it were summed up by its key messages and takeaways?

I like Melanie's advice about writing about your specific character. She does not need to represent all of The People, and should be allowed to shine as her individual self.

Still, research, research, research and consult, consult, consult. Possibly even collaborate. That, i'd highly recommend.

Just as you have with your friend, which is good, hear from people you're writing about and see if this is a story that is welcome from these communities. It's a good idea to hear from multiple perspectives and cite them in your references!

(Those voices may include our followers! Colombian folks, is this a story you want to hear, particularly from a non-Colombian? What makes it something you want to hear or do not want to hear? Share your advice!)

More reading:

White Authors and Topics to Avoid/Tread Carefully (You’ll note that identity stories is in our topics to avoid/tread carefully list)

Writing about Poc trials and tribulations

Interviewing BIPOC for research

Note: I am not Colombian. My perspective on this is coming from a general BIPOC voice and other asks Mods have answered regarding identity stories and writing about the struggles within. 

Most of this article is copied below. Bold added.

In its look at the adoption of electronic book formats, Pew Research stumbled onto an interesting data point. The most likely person to read a book — in any format — is a black woman who's been to college. Slate's Jacob Weisberg spotted the data point buried in Pew's report, "E-Reading Rises as Device Ownership Jumps." When asked Pew asked people if they'd read a book over the past year, there were clear demographic differences in the responses. Not all of the distinctions are statistically significant here, meaning that since Pew is looking at smaller and smaller subsets of its data, small percentage differences can misrepresent reality. But some distinctions are clear and significant: -Women read more books than men. -Black and white people read more books than Hispanics. (The difference between black and white readers isn't large enough to be statistically significant.) -People who've been to college read more books than those who haven't. There are other contrasts that the report draws: people who make $50,000 or more a year are more likely to read books, as are young people, in some circumstances. Nor is it the case that ebooks are rapidly gaining on traditional paperbacks. More Americans own tablets or ereaders (like a Kindle), but still 69 percent of Americans are reading traditional book-books. Only 28 percent of Americans read an ebook last year. That 69 percent figure is actually up slightly over 2012, when only 65 percent of Americans did so. That distinction doesn't vary much by demographic group. Young people are more likely to read ebooks than older people, but they're also generally more likely to read paper books, too. Black people read more of every type of book, though it's statistically close. Ebooks are more likely to be read by people in cities or suburbs than in rural areas.

In today's society, Black women remain all too invisible in plain sight.

The statistics from this 2014 article still rings true. More books across the board are being read by Black women, that exact group those many, many stories that forsake diversity tend to shun completely or box into a supporting act, often some flat variation of a sassy, angry, romance-less typecast. Negative bonus points if our story begins and ends in tragedy!

Fun fact for today! Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Today is the birthday of Ida B. Wells.

Born on July 16, 1862 in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Ida B. Wells was a journalist, author, suffragist, Black feminist, and much more.

Read more about Ida B. Wells-Barnett >>

Let's support Black women's voices, their stories, and the works that include Black women with respectable, full-faceted and beautiful representation!

Here are some related posts from WWC to inspire you:

More reading:

Black girls and women: Representation that we want

Black sexuality representation we want to see

Top favorite books from Black authors and/or Black MCs (2025)

Happy Pride!

I decided to do this post for Pride to help fellow creators. Finding an audience for our creations can prove difficult, especially when we are marginalized artists that don’t fit the WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) mold. We creators need to look out for each other so we find an audience.

It is hard to find new titles by queer authors of Color. We can attribute this to the attacks on such authors thanks to certain conservative parties in power and legislative threats. It’s all the more reason why we have to protect these titles and make sure they come out into the world. And we are more than happy to hear your recommendations of which titles felt cathartic for the LGBTQ communities and individuals online. 

If you are queer and scared of the present, please stay alive. We need you out there, living, feeling, and finding your true self and friends. 

2026 Releases

Buy links:

You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya 

Shimmering Lake: Summer Camp Collection I by Laika Wallace 

Journey to the Heartland (Second Edition) by Xiaolong Huang

On Sundays, She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield

The Forest Bleeds by Rachel Kitch

The Perfect Match by Adiba Jaigirdar

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto

The Case of Elmwood Ranch by Deanna Grey

Milk & Mocha Comics Collection: Our Little Moments by Melanie Sie (USA release)

The Covenant We Cut by tzipporah-creates AKA WWC Mod Sci (ongoing webcomic)

Honey Bee and Lemon Balm 1 by Jil Hashikura (USA release)

Perfect Princess By Bambi Nieves, illustrated by Alison Nieves

The Most Magnificent Me by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Sophie Bass

I Don’t Wish You Well by Jumata Emill

Love, Gods and Sinners by Camille Chong

Lake Life by Tanya Boteju

Good Luck, Babe! by Erin Baldwin

Love Makes Mochi by Stefany Valentine

Adult Books

You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya 

I’ve been trying to study noir. It’s a gritty genre where people rarely get their justice, and cruel people escape the consequences of their actions. We see a 2020s take on Hollywood noir when rising star Dimple Kampoor in a fit of rage pushes her Asian-diaspora actress rival down a flight of stairs in her own house during a party. She didn’t mean to kill Irene, but she can’t admit she’s sorry when offered a great acting role that Irene had won. The rival’s family hires private investigators, believing the fall was no accident; disgraced P.I. Saffi returns to the US to help the investigators. Despite the two women engaging in a high-stakes battle of wits, they also demonstrate a mutual attraction. Saffi promises to deliver the proof when she’s a hundred percent certain after a botched investigation five years ago, but getting to that hundred percent is the rub. Dimple will do anything to keep her acting career, no matter how many bodies ensue. 

The story establishes itself as LGBTQ noir in a racist Hollywood with double standards against women. No good person wins in this story, and we know that from the outset. It is fun to read though, and delivers on the noir promise. The “dead dove: do not eat” labels are very clear, however, and this time the dead dove has a red carpet.  

Shimmering Lake: Summer Camp Collection I by Laika Wallace

Shapeshifters, vampires and werewolves are too absurd for some families, but not for the ones featured here. A bullied child with a narcissistic mother gets bitten by what looks like an injured wolf, and the decision empowers him, while another is determined to photograph what they call a frogcruncher. Pride parades show promises of friends banding together despite a few insensitive remarks, and vampires debating the power of LED versus the sun. 

Be prepared that plenty of stories occupy these 530 pages. It’s a long time investment, but fun and going by fast. 

Journey to the Heartland by Xiaolong Huang (Second Edition, originally published in 2023)

Content warning: This story covers grooming, parental abuse, and child sexual abuse.

Oy, what a hard story. And yet a necessary one, as a boy named Hanwei endures an abusive father who beats him for crimes like not brushing his teeth. Neighbors gossip about how Gaoming Zhu brings men home and how cute they are, embarrassing Hanwei and his mother Rulan. Rulan never loses her temper, but she also refuses to accept needless blame when Gaoming rails at her. Hanwei starts emulating her as a teenager, protecting his mother from Gaoming’s abuse. Gaoming then leaves when Hanwei is seventeen; a situation that should freak them both out becomes liberation. 

A grown-up Hanwei explores his sexuality in California after a grad school program accepts him in Los Angeles. Though Rulan remains reticent, reminding Hanwei how his father hurt them all, she listens when he cites statistics of same-sex behavior and attends Pride with him. Settling in a new country brings its own woes, however; Rulan can’t speak English when she attends Hanwei’s doctoral graduation ceremony while wondering if he’s emulating his father, and immigration law along with systematic homophobia dog Hanwei’s partners. Bankers also screw up the US economy, adding only more woes. 

On Sundays, She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield (reprint; first published in 2020)

A sinister and surreal Southern Gothic debut novel, about a woman who escapes into the uncanny woods of southern Georgia and must contend with ghosts, haints, and most dangerous of all, the truth about herself.

When Judith Rice fled her childhood home, she thought she’d severed her abusive mother’s hold on her. She didn’t have a plan or destination, just a desperate need to escape. Drawn to the forests of southern Georgia, Jude finds shelter in a house as haunted by its violent history as she is by her own. Jude embraces the eccentricities of the dilapidated house, soothing its ghosts and haints, honoring its blood-soaked land. And over the next thirteen years, she blossoms from her bitter beginnings into a wisewoman, a healer. But her hard-won peace is threatened when an enigmatic woman shows up on her doorstep. The woman is beautiful but unsettling, captivating but uncanny. Ensnared by her desire for this stranger, Jude is caught off guard by brutal urges suddenly simmering beneath her skin. As the woman stirs up memories of her escape years ago, Jude must confront the calls of violence rooted in her bloodline. Written by a Black lesbian author, with a Black lesbian lead.

The Forest Bleeds by Rachel Kitch (Oct 13)

A dark academia horror novel about a group of PhD scholars held hostage by a billionaire in his remote mansion in the Appalachian mountains, who must use their combined knowledge of bioengineering and occult spellcraft to save themselves. A very eerie, claustrophobic and grotesque horror thriller, great commentary against big-pharma and unethical research in biomedical research–it's just refreshing to see dark academia that is centred around STEM disciplines for once!

The horror fantasy elements are inspired by both Appalachian as well as South-East Asian folklore. It's also quite a visceral study of exploitation of racialized labor, and the marginalization of Asian-American women in academia. Saige Chambers, the protagonist, is a disabled bisexual woman of Thai descent, and her love interest is an Indian-American lesbian!

The Perfect Match by Adiba Jaigirdar

Dina is done. She's burnt out after years in corporate London and now is working in her family's struggling Bangladeshi restaurant. The last thing she expects is to be roped into coaching a football team of disadvantaged amateur players–or to say yes.

Maya is back. She could have had a brilliant career, but it all went wrong. Now she's back home, back in her childhood bedroom. Her only escape is agreeing to coach her old secondary school's team.

It doesn't take long for them to bump into each other again and for as long as anyone can remember, Dina and Maya were rivals. But will the very game that tore them apart bring them back together?

The adult debut of popular Bangladeshi-Irish YA author Adiba Jaigirdar (The Henna Wars, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating), this is an enemies-to-lovers, angsty queer sports romance set in London, featuring Bengali bisexual and sapphic leads.

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto

An all-new, standalone sci-fi heist thriller about a bored hacker named Malia, who is forced by vicious gangsters to take down a crooked politician, only to find herself up against a code she might not be able to crack. This novel is part of a series of generally connected “lesbian heist” stories, each featuring an all-lesbian and trans cast, set in the Kepler space station–basically a futuristic Hawai'i. While I preferred the first novel in the series, Hammajang Luck, I also thought that the cyberpunk thriller plotline in this one was more interesting and impactful, using popular tropes like sentient AI systems and evil clones to criticize gentrification, unethical data surveillance and the many exploitative practices of big-tech companies. Malia is a Black lesbian, and Yamamoto is a Native Hawaiian and multiracial lesbian author.

The Case of Elmwood Ranch by Deanna Grey (Release date: July 15) 

A Black bi4bi sapphic indie romance between a legacy paranormal investigator and a loner horse rancher, set on a haunted ranch.

Octavia doesn't believe in ghosts, but she can't deny something's wrong with the land she's sunk her entire savings into.

Rae Jones is in the business of ending nightmares. She comes from a long line of paranormal investigators. One of four, she's set herself apart from the Jones sisters by making their legacy into a commercial success. After years of enjoying said success, she's hit a wall. Whether it's burnout or a full-blown existential crisis, she doesn't know. One guaranteed way to avoid a downward spiral? Take every interesting job she can get. And that includes one from a very stand-offish, non-believing rancher who thinks she's a scam artist.

I read Grey's sapphic romance Outdrawn last year; it was the sweetest story, so I'm definitely excited for this.

Speaking of BIPOC sapphic romances:

Tanya Boteju also has a Christmas romcom coming up: Setting the Stage for Christmas (Oct 13, pretty rare to find a festive lesbian romance with non-white leads), and Zakiya N. Jamal has a Black sapphic sports romance coming up: Two Can Play That Game (Nov. 17).

Graphic Novels and Webcomics

Milk & Mocha Comics Collection: Our Little Moments by Melanie Sie

The title characters aren’t explicitly labeled as queer, given they are mascots for an international messaging service LINE. Milk and Mocha live together, however, ordering food and sharing their sleeping space. They enjoy the little moments together, from playing video games together to vibing. Love doesn’t mean being happy together all the time, but it can mean putting in the work to not let little conflicts become big ones. Also, these two are so CUTE.  

The Covenant We Cut by tzipporah-creates

One of our WWC mods (Mod Sci) created this one! Content warning: This story covers mental illness and the parental abuse that results from it.

We see a queer Jewish adaptation of Tanakh (Sh'muel Aleph (Samuel I) 20:1-20:42). Caught between his lover David’s safety and his father King Shaul’s suspicion of David, Yonatan comes up with a plan to assess the danger. However, things quickly go awry at the New Moon banquet when his father finds out. You can tell how much Yonatan and David love each other and what Yonatan will risk to prevent losing him. The coloring adds to the tension while the two meet in secret. 

The webcomic comes in two languages: an English translation from Everett Fox (more text) and the original Biblical Hebrew (less text).

Children’s Picture Books

Perfect Princess by Bambi Nieves, illustrated by Alison Nieves

I knew this story would be good when Princess Amina winces when giving knights hi-fives but being too polite to offer constructive feedback. Her childhood friend Keiran opposes how Amina has come out of the closet, expressing it with a spell that sends her far from home. Amina has to find her way back without her cosmetics, sword, or silverware. A blue rabbit agrees, joining her and a tiny dragon on the long walk home. Amina has to accept her lack of perfection when not having silverware for a snack or a sword to handle enchanted townspeople. Likewise, Keiran has to accept that his friend has become her real self and watch what his magic does. 

The Most Magnificent Me by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Sophie Bass

This book is more LGBTQ+ coded than LGBTQ, but it does the job with internal validation and positive affirmations. Plus, if you have a toddler with doting parents, they will love hearing how magnificent they are; I can verify this courtesy of a video call with some younger family members. Babies have big egos, and they need to sustain them as they grow older. 

Manga

Honey Bee & Lemon Balm 1 by Jil Hashikura

I was on the fence about this manga because the situation seems contrived at first: a yakuza in a nighttime district gets a job at a flower shop following a stint in prison -- where he took the fall for some superiors -- and getting booted from his old gang. Kaoru Mitsuya tries to be tough but starts falling for the owner, 

The manga went from standard romance to great writing when we meet Yuichiro’s siblings -- and one very clearly defies gender roles. You can see a family that cares about each other but doesn’t know how to communicate their concerns, with Yuichiro working 24/7 and refusing to take care of his health and his siblings forcing him to rest.  

Young Adult Literature

I Don’t Wish You Well by Jumata Emill 

True crime can hit or miss for me; in this case, the hit comes from a fair-play mystery. College student and amateur podcaster Pryce gets a lead on a seemingly closed case. Five football players were murdered, ostensibly by a gay classmate they drugged and assaulted. One witness, however, has stated for years that the ostensible serial killer had an alibi. Pryce thinks he can expand on the story after recording the witness’s story, especially when finding out other witnesses are still alive.

Love, Gods and Sinners by Camille Chong

Harper and Tia are roommates, and interns at the same tech company. They clash, they fight, they flirt. And, under cover of night, the two of them adopt secret identities and head out on missions across the city for their respective magical clans. Tia is the beautiful descendant of the Moon Goddess, and Harper is secretly Raven, the leader-in-waiting of the feared and villainous Foxes. When each is tasked by their clan to kill the other, a deceitful game of cat-and-mouse begins. And Harper and Tia will start to understand that the concepts of right and wrong can be just as complicated–and dangerous–as falling in love.

Set in an alternate futuristic world, where descendants of ancient magical clans don secret identities and battle on the streets of Singapore, this debut novel, the first in a planned duology, is a glittering, action-packed urban fantasy, with an enemies-to-lovers romance at its heart. Singaporean author, Asian lesbian and bisexual leads.

Lake Life by Tanya Boteju

A charming sapphic summer romance with environmental activism themes, about two teens who agree to fake-date when stuck together in a quirky, scenic lake town. Written by a Sri Lankan-Canadian author, and featuring an interracial sapphic romance.

Good Luck, Babe! by Erin Baldwin

Reality TV enthusiasts Noelle and Yumi spent a decade attached at the hip—until one ill-fated night (and one awkward kiss) ended their friendship. After a year of no contact, fate throws the girls back together when they’re offered a last-minute spot on their favorite race-around-the-world reality show.

It’s a chance to put their superfan status to the test, a dream come true. Except for a few snags: it’s an all-couples season, filming starts in two days, and Noelle hasn’t spoken to her “girlfriend” in a year. But she already has plans to use the prize money on her ailing father’s medical expenses, and she would do anything for him—including fake dating her ex-bestie on national television. This sapphic YA romcom is written by a Filipino-American author, and features Filipino sapphic leads. 

Love Makes Mochi by Stefany Valentine

A cute sapphic YA romance between a goth fashion designer and a tattoo artist. Written by a Taiwanese-American author, featuring Asian-American and Japanese lesbian leads.

Lilyn Jeong is living her best life—in Tokyo! She gets to learn from the legendary yet notoriously terrifying tailor Mrs. Matsumoto. Getting a glowing recommendation from her could be Lilyn’s ticket into her dream fashion school.

So when the latter is tasked with designing an entire collection, panic sets in. She has only weeks to figure out how to mix her goth aesthetic with traditional Japanese style. Thankfully, Mrs. Matsumoto’s rebellious, tattooed, rainbow-haired daughter Yua offers to help. But going on cozy dates with this cute girl is way easier than sewing yukatas. Can Lilyn find a path forward in fashion and love? Or will she watch as everything falls apart at the seams?

Keep reading to see our recommended 2025 releases!

Happy Juneteenth 2026

For Juneteenth this year, I'd like to share some information about a woman who few may have heard of. Her name is Dr. Opal Lee and she is considered the Grandmother of Juneteenth. She is still alive today as of June 19th 2026 at 99 years old!

Known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” Dr. Opal Lee was present on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act bill that established June 19 or “Juneteenth” a federal holiday. Ms. Lee said on that day, “Now we can celebrate freedom from the 19th of June to the 4th of July!” Opal Lee was born in Marshal, Texas, in 1926 and moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1937. At the age of 12, her family’s home was destroyed on June 19, 1939, but she nor her family allowed that to deter them from making an impact in the community.

Keep reading: National Women's History Museum: Dr. Opal Lee

More resources:

Ted Ed VIDEO: What is Juneteenth, and why is it important?

Learn more about Juneteenth (Post by CreatingBlackCharacters, with WWC reblogged commentary)

Ke96 asks:

See my post I’ve shared where I’ve mentioned you and some other users:

[Seeking] Advice on reworking The Hunchback of Notre Dame for its 30th anniversary

From your post linked above: Some of it was influenced by the Romani YouTuber Florian, who goes in depth about Romani culture. Since he kind of gives some points, I agree with. Which I can greatly sympathize for all of you, even if I’m not Roma. This is also to help commemorate a flawed but underrated Disney movie that’s turning 30 as of this year. Since I want to know what parts of the story need changing, at least the Romani parts that need improving.

Since I’m wanting to find some advice on how to rework parts of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Specifically the Romani parts that I do agree is a bit misguided and ignorant at best, while very dubious at worst in representation. So if you were to rework the story(Even when you keep the basic outline of the story of either the novel or the film adaptations, mostly Disney), what would you change or alter to make it more accurate to the Romani people? As well as what do you think of the 4 notes of some of the story ideas I’ve came up with after looking at some of Florian’s YouTube videos?

Hi @ke96​

As the WWC mod team knows well - HoND is a special interest of mine, so although I am not Roma and will not be speaking to that, I got this. 

Also, I invite and defer to any Roma readers’ feedback and insights in the comments. 

SHORT ANSWER:

If you’re celebrating the anniversary, just write the version you want. You have to choose which version you’d like, that’s not our job here – we don’t tell you how or what to write. As you describe the role and jobs, or appearances and actions of the Romani cast, feel free to adjust as needed to whatever you feel is more appropriate. Just write it. You can’t fix what doesn’t exist. How do you know if it works or not, if you don’t do it? Just go do it. Everything else is getting ahead of yourself. 

LONG ANSWER / An Open Letter to Writers on Media Literacy and Introspection:

Your goal as stated is “course correcting” and better “educating” audiences on Roma in HoND. Those goals imply the authority to both know and educate, but self admittedly, you’re having trouble meeting the bare minimum for that standard. 

Your question about “reworking” or “fixing” HoND for better Roma representation is a question of media literacy. First off, why you? Specifically, why you? I don’t think the savior trope is intentional, and I know you’re self aware of it, so I won’t address it other than to say it’s there in the margins. 

As Florian has said himself, HoND has the most widely known Roma heroine, and yet its many iterations were and are written by white western men who use Roma as props. Yes, Roma are expanded in media representation and yet their representation is simultaneously often regressive and harmful in how they are portrayed. This fact is not new to Roma audiences. On writing this – surely Roma readers could do it themselves, and yet have chosen not to. Might there be a reason for that? I think so.

For the same reason I’m not holding my breath for a Thai writer to rewrite The King and I, or a Desi author to rewrite the Jungle Book, or an Arab poet to reimagine Aladdin, etc. I don’t believe that BIPOC writers spend our creative labor, energy or imagination trying to live in the stories that fetishize us. In that same vein, while I would totally be down for a Roma writer to reimagine the story – I also recognize that, believe it or not, the story might not be worthy of their time.  

As Mod Rina and former Mod Marika went over in regards to writing cultures not your own: 

“If you aren’t ready to engage with a culture and its people directly, then I think you should wait until you are.” - Marika

Now, I know you’ve tried. You’ve tried many ways – but your efforts so far just don’t stick the landing, given your goals, although it isn’t for lack of trying. Wanting to set the record straight and speaking from a position of authority are not the same thing. Because feeling strongly about something, and also having the knowledge and skillset to enact change around that are… again, different. 

So, I think your enthusiasm is fantastic but also possibly obscuring the bigger picture, which is that there is a bigger picture. It’s a hard sell for anyone to come in and say they want to re-write a story that’s progressive in visibility, but regressive in construction by… revising the story’s regressive elements NOT from the lived perspective of those portrayed. 

If you want to write it for yourself, or to celebrate - that’s great. Do it. But when an author takes on the goal of ‘educating’ on someone else’s culture, the expectations and community response will grow stronger, and it becomes a bigger thing. 

Good luck and Godspeed,

- Melanie 🌻 

We currently do not have active Rromani mods as of this post, but you can see past posts under the “Rromani” tag

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month from WWC!

To celebrate, we’re shining a spotlight on some of our personal picks for 2026 releases from Asian and Pacific Islander authors. 

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao | January 20, 2026 | Chinese | Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance

Jess: This debut novel by Shen Tao about a village girl who offers herself as a concubine to a cruel, violent prince to save her village from starvation. The prose is lush and immersive, with a terrific use of the Rashomon effect as Wei unravels the mysteries surrounding her husband while navigating dangerous court intrigue. However, this book covers darker themes, including child sexual abuse, so reader discretion is advised. 

View on Author Shen Tao's website

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto | February 10, 2026 | Kānaka Maoli & Hapa Haole | Science Fiction, Queer, Lesbian, Cyberpunk

Mimi: A standalone sci-fi heist novel about a bored hacker who is forced by vicious gangsters to take down a crooked politician, only to find herself facing an unexpected enemy from her past. Written by a Pacific Islander author, this novel is part of an extended “lesbian space heist” universe set in a futuristic Hawai’i-like cityscape, with an all-sapphic and trans cast. I quite enjoyed how the story uses common sci-fi tropes like clones and AI systems gaining sentience to depict themes like labor exploitation, mass displacement, gentrification and surveillance.

View on Author Makana Yamamoto's website

If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light by Kim Choyeop (translated by Anton Hur) | April 28, 2026 | Korean | Short Stories, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction

Rina: An SF short story collection about the human yearning for connection—across alien cultural lines, across the border between life and death, across unfathomable spacetime. I was very taken with Kim Cho-yeop’s inquisitive approach to storytelling and her imaginative worlds, which gently ask us to consider the kinds of distances technology is unable to close. 

Read my full review here: 

Storygraph link

Goodreads link

The Girl With a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean | May 5, 2026 | Hong Konger | Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fiction, Gothic, Paranormal

Mimi: A historical gothic novel set in post-WWII Hong Kong, which blends folklore, commentary on war, and local legends to recount a tale of a ghost-talker woman, who confronts a powerful spirit in the Kowloon Walled City. I've not read this yet, but the premise sounds fantastic.

Behind Five Willows by June Hur | May 26, 2026 | Korean | Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Young Adult

Rina: An homage to Pride and Prejudice set in Joseon Korea, during a time of government book banning. A girl from a lower-ranking family is a secret novel transcriber; a young lord, an author. This gem of a story was a stunning introduction to the work of June Hur, whose characters are as charming as her elegant, nature-imbued prose. 

Read my full review here: 

Storygraph link 

Goodreads link 

The Typing Lady: And Other Fictions by Ruth Ozeki | June 2, 2026 | Japanese | Short Stories, Literary Fiction, Paranormal

Rina: A collection of literary short stories about desire, ambition, and the ways storytelling shapes reality and memory. Across a variety of settings, Ruth Ozeki creates a full range of sympathetic and unsympathetic narrative voices, resulting in stories that are grounded yet a touch strange, gritty yet beautiful, dark yet hopeful. Ozeki knows how to craft discomfort and hope in equal measure.

Read my full review here: 

Storygraph link 

Goodreads link 

Let us know your most anticipated reads in the comments!

Update:

We have updated the language of this post to describe the featured authors more accurately. Thank you for your feedback and we apologize for the terminology mix-up!

We wish to be inclusive of the contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander creators to American media and culture regardless of where they come from, hence the non-American authors on this list. We hope you enjoy our book recs.

-WWC

Your recommendations

@gyroshrike recommends:

I would also like to suggest a book that just came out, The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe, an author from Hawai‘i! It's an adult fantasy and from what I understand, the magic system and linguistics are pretty tied together. (I JUST got it, so haven't read much yet.)

@sin-opa recommends:

Stuff your earbuds day is here!

You can download FREE romance audiobooks, across many platforms, for a limited time!

This helpful website highlights books with:

Black romance and Authors of Color

LGBTQIA+

Authors who are disabled

Visit Romance Audio Bookworms

Jump to the featured diverse fiction audiobooks >>

Any books on these lists that you'd recommend? Share in the comments!

~WWC

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.

WritingWithColor.com has reopened to your questions.

Hey everyone,

The WWC Askbox re-opened Sunday, March 29, 2026.

Closing date: No close date set at this time, but we'll let you know when there is one, with sufficient notice.

Feel free to share the word!

But! Before you hit "send" on those asks, make sure you:

Review the Ask Masterpost + FAQ in full. Now is the perfect time to read it, as it's quite thorough.

Explore the blog and our many previous posts fully, as your question may already be answered or partially answered. We delete asks that don't meet guidelines or have already been covered.

Helpful links

Read the ask masterpost: rules and guidelines

See Navigation

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See WWC search

See our available WWC Mod team

Issues submitting your question? Send us a message and we'll help you out.

Other updates

Stay tuned for an UPCOMING GUIDE/SERIES by Mod Colette on writing Black characters.

Would you like more book recommendation lists from WWC and/or curated by you, our followers? Let us know!

Thank you, kindly!

fasttsassy asks:

I’m Black writing a story where the Black people in the US break away to form their own country, and the war that results from that. I have a scene where I need to have a Black character be able to understand legalese. I’m thinking of his backstory being that he was a lawyer but that’s a really white thing to have been. 

How can I sensitively handle a Black character having been part of upholding a racist system? He’s realized that the law is super white by the time the story starts and he’s working with the Black heroes now (I want him to be reminiscent of Cosmo Setepenra).

Black Americans forming their own country

Is your story inspired by Liberia?

You’ll want to look into Liberia. Liberia is a country in the continent of Africa, founded by free Black Americans and formerly enslaved Black people in the 1800s. There’s a thorough and complex history there. I noticed parallels immediately, though that may not be exactly where you intend your story to go.

“Liberia is a country in West Africa founded by free people of color from the United States. The emigration of African Americans, both freeborn and recently emancipated, was funded and organized by the American Colonization Society (ACS).” - Wikipedia  (Note: the Wikipedia article is a starting point for research)

Ideas for research

Do more research on:

1. Liberia and the Back-to-Africa movement

Having knowledge on this topic should help you build out a story, whether it’s in our reality or an alternative one.

Important note! There was division within Black communities (and white ones) from those who did not approve of Black Americans leaving the US. 

Scratching my memory from reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X… Earl Little, his father, was a big supporter of Black folks leaving the U.S. and moving to the African continent. He was assassinated, and the book seemed to point to it having a lot to do with his strong support of this movement.

“Earl Little, father of Malcolm X, was widely believed to have been murdered by white supremacists, specifically the Black Legion, due to his vocal support for Marcus Garvey’s Back-to-Africa movement and Black Nationalist activism.”

(Sources: University of Pittsburgh, michiganology.org)

Note: Another important thing to mention. This nation was not a Utopia and had its own issues and inequalities. For one, its founding created a power dynamic where Americo-Liberians held the power and the Indigenous Liberians were at the bottom of that system.

(Source: The Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission)

2. Black wall street and thriving Black communities in the U.S.

And let’s not forget the Black communities throughout history! I’ll focus on the U.S.A. as that’s what I’m most familiar with. 

Black communities in the United States have a history of building thriving, culturally-rich neighborhoods and towns. Under the weight of Jim Crow, segregation and rampant oppression, we formed diamonds under pressure.

Some well-known examples are:

The Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma (Hello, Black Wall Street!)

Harlem, New York

Black people owned businesses, created music and entertainment, and built wealth. They’re such rich hubs of culture.

Think of the Harlem Renaissance! All the artists and authors of these times. The Jazz scenes, clubs, performances, and so on.

Nightlife, 1943 by Archibald John Motley Jr. (Art Institute of Chicago)

Still, racist white mobs destroyed too many of these thriving communities with violence, burnings, killings. Systemic racism and law also affected our communities for the worse. Think redlining, highways…a modern example, gentrification that actively displaces people and adds to cultural erasure.

The history, both the good and the disastrous, is worth looking into for your story as well.

Your story’s settling

Is this story set in our world, a real time in history? Is it meant to be a more accurate historical novel? Or is this an alternative world or history, and you’ll take more creative liberties?

Since it seems inspired by real history, you will want to be clear with establishing your setting by grounding it in actual history or distinguishing it from it.

Here are some more things to consider:

You mention war, but between whom? Where is the main tension coming from? Are there any allies in these efforts?

What inner-community conflicts may arise? People are not a monolith and may not all agree or want to be part of the community (whether they’re directly antagonistic or not would be interesting to explore)

What cultures and sub-cultures will grow from this new country (if it does form)?

Is this story meant to mirror truth or will it be inspired loosely with real history? How might you handle this respectfully (Hint: see our many posts on alternative worlds, history, etc.)

And you don’t have to limit yourself to only the history I mentioned for your inspiration, of course. I left out many things, so have fun with your research discovering more!

Black people in law, now and historically

How can I sensitively handle a Black character having been part of upholding a racist system? He’s realized that the law is super white by the time the story starts and he’s working with the Black heroes now (I want him to be reminiscent of Cosmo Setepenra).

Besides knowing this is based on America, having a time period and setting would help to address this. But I do urge you to again, dig into some research. Check out the history of Black people and their relationships with law, from both sides of it. In your case, you’ll want to especially read first-hand accounts of those who were in the legal field.

Macon Bolling Allen is known as the first Black lawyer in America (Mid 1800s). Research him and his impact, as well as other Black legal figures. 

Learn their struggles working in a white-dominated, racist and prejudiced system. 

How did people aim to bring change? 

Where and when did they comply?

I personally know, and know of, Black people who work in the legal field who strive hard to be the change in a system founded on racism. 

Still, it can be quite disheartening to watch injustices happen and there may be complex feelings of complicity. It can cause feelings of helplessness and depression. 

Some become burnt-out and want little/no part in any role where they can witness injustice against Black people who go through the system. 

Others may do what they can to help. (and not Black and is fiction, but then you have Marvel’s Daredevil, lawyer by day, vigilante by night :P)

Ways Black people in law may try to help:

Fighting to get marginalized people the deals and lesser sentences often denied to them, who instead face harsher criminal sentences. 

Working in Civil Rights or similar departments (what area of law does the character practice?)

Working for underserved communities at low to no-cost, whether as lawyers, consulting, etc.

Starting foundations to help the community

Investigations and law suits that fight for justice (e.g., class action)

Thanks for your question!

Anonymous asks:

I am working on a scifi dystopian story. In which musical artists are also turned into human weapons by the military to be used in an intergalactic war as part of their record deal, artists often being given or crafting elaborate stage personas to playone artist is a Black female rapper(L). Her stage persona is an unfeeling cyborg. I want to use this zany premise to explore the dehumanization and exploitation popular artists face from both the public and the industry. With L(and others) i wanted to address how BIPOC artists particularly are more often victims of this and in ways different to what white artists experience, L has more cybernetics installed by top brass and is caged by a persona that paints her as unfeeling/“more machine than person” despite how at odds it is with reality and L pushing back against it. A persona crafted by her record label so as to play to the harmful idea Black people feel less pain. My main concern is that by making it so this character has more weaponry installed in her body then other artists it is unintentionally falling into the trope of Black characters being “stronger” or more “dangerous". Would making it so all music artists have the same amount of cybernetics help alleviate this issue?(highlighting the choice made by the label to assign this kind of persona to her specifically when all artists have these modifications done to them as being a choice rooted in bigotry and the idea of the strong Black woman trope) or is there more that could be done.

Your story is the social commentary - so lean into it

Is “ making it so this character has more weaponry installed in her body then other artists unintentionally falling into the trope of black characters being “stronger” or more “dangerous"?

Yes…but let’s go back to the word unintentionally. Are you sure it is unintentional of you? Isn’t it your whole point to be intentional about this?

You seem fully aware of the oppressive aspects of what is happening to these characters, and I understand hope to address them directly and make a social commentary. 

So is this not an intentional choice from you and regarding all of the other stereotypical characterization (Strong, unfeeling, dangerous etc.)? 

And do you plan on addressing this in your story and the exploitation that is occurring to your Black cyborg woman character?

Because you must for this to work.

Everything about her existence seems to be social commentary. A story like this, with a character like this, must engage with and acknowledge the racist tropes, stereotypes and storyline being inflicted on your Black character (and any other BIPOC in the story). 

You say you want to explore the dehumanization and exploitation of your characters, so do that. And do it boldly.

Ensure there is the narrative that this is abnormal, oppressive and wrong. 

Of course, there is the side that paints this all as natural and just fine, such as the government, but there should be a strong opposing side (that carries your voice) running through this novel. 

The Hunger Games for example

Think of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.

While people are fearing for their lives, the whole premise of children fighting to the death is wrong, and we feel that from Katniss, Peeta, and the other major characters. Reading the novel, we experience contrasting opinions, acceptance and resistance, but empathize with the cause for justice and freedom.

The Hunger Games, people of the Capitol 

Then you have the villains of the novel, the “neutrals” and complicit. For instance, the elites in the capitol, the sponsors, game makers. Some people had sinister motivations; authority, power, greed, ratings! Hate. Some cared only for the drama and romance, and painted real peoples’ lives as entertainment. And lo and behond, marketing for THG movies did the same thing!

Moviespheregold: Team Peeta or Team Gale?

But you do not just get one narrative that paints the games as acceptable. Through your characters, readers can see the truth for themselves -- the injustice of it all which the author wants you to see and feel.

The Hunger Games has some parallel to your story topics, particularly on propaganda and weaponization of human bodies. One might say Katniss is used in a similar way. There are even deeper layers here when you consider that Katniss may be Native American coded (based on books).

Another aspect that may help your story to consider

Rina adds:

One of the biggest principal themes Suzanne Collins focused on was the power of televised entertainment to drive state propaganda & complicity in the regime—Katniss's body is distorted and disguised through the cosmetics and costumes to tell a narrative the Capitol wants to tell, and then again her image is remade into that of a soldier and her disfigurement exploited by District 13 to recruit soldiers in the war they intend to win for themselves.

Research more and read to study

I urge you to:

Research even more into what goes into writing a dystopian novel with strong social anti-racist, anti-oppression commentary. I know you’ve done some reading, but I’d advise reading even more from a point of studying the craft.

Read well-written dystopian novels for how to give this social commentary in your narrative. I have not read enough dystopian books, at the time of this post, to recommend much, so I'm going to leave it to some of our excellent mods (and you readers) to give your relevant recommendations!

See recommendations near the end of this post.

Know your history. Delve into some more research. At the very least, these quite dystopian things that are happening in your dystopia are unfortunately just reality. History. 

“When I wrote The Handmaid’s Tale, nothing went into it that had not happened in real life somewhere at some time. The reason I made that rule is that I didn’t want anybody saying, ‘You certainly have an evil imagination, you made up all these bad things.’ I didn’t make them up.” - Margaret Atwood

As for L, your “unfeeling” Black cyborg

Show the humanity in this cyborg character. There should be a chink in the armor, a crack in the picture of her being unfeeling. Perhaps a depth to the rap where there is allegedly “not supposed” to be. 

Research the history of rap and hip-hop and you’ll know how on-point it would be to use her music as revolutionary in the opposite direction that the government wants to use it.

Give us some contrast, some clear defiance of the stereotypes.

It’s important that your story is bold with the fact that your Black cyborg is an embodiment of racism and oppression. She is assigned this false stereotypical, oppressive narrative. It’s not meant to speak of a truth of these traits simply being a fitting role for a Black woman.

Another important note: Black people, especially women, have been leading social movements for change and liberation from the beginning. Black women leading the change, and in your case, your Black woman cyborg, fuels another social commentary of us being the mules for the world, doing the revolutionary work. This is something else for you to recognize as you write.

~Mod Colette

A veteran's perspective

I can comment with an auxiliary perspective as a veteran and artist (writer). You’re also tapping something interesting with the idea of the military using BIPOC bodies to advance their agenda at the expense of the individual service members. Historically, while many service members got hazed and experimented on, BIPOC service members were far more likely to suffer these abuses, and to a much greater extent. 

The American intelligence apparatus also has a history of using artists to their advantage – The CIA even created American LiteratureMFAs as a means of peddling American soft power. 

-Mod Melanie

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