Writing Rainbows
Written by: “G”
Hey peeps, before I start, I would like to state a few things! My pronouns are she/her, I identify as ace, and I am a huge geek when it comes to book, film and theatre! I love reading, especially genres like fantasy, but a common problem I face is books not including any representation, especially from the LGBTQIA+ community. So, we need to change this. I am an aspiring author, and I would like to help spread my knowledge and some tips of including this in writing.
Loud:
There are many books, such as ‘Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda’, that make it clear very early on that the character is queer, with Simon being gay. These are books that generally pique the interests of people searching for queer characters. There are several ways to start writing this style. You could
write in the blurb or simply state in the first page what the character identifies as, or even the conflicting thoughts crossing their mind on what they might identify as. You could state it simply as ‘Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier.’ The main key when writing an open character is consistency. If your character is open to the reader, or even just out, they should, more often than not, display characteristics of what they identify as. There is nothing to hold them back. They could, for example, consider celebrities that they have a crush on. Or even just show their true colours in terms of clothing, makeup and relationships.
Discreet:
Is their identity essential to the story? Does the story revolve around how they identify? You do not need to have their identity as central in your writing. Many popular books have characters that identify as queer but are very discreet about it. It often takes readers a while to pick up subtle hints on what they might identify as. This is a great way to include queerness. Books are supposed to make the reader work for knowledge or try to predict the plot, so why not do the same. You don’t even have to have the main character an openly queer person in a story. You can have their best friend being trans, an openly bi brother, or even same sex parents. These little details can mean the world to queer readers, especially if it is in a place they might not expect! You don’t even need to state that they are queer. I for one don’t like to just state I’m queer, I shouldn’t have to come out to every person I meet. Just changing up a sentence to state that “she had to consult with her girlfriend” or that “my dads are away tonight” can be enough. In terms of making the main character queer, but not loud, adding a few hints or small details cause readers who are queer or identify with them to understand, is great. For example: after viewing The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Female friend: Oh my god, Legolas is so hot!
Male friend: I know right!
Me: but did you see the dragon though? That was epic!
Stereotypes:
A common problem with queer writing is stereotypes. A teenage American boy struggling with being gay in an opposing world, a bi girl trying to keep a relationship with their girlfriend as they go to
university, someone falls in love with straight best friend. There are so many identities that are very misunderstood, misrepresented, or not even represented at all, that could be used. And inside of that, each person identifies differently to another, even if they are both, for example, bi. Someone who is non-binary may present more feminine than another person who identifies the same. Someone who is bi might have a stronger preference to men than women. There are many aspects of each identity that are often overlooked. After all, they are more like guidelines than actual rules. Each identity is like a bubble, and each person in that bubble is different. So, represent these in your writing. One way to do so is to thoroughly research before you write. Even if you identify with the character, your identity may slightly vary to others in the same bubble. Plus, you could pick up small details that are often overlooked about the identity. There is nothing better than reading a book and identifying with the main character. What would you like to read about?
Relationships:
I struggle with romance. Every book has it, more often than not, a key part of it. And while at times it is manageable (I mean, I can’t say no to two gay theatre boys in New York), it often does my head in. But there are many types of relationships that don’t need to involve romance, and especially more intimate activities. These relationships could include: a friendship between two childhood friends growing up together, a relationship between a father and son/daughter/child, a grandma and grandchild, students who share the same class, an older and younger sibling, a master and an apprentice (always two there are), a regular café customer and the cashier, nine strangers on a quest to destroy an ancient piece of jewellery. There are so many different relationships that don’t need to involve a romance. And these are just as fun to read. I am often guilty in reading middle school fiction because I know there will be less romance, and more adventure in them. But, if like me, you have a tendency to read queer books, that often involve some form of romance, here are some cute things to involve if you don’t want intimacy: hugging, going to see the newest Star Wars movie, watching movies that contain the actors that characters have celebrity crushes on (and arguing who gets them), eating ice-cream at a park (at ungodly hours), going for long walks, playing Skyrim together and becoming vampires, karaoke, cooking together, building a pillow fort, ice skating, teaching hobbies, helping with homework, attending comic cons (bonus if both in costume), go on a quest together, kill their partner’s friends and family (to remind them of their love), playing with hair, dancing (bonus if in rain), movie marathon, sharing favourite books, hand-written notes in lockers or pockets, teaching weaponry forms, sharing food.
Connection:
If you are a queer person writing a queer character/ story, more often than not you are going to include aspects that you are familiar with. Whether this is your sexuality, how you identify or even experiences you have endured. This is a great way to write. Because you have more in common or can relate with the character or storyline, your writing may come easier to you. It’s like basing a character on your best friend, you know every aspect of them. You can detail how they act, their hobbies and their habits. By sticking to a storyline that you know more about, your story would be more realistic. It is, after all, easier to write about things you know well. If you are writing about an identity that you have had limited exposure to, do your research. There is nothing worse than reading a book that is full of stereotypes and poor representation. For example, for me, I don’t know much about being bi. I would research how someone could represent themselves, what it means to
them in terms of romance, and even how they might dress. You can always ask a friend or someone you know for advice and tips on writing a character (or even base it on them). There are so many resources available online, as well as good websites that often talk about that sort of thing.
Reality:
Many LGBTQIA+ teens are lucky to have a safe home with safe and understanding friends and family. But many are not. Many face exposure, homophobic insults, judgement and more horrible events. These could include disapproving parents, being outed or being put out of their comfort zone. If you have experienced any of these situations, feel free to include them in your writing. You can use the emotions and sequence of events that you experienced. But keep in mind, many people have had horrible experiences and it could be confronting for some. However, if written respectfully, it can be a good plot point in the story. For example, in Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda, Simon is faced with being outed, having a not understanding/disapproving parent, as well as losing the respect and relationships with friends. This story was a really good representation for what some people go through. It provided several problems for Simon to overcome, as well as provide a good opportunity for character development. So, don’t feel scared to cause some drama for your character. There are many inevitable challenges that are faced by being queer and these can allow readers to become prepared for life, and it provides a good area for problem solving.
Audience:
Before you even start to write, make sure you know who your audience will be. There is a large difference between a book aimed at 8-12-year-olds, and 15-18-year-olds. This could affect your plot, characters, and language used. A lot of younger audiences may not understand events, situations or even the representation. While older audiences can brave and expect more advanced or sophisticated writing. It also changes the relationships that characters pursue. Characters in books aimed at middle schoolers, often include limited romance, especially intimacy. While characters in young adult fiction might be more romantically involved or their relationship involves more grown up issues, such as going away to university. Is your book aimed at a queer audience? Books that are aimed directly to a queer audience often involve large amounts of, well, queerness. They show large representations from the LGBTQIA+ community and don’t hesitate to portray more relatable situations. While, books that are not directly aimed at queer readers, may not include as much. These books might have several queer characters in them, but they could be more discreet than other books.
How to start:
There are many questions you should also ask yourself before writing a queer character. How do they present? Are they open about their sexuality? Do they present more masculine than feminine? What is their situation at home? Do they feel safe? Are they out yet? Does their identity affect the views of people close to them? how do they act around those closest to them? how do they act around their significant others? What tips them?
Writing is all about expanding your creative mind, there are no walls. Just as there are no walls to our identities. Tell a story about a pan boy, a non-binary parent, a gay elf, a lesbian mermaid, whatever your mind likes. Show readers a story that they would like. One that keeps them hooked. One that isn’t often told. The story is up to you.
Hopefully some of this is useful with aspiring young authors! Some of it applies to more fantasy worlds, then current, but hopefully you can build off the prompts and advice to create your own masterpiece! The pen is yours, now is the time!
- G
Some recommendations:
Books- any by Rick Riordan, Becky Albertalli or Alison Evans, Fun Home, What if it’s us, The Song of Achilles, Six of Crows, Nimona
Movies/ TV- Love, Simon, Trinkets, Bohemian Rhapsody, Happiest Season, Charlie’s Angels (for anyone who likes Kristen Stewart), Good Omens
Musicals- any Averno musicals (especially Willow), Fun Home, Come From Away, Falsettos