A Truly Brilliant Argument Has Been Made Here About The Importance Of Representing Diversity. All The

A truly brilliant argument has been made here about the importance of representing diversity. All the points that have been made are understandable and more than that, they are deeply rooted in the world of morals. Once again, this is brilliant.

On the contrary, it is a wrong reply. Of course diversity needs to be represented and of course writers better think outside of the box. But to, and I quote, "call bullshit on whining about diversity", is aggression.

Taking up a fight against oppression and mis-/underrepresentation is a noble quest. However, when you put pressure on an amateur writer, in order to make them write differently because of the lack of POC or LGBTQ or other similar groups in their own work of fiction, you are, in a way using coercion. You use your authority without respect toward the person in question.

Writing fiction grants people absolute creative freedom. It gives them nonetheless when they start producing mistakes. A mistake can be in the nature of grammar or plot but it can also manifest in leaving out the diversity of our world from their fictional one. It will, in all probability, result in simply not getting published, or even if they get that far, not receiving a lot of praise.

Tolkien's work is criticized often because it is stereotypical. It originally meant that good characters remained good ones and bad ones remained bad. Contemporaries like to call it stereotypical because it involves no POC and such. However, Tolkien did not as far as consider anything but white folks because he had certain historical interpretations and theories, which he wanted to involve in his fantasy books. His ideas were about English people and French people and he mainly thought about the English people he saw around himself and not people from other lands.

Yes, Tolkien could have been concerned about diversity more and in the sense that we use this word today. Of course he did not, still he wrote relevant fantasy novels. Evidently, not focusing on writing about diversity does not equal failing at writing. Then it begs the question: if there are ways, where people do not include POC or disabled characters in their stories, still can become great authors, why is this blog so strongly against people, who tend to take up this other mental? I thought this blog is about writing tips and not political ones.

Now this is another question: can one write a blog, where, if opposed, his political views will not affect his actions and reactions? Naturally, this is very hard to imagine. Still, it seems as though central attitudes of the blogger and the writer meet in a conflict. But this is not true. The person, who tries to write and struggles to include 'diverse' characters, does not believe or promote that POC are inferior or that disabilities do not exist or whatnot. This person might be, in real life, a great supporter of diversity, even so, they might be homosexual. This question was in the nature of literature and not political philosophy or traits of personality.

I must return to a point I have already made. This is an aggressive, maybe oppressive response. The person, who asked the question, did not oppose anyone, they just failed to portray a group of people. It is a nice thing to encourage them to invest more and work a little harder, in order to understand others, different from them, but to say that they are wrong to not include such characters is unfair and flat-out oppression. It is because you, with your relevant authority, influence them to make a point in their writing, which they originally did not intend. It is just right to stand up for the people, who fail to do that for themselves, and I, personally, am with you there. But this is just writing. It is not professional and it is unfair to tell people what philosophy to follow when writing. One could stand up and tell people that they should exclude christian characters from their books because christianity promotes hate and inequality. (I must note that this is a false argument) But if people started to just use atheist characters, their stories would change in nature. (I must also note that it could be rarely applied because christian characters are seldom written and I think hardly anyone disagrees with this practice) The change, although, would not be because the list of characters would be less diverse but because the authors, who initially planned to involve them, had their reasons why they had that certain set of characters the way they are.

Writers can, of course, err and they should be encouraged to be empathic and thoughtful, it is a very noble thing, I say again. But this is not political propaganda for or against diversity, it is fiction. One could easily oppose me, by saying that at least implicitly it is against POC for instance, since they are not included. But the lack of promotion is not the same as opposition.

Diversity is to be promoted and encouraged, it is not a question, but a natural truth. But the only right way to stand up for a good cause is peaceful and requires a meek and humble soul.

Writing is not about your comfort. I have no idea who sold you the idea that writing is a comfortable, easy thing. Pushing yourself as a writer is part of the experience. If you feel uncomfortable about writing diverse characters, then you need to double down and commit yourself to doing the best...

More Posts from Bernatk and Others

12 years ago

Some discipline

I've finished my book. At least a thousand times but still, here I am, working on it. But now it seems too much. Why isn't it simply done?!

I'm lucky though, because I never intended it to be for me. And the true recipient of the whole story always inspires me. Always. Even when she just comes to my mind. I always feel strong enough to eventually get to the other side.

I suppose we all have this feeling sometimes. I mean, I'm extremely lucky to have a special woman in my life but I cannot picture you, yes you my reader, without at least some very distant, unreachable person, whose glimpse would not make you do wonders.

Yeah, so get up and do your homework, Loki-head (I just made that up but seems terrible, however, I'm never deleting any stupid stuff, so it stays)!

Randomness rules, by the way...


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12 years ago

Hope seems to be the most stubborn thing in my head. After being proved wrong, pulled through unwanted things, failed, hurt, it still is there, constantly making me take the next step, even when I see no viable chance for things to work out.


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11 years ago

word

Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video
Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video
Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video
Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video
Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video
Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video
Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video
Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video
Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video
Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video

Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party, Gives Awesome Speech - Video


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12 years ago
bernatk - Heatherfield Citizen
12 years ago

A brief look-back to my book

I'm still working on the little extension thingies for my book. It's been over a year and a month, that I started writing it.

One night I had the weirdest dream, probably of my entire (rather short) existence, about these kids being tricked and trapped in Underworld... I remember, I was in the middle of another "novel" (which by the way I still have not finished :P), and I was just browsing among self-publishing companies. I randomly filled out a registration for one site, as to see what it would cost me to publish myactualwork. I don't know for what reason, but I clicked children's books category, and then things just got crazy in my head...

Nothing real was set in motion but the next day I was called by this publishing company. A very nice woman was politely asking me about mybook. It blew my mind. I felt like I was arealwriter. For no apparent reason I started telling about my dream, insted of the project I was making. What I said was to no extent collected or organised but it didn't bother me much, I was just speaking. Dreaming of getting published...

In one week I wrote like twenty-five, thirty pages. I was extremely thrilled. But, then my joy was soon overcome byreason. I was (and still am (for a hopefully short period of time)) monetarily dependent on my parents. The cheapest publishing package was about 2000 pounds if I remember correctly... Anyways, they said, that a book is not a good investment. So they gave me exactly 0.00 pounds to follow my dreams...

I never give up. I didn't give up then, either... In the coming two months I finished my book, had it revised by a published author, who became a very good friend of mine on the way... After that I sent my manuscript to another friend of mine, who resides in Michigan, U.S.. He used to be a professor of genetics and his knowledge is literally unprecedented. Though I hardly agree with him on anything... So he revised it, as well. He said, it's not really good but he sees some potential... This is kind of like the greatest compliment I've ever heard from him, so it was extremely delightful to me, despite its actual indifference :P

My endurance was always fueled by my beautiful Special Girl (I never know how to call her because girlfriendis kind of awkward and she's not my wife yet, so I'd feel uncomfortable with calling her my Half). She is the greatest artist I've seen, or heard, or known about. The inspiration and motivation she gave me are like this once-in-a-lifetime thing, which we always hear abot but can never truly depict... She never let me give in, or turn blue...

And now, after a year, I'm here. Still trying to make it better. But in this one year, I've learned, that I'm ready to leave my parents' house. For good. I'll write. I'll marry my girlfriend (according to my parents) before time. These are my plans and I know, that I shouldn't be crossing the bridge yet, but there's this thing, called faith. I know this is my path because I was instructed this way, by my Heavenly Instructor... I don't fear the shadows of my future, or even my present because I know, that nothing can go so wrong, as to prevent me from becoming the man, that I'm born to become.


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12 years ago

We are one tonight, and I'm singing it out! We are on tonight, And we are dreaming out loud...

Jon Foreman


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10 years ago

Man, I envy you quite honestly and proudly

bernatk - Heatherfield Citizen

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10 years ago

my head is hurting because i thought about my future for 0.3 seconds


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12 years ago

Wannabe ...... (fill in)

On 9GAG and similar sites, I very often run into these "They said I could be anything, so I became blah-blah-blah" thing. It sure is meant to be a joke but sometimes I wonder what I became. I certainly want to be a writer, and one day a director, maybe... But am I making progress? I mean, now I'm looking for a publisher for a children's book that I wrote. Well actually, that's not 100% true 'cuz I also have some corrections to make first, since a very very old friend of mine is helping in and he pointed out literally houndreds of mistakes. Bad, eh? But yeah, I'm gonna cut it off right there because it is about to turn into that modern and very popular artistic crap (I-adore-my-own-ART!), which mainly self-obsessed painters and/or photographers do.


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10 years ago

Do not speak unless you can improve upon the silence.

Quaker saying (via austinkleon)

(actually it’s a communication principle based on Kant’s maxims but yeah, way to go)


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bernatk - Heatherfield Citizen
Heatherfield Citizen

I mostly write. Read at your leisure but remember that my posts are usually produced half-asleep and if you confront me for anything that came from me I will be surprisingly fierce and unforeseeably collected. Although I hope we will agree and you will have a good time.

213 posts

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