3 Resources for Improving LGBTQIA+ Representation in Your Stories
It’s almost the end of Pride month, but creating inclusive narratives should be a priority year-round, so it’s not too late to dive into resources that can help you improve the LGBTQ+ representation in your novels (or add it for the first time if you’ve been holding back out of fear you’d do it wrong).
Wherever you are in this journey, here are resources that can help:
#1 - Writing the Other Workshops & Courses
Writing the Other is a great resource for books, courses, and blog posts that can help you write characters from a variety of diverse backgrounds with sensitivity. You’ll also find resources at a variety of different price points and scholarships to help pay for their higher cost courses.
Workshops for improving your LGBTQIA+ representation include:
Writing Bisexual and Pansexual Characters with Cecilia Tan
Writing for Trans and Non-Binary Narratives with Ashley Lauren Rogers
More than Eunuchs and Extraterrestrials: Writing Positive Portrayals of Asexual Characters with Lauren Jankowski
You can also check out the book Writing the Other: A Practical Approach by Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward for a more expansive introduction to writing diverse characters.
Looking for something specific to fantasy & science fiction writers? Check out their course Building Inclusive Worlds developed in partnership with Clarion West for a robust look at creating fictional worlds that avoid harmful tropes.
#2 - The Rebel Author Podcast Episode #328
In this phenomenal episode of The Rebel Author Podcast (one of my absolute favorite writing podcasts), Sacha Black interviews author Dharma Kelleher. They chat about the importance of writing diverse characters and how to avoid harmful tropes and stereotypes. It’s a great listen, catch the episode here or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
#3 - Take the “Is My Manuscript LGBTQ+ inclusive?”quiz by Sam Cameron at Truant Pen.
Kidlit book coach Sam Cameron has a great quiz to help you assess the LGBTQ representation in your novel. You can access the quiz here. You will have to provide your email to get results, but Sam will send you a guide that helps you break down your results in simple, non-judgmental terms.
Looking for a deeper dive? Check out Sam’s interview with Rachel and Emily on the Story Magic - it’s a practical discussion that will leave you feeling empowered to add LGBTQ+ representation to your stories.
Writing diverse books matters. Representing the beautiful complexity of humanity matters. Doing so sensitively, intentionally, and respectfully matters.
Never forget that the stories you create have the power to reshape someone’s reality. No matter where you are in your writing journey, I hope that these resources help you create better books and someday, even, a better world.
Happy Writing!
