So in here and over in PoC, we tend to get a lot of posters asking how to write about QUILTBAG and PoC characters. We often to tell them to prepare for the criticism when they get things wrong, and to take it maturely and do better next time.
What hasn't been talked about is how we critique those characters.
And while I'd love for this to be a "how to" thread, I'm actually asking for advice, because it's not so simple being on the critiquer side of the table, either. And while I'm pretty comfortable speaking my mind over the internet, it's something I struggle with IRL.
I've gotten used to sometimes being the only non-white non-heteronormative person in small creative writing classes and critique groups, so it's been rare I've had to critique other peoples' works with PoC or QUILTBAG characters IRL.
But this semester, I've noticed more allies writing about more diverse characters, which is pretty great I think, but sometimes leaves me worrying over how to approach my critique when things are problematic, especially when it comes to more subjective things, and things with which I've no personal experience but know to be problematic. And, sometimes, it's not the author but another critiquer who doesn't get it (and then I feel like I need to defend the author who isn't allowed to defend their own work during critique).
How do you approach critiquing other authors writing about QUILTBAG and PoC characters? How do you approach it when they write things that are well-meaning but problematic? How do respond to things like "my gay black friend thought it was fine", especially if you're not gay or black but still see something problematic?
What are your experiences — the good, the bad, and the ugly — when critiquing people writing about "the other" when "the other" is you? When it isn't you?
What hasn't been talked about is how we critique those characters.
And while I'd love for this to be a "how to" thread, I'm actually asking for advice, because it's not so simple being on the critiquer side of the table, either. And while I'm pretty comfortable speaking my mind over the internet, it's something I struggle with IRL.
I've gotten used to sometimes being the only non-white non-heteronormative person in small creative writing classes and critique groups, so it's been rare I've had to critique other peoples' works with PoC or QUILTBAG characters IRL.
But this semester, I've noticed more allies writing about more diverse characters, which is pretty great I think, but sometimes leaves me worrying over how to approach my critique when things are problematic, especially when it comes to more subjective things, and things with which I've no personal experience but know to be problematic. And, sometimes, it's not the author but another critiquer who doesn't get it (and then I feel like I need to defend the author who isn't allowed to defend their own work during critique).
How do you approach critiquing other authors writing about QUILTBAG and PoC characters? How do you approach it when they write things that are well-meaning but problematic? How do respond to things like "my gay black friend thought it was fine", especially if you're not gay or black but still see something problematic?
What are your experiences — the good, the bad, and the ugly — when critiquing people writing about "the other" when "the other" is you? When it isn't you?
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