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Sign up todayWriting an Identity Not Your Own
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Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“Note: This book is NOT inspirational! No, instead this book is a no nonsense guide to creating characters, stories, and identities that are non problematic. There has been so much to unpack in this book, that I had to pause it several times, and I found myself uncomfortable throughout due to the truths that the author brings forth. So yes, this book will have you hitting your head off the desk, or you may even consider giving up writing altogether. BUT this book will heal those unconscious biases and give you tools to not only find them in your work but overcome them to write better stories. ”
— TJ • Anne’s Secondhand Bookshop
Bookseller recommendation
“This was such an informative and actionable read from Alex Temblador that taught me so much about communicating identities not my own through writing and conversation. I particularly enjoyed how the book walks through differing viewpoints and perspectives on topics like person-first language and includes both positive and negative examples. The checklists and exercises were also a huge bonus! I highly recommend this read (or listen) for any writer and, in general, every person looking to better themselves and how they talk and write about others.”
— Olivia • 5 to 9 Books
Summary
A practical guide to help authors authentically write and edit a character whose identity is different than their own.
Do you have the tools to authentically write and edit a character whose identity is different than your own? It’s not a subject that’s generally taught in creative writing programs, and there are so few craft books and online resources on the subject. Even if you can take a seminar, class, or workshop, there’s nothing like having an easy-to-understand book on hand to provide guidance and insight every time you craft characters with historically
marginalized identities.
In Writing an Identity Not Your Own, award-winning author Alex Temblador discusses one of the most contentious topics in creative writing: crafting a character whose identity is historically marginalized. What is “identity,” and how do unconscious biases and bias blocks impact and influence what we write? What is intersectionality? You’ll learn about identity terms, stereotypes, and tropes, and receive genre-specific advice related to various identities to consider when writing different races and ethnicities, sexual and romantic orientations, gender identities, disabilities, nationalities, and more. Through writing strategies, exercises, and literary excerpts, writers will gain a clearer understanding on how misrepresentations and harmful portrayals can appear in storylines, dialogue, and characterization. Alex will guide writers from the brainstorming phase
through the editing process so they can gain a full understanding of the complexities of writing other identities and why it’s important to get them right.