Writing POC 101

FAQs

Wait, so what exactly is this book about?

     This book is going to contain advice on how to successfully write POC characters without being offensive. Each chapter will be written by a Wattpad author of colour writing about their respective race.

Do I have to be an author on Wattpad to submit an entry?

     Yes, but only to prove that you have some writing experience and can give credible advice. You don't have to be super popular, you just need to have at least one story published. The story does not have to be finished.

Do I have to write about my own race for my entry?

     Yes, this I won't budge on. You can't give advice or slam stereotypes if they don't affect you. You know your own race best, and although you may have the best interests at heart, you may end up offending people while writing about how not to offend people. Please keep in mind that this only applies to entries for this book. For your own stories you are definitely free to write beyond your own race, in fact you are encouraged. Saying otherwise would contradict the purpose of this movement.

How do I submit an entry for this book?

     You can email it to me at talkthepoc@gmail.com. Please keep the file type as either a straight text email, Word document, or Google Drive document, and please no PMs, as they tend to lose their layout when I copy/paste them.

Can there be double ups on races?

     Yes! Each person gives different advice and all of it helps, so there will be multiple chapters on the same races.

How well-written does my entry have to be?

     Because this is a book providing writing advice, it will be a little stricter in regards to the English. I'm not looking for an essay, but please use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence case, so that readers may better understand.

Is there anything that I HAVE to include in my entry?

     Entries must include the following:

          - Your username 

          - What you want the chapter title to be

     Content wise, there is nothing that is mandatory, so long as you give sufficient advice. Again, it doesn't have to be an essay, but please don't just tell people to be diverse. 

I want to submit a chapter but I don't know where to start. What kind of advice are you looking for?

     Any advice! You can mention certain stereotypes or mistakes that you've seen in books that are not true and need to be fixed, then write about how to fix them and what IS true about the race. You can write about certain ethnic practices that you'd like to see mentioned or portrayed better in books. You can write about food, clothing, family life, names, pretty much anything under sun! Think of it this way: if you're an author trying to write about a character of an unfamiliar race, what questions would you have? What would you want to know?