Guide to Writing

Writing Tip 4: Embrace diversity, and don't just use stereotypes

The world is a diverse place, rich with people from various countries, races and nationalities. We live in a world where people are proud to be different and unique, and we embrace that individuality.

So of course it can be baffling to find that the same old characters and plots keep working their way into teen fiction stories.

One complaint is that the cast of characters often isn't varied enough, leading readers to feel distant from the story because they don't have characters to relate to, whilst another is that when writers do attempt to create a more diverse cast, it's totally made up of stereotyped characters.

It isn't possible to please everyone. If it were, the world would be a very happy place! But you can aim to create a story that many will enjoy by showing a vast range of characters that aren't just the stereotypes we see in Hollywood. Not every villain in a teen fiction, for example, has to be based on Regina George from Mean Girls.

Stereotypes do exist, and characters can have these traits, but what puts readers off isn't necessarily that these characters have them, but that there is often little depth given beyond these traits. People aren't defined by one thing - it's the various parts of their life and personality that make a person, and as writers we should strive to reflect that in our writing.

A further problem in creating a character that is just a stereotype can be that you potentially alienate that section of your target audience. If you consistently portray a certain trait in a negative light, it's bound to annoy the readers with those traits, especially when it happens almost universally across stories.

So this tip is simple: don't be afraid to put a diverse range of characters in your story - people are layered, made up of more than one trait. Every person is unique, and so should be your characters!

What others have had to say

Sara91Helal "How you portray a character depends on your own perception. A helpful tip when writing about an often stereotyped trait would be to put yourself in your character's shoes, it helps you visualize and get a deeper insight."

dreamflier "The overuse of stereotypes contributes to a reader's bias, and I think as writers, we need to make sure that stereotypes are seen in a positive light. All people deserve the chance to be accepted, whether they're a nerd, jock, cheerleader, loner, etc. The challenge is showing that people are more than their stereotypes. A lot of people don't realize that people are multifaceted." 

GraceSClarke "Everything has a boundary. Even the concept of stereotypical characters. But not all stereotypical characters end up doing the same thing. We might think that a certain story is quite similar to what we had read previously, but it's not. Stereotypical characters or not, the storyline also matters." -

xFakingaSmilex "I think that some sort of stereotyping is a good way to shape a character quickly but there's a difference between using stereotypes and over stereotyping stories"

AlWrite "It bothers me when writers try to be diverse, but rely heavily on stereotypes to do so. Stereotypes are there to marginalise and box people." 

Do you agree? What are your opinions on stereotypes in stories?