We live in a diverse world.
We differ from each other by gender, ethnicity, race, culture, and so much more. And that’s good. Our differences make the world colorful and exciting. Otherwise, life would be boring.
Imagine if you could only wear the same white shirt every day, had to eat flavorless food for every meal, and be forced to live in a plain and undecorated house. Pretty dull, right? That’s what life would be like if we all fit in the same box. Because we don’t, we get to experience each other’s cultures and gain a new perspective. We get variety instead of monotony.
So if there’s diversity in life, there needs to be diversity in fiction.
Fiction serves as a reflection of life. Or, at least, it should. It’s an author’s job to have their readers connect with the story. That can happen in a number of different ways. But the best way is to have a diverse cast of characters. Because you won’t have one certain group of people read your book, but rather a large audience of different people from different backgrounds. So if you have characters that reflect that, the more likely they’ll connect to your story.
“Diversity is not a trend in fiction. It’s the future."
Rick Riordan’s books are a perfect example of this. Whether it’s the Percy Jackson series, The Kane Chronicles, or the Magnus Chase trilogy, he rounds out his cast with different characters. There are strong women that take charge, Native American and Latino characters that embrace their heritage, two interracial siblings, and so much more. And they all play major roles in their stories. Riordan may bring in readers with his action-packed and larger than life plots, but they stay because they have a relationship with the characters. Because they’re not cardboard cutouts.
Readers crave diversity. They demand it. Because they know that having a mix of different people will bring more to the plot.
Diversity will always add to the story, never take away.
Author representation matters just as much as character representation. Think about it this way: if you have a wide range of people from different walks of life, you’ll get a variety of opinions. And more opinions mean more story ideas. Whereas if you only have the one specific group tell the story, you’d essentially hear the same thing over and over again without bringing anything new to the table.
No one else could have written books like The Hate U Give, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, the Legend series, and The Sun Is Also a Star but their respective authors. James Patterson wouldn’t have written them. Neither would John Green. Only Angie Thomas, Jenny Han, Marie Lu, and Nicola Yoon could’ve brought these stories to life that are loved by so many.
We write so that we can have a voice. So why should only a select few have that right? Giving authors of color that same chance will result in amazing stories with a fresh take. One of them could even be your new favorite book.
Diversity is not a trend in fiction. It’s the future.
Readers are done with characters only allowed to look a certain way. And they're tired of not having other voices heard. They want to feel represented, like their identity matters as much as those of others. They want change.
Embrace our differences. Celebrate them and give them a platform to reach others. Because those that don’t are in danger of being left in the past.
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