I've been asked what are some common mistakes writers make when writing about diverse characters. I've mentioned some before, but I wanted to address these three. 1. Lack of description. Simply addressing a character by their ethnicity is not enough. Black, Asian, Latino, Mexican, or other ethnic titles are weak ways to introduce characters of color. FYI, I learned that the term Hispanics is commonly used in the eastern parts of the United States, whereas the term Latinos is

Consider the world you live in. Your cultural experiences, likes, dislikes, fears, and even biases are based on your community. As an author writing about another culture, how can you best represent a group of people who are not like you? One way is through help from a sensitivity reader. Without a sensitivity reader, the likelihood of authentic representation significantly dwindles. Why? Because from the outside looking in, it’s unlikely that you as the author would understa

On my last day of a recent writers' conference I attended, I headed toward a set of stairs I'd climbed multiple times during the week. For the first time, I noticed a few small flowers in a scattering of dead leaves and twigs. How had they survived? These little flowers managed to escape being trampled by hundreds of feet. As a writer, sometimes it's easy to feel like we're being trampled and events in our lives encourage us to give up. Not everyone who attends a writers' co

I love writing conferences. I love the people, facility, the ideas writers bring, and so much more. I'm at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. I've had an amazing time, but one phrase keeps playing over and over in my mind. I need to find time to write. I know there's a difference between need and want. So for now, I want to write more, but more will need to come after the conference. I will say to you, keep writing!