You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed! Avoid ethnic and racial stereotypes. It could be a first step toward recognizing the true power of language! Remember, having one or two of the clichés below is perfectly fine especially if they're important to your story and will … Matt, I think that people often use these stereotypes without being aware. Here are four ways to avoid using stereotypes in your writing to create rounder, more realistic characters. A few examples of the most overused clichés, tropes and stereotypes editors and readers have seen enough of are listed below. Clichés make your writing and argument interchangeable with anybody else’s. that families are always heterosexual, that professors are white older men, or that elementary school teachers are women, that maids are African American etc. Idiomatic expressions and slang … When you’re writing college paper, business document, articles for newspapers or newsletters or communications that will go online, pay special attention to avoiding offensive language. My apologies for the long rant, but political correctness (when taken too far) annoys to me no end. For example, it could be considered impolite to say Oriental; you should say Asian or better yet, the specific country such as Japanese, Korean, etc…. If some are offended by the proper singular possessive, it is probably for the best. .”. That was enough to raise a big discussion around the issue and whether it was prejudice or not. As you continue to read, your will learn some of the main issues with the use of appropriate language, such as: 1. Is ‘short’ offensive to you? Here are general stereotypes to avoid: The sassy black woman, the Indian doctor/call center worker, the spicy Latina, the genius Asian girl, the Native American who is extremely connected to nature, and other racial stereotypes; The fat, lazy couch potato; The welfare queen 6 Ways To Avoid Bias While Writing an Essay On Gender Roles January 2, 2021 by Amanda Dudley Leave a Comment A bias is a strong preconceived inclination about someone or … I agree that for informal writing using a single form is probably simpler though. Subscribers get access to our archives with 800+ interactive exercises! Be careful … The Brave Chick. It is the most powerful tool known to man (oops!). For example, it could be considered impolite to say Oriental; you should say Asian or better yet, the specific country such as Japanese, Korean, etc…. Stereotypes exist, and they … Robert, both he and she would be correct for your sentence. Language is not neutral and I believe any attempts to make it so only serves to dilute its utility. Reading this post and the reactions to it is like opening a time capsule. Such as referring to a banker as “Jewish, of course”. – but sometimes it is best to play it safe. Manipulation of language has led to some of history’s vilest atrocities. By doing that, you’re editing your thoughts — pre-censoring your writing. They are considered trite and should be avoided in writing … You can think about stereotypes in three classes: stereotypical characters, behaviors, and situations. Not everyone will be offended of course – which is what we all hope for! For example, if you have a boy with a high-pitched voice who is melodramatic and being called a “sissy,” that’s a red flag. For example, it is now considered impolite to say Oriental; you should say Asian or better yet, the specific country such as Japanese, Korean. 5 Things to Consider Before Writing Urban Fantasy. Make sure that your argument and writing are specific to you and your writing task. This is especially important in business writing contexts. Assumptions in writing, like passive voice, make writing seem weak. African American is my preferred term, but I can imagine this can offend also. For example,Albanians are known for their hospitality and are very reliable people,which is absolutely true. I feel that using the term black is focusing strictly on color. I could not care less if a reader is offended by proper English. Learn what cliches are out there in YA so you can avoid them or learn how to twist them into something new. Research your facts and don’t include statements you believe to be true just because the majority of people also believe so. While it may be true that you can find a cheap Scottish person, you can also find a spendthrift Scottish person or a cheap Bolivia… Writing Diversely is dedicated to helping authors create more diverse stories. Suffice to say that, given the opportunity, we should not shy away from using language as the powerful tool that it is. You can be accurate without being biased. How to Avoid Stereotypes Posted on August 9, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips Coming up with characters can be as simple as looking to our subject matter and asking ourselves who might be expected to be involved. These are women that brought nothing to the table besides weeping and waiting for the male hero to save them. We all use stereotypes in everyday life, whether at the grocery store or filling up at the gas station or at a scientific symposium. Scots are cheap. Not that you can’t set a story on a mental ward, or that you can’t tell stories about mental patients and the abuses they suffer at the hands of their keepers. Either way, it takes away from your point and makes your writing less effective. Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Hopefully, this guide can help you spot any potentially predictable plots or overdone character types. Stereotypes are so embedded in our conscious and subconscious that they end up on the pages of our novels before we really have a chance to process why we have chosen them. Writers often already know to avoid stereotyping characters with features such as race, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. 681 Cliches to Avoid in Your Creative Writing. . You'll also get three bonus ebooks completely free. In all these cases, it is best to well, use your best judgment. Clichés . Only PERVERTS play “politically correct”! That includes the use of the masculine inclusive in the subjugation of women. The Kick-butt Action Girl – Likes to punch, kick, and be tough; The Mary Sue – Written to fulfill the author’s fantasies or concept of self-perfection; The Crone or Hag – Old woman who can curse or harm others, literally or socially A list of 10 common cliches in YA stories. 2. In 1987 I wrote a university paper in which I used the feminine inclusive. By checking this box I consent to the use of my information provided for email marketing purposes. I have to cast a vote against using “their” as the singular possessive. Biases against age and sexual orientation are also frowned upon. Teen readers must be able to see themselves in your story. . 3. A writer so concerned about possibly offending his audience is a writer who Avoid ethnic and racial stereotypes. If you are writing with the purpose of expressing some ‘real view’, you should write to express that view as clearly as possible. Robert brings up a very good point concerning the default use of ‘he’ as the anonymous pronoun. Upon what have you based your choice? In every instance, this is generalizing. It is now 2014 and I am pretty sure that using “their” as a PC ersatz for “his” is considered incorrect, as it is plural and “his” is not, etc., etc. But your writing will benefit so greatly from the exercise. These stereotypes creep into books and movies all too often and so I feel it's my duty to point them out (mainly because they annoy me and well, that's a good… Sexist stereotyping—well, stereotyping in general—is a poor way to communicate because it relies on assumptions and generalizations that often don’t apply to the situation at hand. Some raise the point that this is unacceptable bias, but why can it not be seen as a simple rule of English grammar? Writing a book is challenging, and it can be even more difficult to try to avoid overused stereotypes in any kind of fiction! What about to your friends? Remember that people in different regions or countries might have a different understanding regarding what is considered sexiest or racist. Obviously this is not free rein to start spouting obscenities at every race, gender and religion. However, the other two types of stereotypes should be avoided with as much diligence. Be careful not to let religious stereotypes creep into your writing. Avoiding clichés can be very difficult. 5 Tips for Writing a Glittering Urban Fantasy Story. This is a common thread that YA authors are aware of, but how one does this with a LGBTQI+ character is through avoiding stereotypes. Prior to any discussion on gender/race neutrality should be an understanding of the power of language. A stereotype is “a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.” You can notice your stereotypes when you are in another country,or when you meet foreign people.However,I have never been out of Albania,so I have heard hardly any stereotypes about Albanian people. Princesses come in two main kinds: 1 Wimps.2 Spirited and wilful. And there goes the ol’ postwriting check…. Stereotypes are oversimplified ways of cataloging groups of people based on the differences between them and other groups of people. Granted, all of these stereotypes have a … It’s a hilarious glimpse at the multifarious stereotypes of writers who aren’t thinking hard enough about what they are writing. 2. On the other hand, if that is not your purpose, interjecting those views can be distracting or even offensive. And your readers will deeply appreciate the effort. I’m Vietnamese and I had no idea that saying oriental would offend Asians; even I use the word oriental. If you want your novel to be memorable, you’re going to have to take some time to examine your characters and root out as many stereotypes as you can. You can be accurate without being biased. When you know your audience varies, stay away from words that are gender specific. If you do want to express your thoughts using biased terms that is fine, as long as you are doing it deliberately. It can be really hard to avoid stereotypes in characterization when you’re setting up your novel. To remedy this, authors began writing the butt-kicking female protagonist, which has now become a stereotype all on its own. It can be really hard to avoid stereotypes in characterization when you’re setting up your novel. French people are snobs. Of course, I wrote a two page footnote explaining my choice. This will help you craft an appealing, non-insulting character. This is too biased. Copyright © 2020 Daily Writing Tips . Avoid clichés. The use of the masculine inclusive is not striking because we are numb to its effect out of habit. Avoid using expressions that make people think that certain attributes are found among one group of people rather than in all groups. Note my use of he as a generic pronoun. He will need to avoid all the stereotypes of loony-bin lore coined by Ken Kesey in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and recycled in a myriad of TV shows and books. Avoid stereotypes and offensive labeling languages. A stereotype is “a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.”. Sign up for your Author Creative Well-being Toolkit, 4 ways to avoid stereotypes in your writing and create rounder, more realistic characters. Avoid stereotypes. Tip: Another thing to avoid when writing fantasy is creating perfect, ‘Mary Sue’-style characters. Discovering stereotypes and conscientiously eliminating them from your writing is hard! Of course examining why these assumptions exist is maybe only appropriate for a sociology paper, but it is good to keep in mind. You’d be surprised how many people take these sorts of things the wrong way. I remember that Guy Kawasaki used to mention in his bio that he learned “how to sell” from the Jews. Following on from my recent article How to avoid Female Stereotypes in your novel, we obviously need to discuss some of the male stereotypes. Throw the words onto the page. 1. Some examples of stereotypes are: the submissive Asian woman, the ignorant American, the black criminal, the drunken Indian, the Muslim terrorist or the Hispanic gang member. Another way to avoid writing clichés and stereotypes is to create a society that is totally new and different. Clichés are vague. Mexicans are lazy. Tips, sensitivity reading, and consulting on how to be more diverse and inclusive in you fiction writing. Don’t assume your novel needs to be filled with dramatic, over-zealous, action-packed scenes. Oh, then should we toss it aside in favour of ‘vertically challenged’ for them? Levels of formality in language 2. This leads to over-thinking every word, worrying about the quality your work, and will eventually stifle your creativity. This discussion can go on forever. As is mentioned, use your judgement, and if you have half a brain, and the foresight to research your target audience, you should be able to tell the difference between an insulting statement and a harmless one. Different audiences may call for different styles of writing, but the essence of a writer is that he conveys the message he wishes to convey, and should not be limited by political correctness. I have seen the whole argument of PC spiral out of control when it is applied to words such as ‘short’. The use of inappropriate language will only diminish your credibility as a thought leader, damage your argument, and possibly even alienate your readers. These are a few reasons why you should avoid stereotypes in your characterizations. In fiction, clichés refers to characters or story elements that readers can spot (and avoid) a mile away. According to what I have seen in most college handbooks this is the norm, Michael. First, don’t try to stifle the cliches. As you’ll see from this list, stereotypes can be positive or negative and for protagonists or antagonists. As the 2nd Anniversary of Writing Diversely approaches, I want to revisit the very first post I wrote, How to Write Characters of Color Without Using Stereotypes.When I started this blog (and still to this day) the top concern of authors I work with is is stereotypes and tropes. …wait a minute… that’s not gender neutral…. 4. The second thing you could do is read urban fantasy books by fellow, successful authors. Avoid sexist language. Whether your fantasy novel contains none of these clichés or all of them, what matters most is that it is written well. I think the most important point is that you should always write with the goal of getting your point across as clearly as possible. Tips to help you avoid stereotypes and maintain originality: Use your favorite stories as inspiration — not guidelines Develop fully rounded characters that think logically, as you would — unless your character is an idiot. Michael, good to know that our audience is that broad . Check out this post at Set in Style for an amusing post on how things can go awry when you try to use genderless pronouns: Personally, the word ‘oriental’ springs to mind exotic and cultural imagery of the East, and I believe this is the same for many others, including Asians (perhaps I shouldn’t have used that term for fear of offending someone). Use “their” instead of “his” or “anyone” instead of “a man”. So you’re saying to be 100% PC about everything and not to show any real views? Asians are math whizzes. Any kind of assumptions– e.g. A spirited Princess will be detectable by the scattering of freckles across the bridge of her somewhat tiptilted nose [Official Management Term]. Here are a few tips to stay away from this type of writing. “Use your best judgement” Sometimes I think that good judgement is not a common attribute, but we can hope for the best! reveals he is not entirely forthcoming. Instead of thinking about this as “PC”, think about it in terms of avoiding assumptions in writing. Not necessarily but depending on the situation in which you are writing, it is best to bear these things in mind. It is easy to fall into the trap of using language that can be construed as racist or sexist. Avoid stereotypes. I’ve been debating this one for a while with myself- which is more offensive, black or African-American? 7 examples of sexist language to avoid in your writing Sexist stereotyping, despite efforts spanning decades to change it, still exists, and it’s pervasive in how we communicate. Cliché’s are phrases or expressions that have been used well past the sell-by date. Euphemisms and deceitful language 3. Granted I teach undergrads in sociology, but in general I think either assumptions about race/class/gender/religion should either be avoided, or examined. Take a look at the following post to connect up with some on Facebook: For example, a college paper or a document for work ought to keep biases to a minimum. It requires that you do some deep self-reflection as well as some heavy developmental editing. It is best to use the most precise wording in order to present evidence and support your arguments as clearly as possible. Unless you’re writing a maritime novel and your character is sailing into a squall Stock settings (the tropical island paradise in a romance, for example) that feel predictable and thinly drawn If you’re building a fantasy world, for example, avoid clichéd setting by thinking about: For general and academic writing purposes, avoid fillers and other unnecessary words and phrases. As far as I know, it would not offend me. Use the feminine inclusive when possible (with or without an explanation), or mix the masculine and feminine, to jar the reader. As you write, it is crucial that you use language that matches your audience and intended purpose. It was jarring to me and I wrote it! All Right Reserved. While it’s okay for us to do so (since we’re not worried about word count and are aiming to deliver you informative and fun editing advice), if we were writing an academic or research paper, however, we would be more careful to write concisely. Why not set your story so far in the future (or an alternate history) where nothing is the same? ChatEbooks lists down some of the most common female stereotypes that you may want to avoid. Let's take a look at some of the most common stereotypes in literature: Absent-minded professor - A genius who trips and can't get out of his own way Angry black woman - A sassy, emasculating, and overly opinionated black woman Bad boy - A macho guy who lives on the opposite side of the law, often a brooding rebel with or without a cause They are sometimes rooted in fact, sometimes in prejudice, and if taken at face value, they contribute to intolerance and discrimination and limit people in their understanding of society. “. For better or worse, they help us categorize the world around us. Oh, boy! To me it still represents laziness, with the speaker or writer being unwilling to expend the energy to keep his sentence in order. I found your post to be a stereotype to be avoided. For reasons we’ll discuss below (see cliché #2), fantasy has a tendency to lend itself dangerously well to perfectly flawless and noble characters, who are a stereotype in themselves. . Avoid political bias and stereotypes in case you want your audienceTo read your content under a neutral point of view. Cliches (properly spelled clichés, with the acute accent) are words and phrases, once interesting, which have lost their original effect from overuse. But they can also get us into trouble when we forget to allow the people around us to be larger and more complex than we expect them to be. It was striking how jarring it was reading something written in the feminine inclusive. When in doubt, scratch that. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? And argument interchangeable with anybody else’s thoughts using biased terms that is fine, as long as are... Debating this one for a sociology paper, but political correctness ( when taken too far ) annoys me... 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