Diversity in Writing: Why It Matters, and Why I’m Passionate About It
Author Meghan Le Fay discusses diversity in writing, including why it matters and why she’s passionate about it.
Meet Teke, the snarky but loyal soon-to-be best friend of Serae of Cavendaffe, the main character of Wings of Life. Teke has a shock of blond hair that floats around their head, a love of wearing thick leggings instead of practical skirts or leather pants, and a signing voice that will hold you spellbound. Oh, and they also happen to be nonbinary with preferred pronouns of they/them. This is how I hope characters are remembered from my stories: first by their actions, personalities, and relationships, then by attributes of their skills and appearances. Readers may learn their gender and orientation along the way, but just as in real life, that should rarely be the main point.
Teke is just one of several characters in the Dragonbound Chronicles who identify with a gender other than the strict binary or with an orientation other than straight. While I did build some characters in the series knowing they would have diverse gender identities from the start, when I began writing Teke, I didn’t set out to include them as a nonbinary character in Serae’s group. However, when I started writing their captivating, ethereal voice, it transcended gender, and this aspect of their personality came out. I instantly knew it was right.
Wings of Life centers around Serae, a cishet woman, who goes on a journey of self-discovery that leads her to hidden secrets, looming threats, and a potentially world-shattering love. To build the rich and immersive world in which she lives, I had to be intentional about the ways I imbued it with life. Just as I have met people of all shapes, sizes, and inclinations along my journey, I knew Serae had to experience the same for her world to feel real. This is one of the reasons why inclusion in fantasy is so near and dear to my heart. As a lover of fantasy, one of the most addictive things to me is how I see myself and my experiences in characters that come out of other worlds filled with magic and dragons, or elves and orcs, or witches and wizards.
My goal as an author is to capture that feeling—filling my stories with wonder while grounding the people (be they human, elf, or dwarf) in reality. There is something magical and wonderful about witnessing a piece of oneself in a story. For children, seeing themselves as the hero of the tale is transformative and validating. That doesn’t go away when we grow up. Seeing how people like us exist and matter in other worlds makes a difference. It reminds us that we are seen, we are valid, and we have a right to exist, too. In many ways, it empowers us to take over our own destinies and, dare I say, reminds us to be the main characters in our own stories.
Equally important, allowing others to see diversity on the page creates a safe space without risk, fear, or judgment. This is a crucial part of acceptance and—hopefully—embracement. I would like to believe that everyone approaches other people with openness in their hearts, but that would be oversimplifying humanity. So many factors go into how we react when encountering something new or foreign to us, and sometimes a gut reaction can cause harm even by those with the best intentions. Showing diversity on the page allows for controlled exposure, granting time for those who might need it to learn and process that embracing a world with vibrancy can be a positive experience. In short, it allows our amygdalae time to calm down and give way to rational thought without risk of hurting others in the process.
That said, not everything can be drilled down to biology. The fear response is a real and powerful thing that often keeps us safe, even if it makes mistakes. However, sometimes fear and hate are learned through others—from our role models, our peers, or even our parents. For some, it is a long, hard journey unlearning these actions and reactions. For others, they sadly never will. In writing worlds filled with diversity, this is one small way I can do my part as a member of a marginalized group to seek the world I’d like to see as my reality, as well as act as an ally to others. If I can spread even a little bit of comfort, or maybe a soupçon of understanding, I’ll count that as a job well done.
Above all else, when writing, my goal is to depict people as people. I hope that readers will take away from my stories the whirlwind of emotions and adventures my characters go through. If I’m lucky, these characters and worlds might linger in readers’ hearts and minds for a while, living on even after the story is done. When they encounter diversity and representation, I hope readers will meet them with a sense of relief to have full-fledged people living their lives without being drilled down to one singular attribute as their entire purpose. Perhaps readers will stumble upon a character that presents something new and take the opportunity to see and understand more of the varied facets of humanity. But most of all, I hope some readers might see a little bit of themselves in the story—and it brings them a smile.
Check out Meghan Le Fay's Wings of Life here:
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