What fiction writers know about avoiding stereotypes, with Alex Temblador

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Mignon Fogarty, Inc.

Society & Culture, Education

4.5 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2024

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

1013. How can fiction writers create diverse, authentic characters without relying on stereotypes? Alex Temblador, author of "Writing An Identity Not Your Own," tackles this question and more. Learn about the importance of community engagement in research, the pitfalls of overemphasizing certain character traits, and techniques for editing with an eye toward inclusivity. Temblador also shares her own experience applying these principles to her novel "Half Outlaw," offering a practical look at writing across identities.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Mignon, and I'm here today with a new interview to kick off our next season of Grammar Girl Conversations.
0:13.4	The first batch was such a success that we're doing it again.
0:16.6	You'll see an interview show in your feed every Thursday, at least through Thanksgiving
0:21.0	and maybe longer, and I have some great topics lined up.
0:24.7	We'll hear from the editors of the Chicago Manual of Style.
0:28.1	Aaron McKeine, who runs her own online dictionary,
0:31.3	Christopher Penn, an AI expert. and today I'm here with Alex
0:35.2	Temblador, who's a mixed Latinay award-winning author of the novel Half Outlaw.
0:41.2	And the book we'll talk about today,
0:42.8	writing identity, not your own, a guide for creative writers.
0:46.8	She has an MFA in creative writing and does extensive teaching on creative writing
0:51.6	both at universities and in the broader literary world.
0:54.8	Alex, welcome to the Grammar Girl Podcast.
0:57.2	Thank you for having me. I'm so glad to be here to chat with you.
1:00.0	Yeah, this is such an interesting book, writing an identity, not your own.
1:04.1	The twin books is a great book. And, you know, I've never really seen anything like it before,
1:12.0	and it's such a big question I think among
1:15.8	fiction writers have heard you want more diversity in your book because it
1:21.2	reflects the real world and people should see themselves reflected in
1:24.8	fiction but then I've also seen people you know absolutely skewered for getting it
1:29.2	wrong and it creates all this anxiety and I feel like your book is really right for this moment where those
1:34.9	discussions are happening. Can you tell me how the book came to be?
	...

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