Don't Get Too Crazy About Diversity

One of the problems with diversity is that it can get a little bit weird when you try to fill in spots that we think that are underrepresented. Granted, the more voices that we have the better. It enriches us as a culture to have access to as many different voices and diverse perspectives. Unfortunately, the problem is that there a lot of writers that are more interested in trying to find those groups that are underrepresented.

However, there are some major issues that you need to keep in mind before you get too crazy with diversity. First, you shouldn't be tackling a character just because you think that character is under-represented. You need to tackle that character because itis gonna be fun. It can be interesting because it's going to be a challenge. You need to tackle that character because it's something you actually want to do. 

You should not tackle a character just because you think it's going to fill some sort of goal. Token employees don't work in the real world just as token characters don't work in the story. 

You create a lot of interesting problems for yourself, and none of them are good. When you read a story, you need to have the story come first. If anything else comes first, the story suffers as well everything else in the book. You need something to tie everything together and that's what the story does. It also moves things forward and actually allows people to explore your world a little bit more. 

If you worry more about a particular type of person than a particular type of character you're going to create the wrong culture. You're going to be creating all these little details that are about the character, and how the character interacts with the characters specifically because of that different perspective.

And a lot of those details are going to be wrong. Odds are pretty good that you will get the big details right but will get the small details way wrong. Then you are likely to idolize the culture to the point of worshiping it rather than treating it honestly. You will be so focused on trying to make the character a typical member of the race that you will more likely make them a stereotypical member of the culture. In short, in your attempt to portray another culture is going to be offensive to those of the culture.

Ironically, some from the culture try so hard to put a positive face on their culture that they make those from the culture so incredible that they do their own culture a disservice. In all cases, you need to be willing to look at the good and bad sides of the culture or else it quickly becomes a parody of itself. 

You are going to get so worried about that character that you forget about the story. You know, the part that should be coming before everything else in book. and so worried about more about writing the best possibly version of that particular character that he will likely overshadow everyone else in the story.

In short, don't do something just because you feel there has to be some sort of political need to do so but do it because the character works for the story. Worry about making the best possible story you can first, all else second, and you will find that the characters you are trying to present will be more than just token characters, upgrading them from mere stereotypes to actual characters.