https://bardsandsages.com/efestivalofwords/2018/07/02/tentative-schedule-for-the-festival/

I’ll be all over your computer this weekend! The eFestival of Words kicks off on Friday and my first panel is at 4 pm (CST – my time haha).

Saturday is my big Dyslexic Writer workshop/discussion/chat.

And Sunday I’m bouncing around three panels starting at 10 am (my time).

The Diversity in Literature panel looks to be the most socially important. It’s a vital discussion and I hope to add some spice. Being a woman and a Pagan author I have met a few slight struggles breaking into publishing, but they were minor hiccups with specific individuals that couldn’t stop me if they spent their life trying. haha

When most people think of diversity they think of Black and White, Man vs Woman, that’s it. When I think of Diversity in Literature I think of deaf characters, green haired aliens with purple skin, African immigrants, or better yet a southern american moving to Africa.

Telling the same old story of a “poor black person” being granted aid from a “wealthy white woman” is not only a cliche now, it perpetuates the same stereotypes that existed decades ago. It discredits the truth that many minorities are self-made success stories.

Diversity should never be forced, keep your politics in your pants. I always encourage authors to go out and put themselves in new situations with people they are not used to being around. If you don’t have diversity in your life that you can write about, go find it. Seek it. You might learn something. It will definitely give your writing an authenticity that is lacking in stories where a white author just gave a character dark skin to feel better about themselves.