The Challenges Of Writing Outside Your Own Experience

June 1st, 2016

With the deadline still in front of her, best-selling author Joshilyn Jackson continues to work toward the end of her newest novel, “Origin Story.” As part of that process, Jackson had two colleagues read the manuscript so she could get an idea of how the book would ultimately be received. While the reviews were generally positive, one sentiment stuck with her.

“Neither of them came away with a clear physical picture of either of my two black main characters,” she explains. And despite having a clear picture of those characters in her own imagination, Jackson quickly realized that she had been hesitant in describing them in her writing.

One of the reasons?

“I just didn’t want to fall into any stereotypes,” she says, “and there’s a lot out there.”

So, Jackson decided to research the best ways to describe characters of color. One website she came across was Writing with Color, which she found to be a helpful resource.

“I’m a huge believer that if I’m writing outside my experience, and I often do, I need to do it as respectfully as I can,” she says.

Now, with her deadline inching ever closer, Jackson is going back through her novel, trying to provide her eventual readers with a clearer and appropriate picture of her characters of color.