Dear Readers,

So, the first rule about writing LGBTQ+ characters?

They don't need to know their sexuality from when they are three years old.

Kind Regards,

A 22 Year Old Gal Who Genuinely Doesn't Know Her Own Sexuality

Anyways.

I already covered diversity in the last chapter, but I have been asked to be a bit more specific with LGBTQ+ related advice! So, yeah. We'll launch straight into it. This won't be a funny chapter, unless you're one of those people who find the word 'hullaballoo' funny.

In which case...

Hullaballoo!

Regardless of sexuality or gender, your character is a human.

Unless, of course, they're an alien. Or dragon. Or bumblebee. Or a sexy bottle of water.

Literature can be weird like that.

Hullaballoo!

However, nonetheless, think about it this way:

You are writing LGBTQ+ characters. You are simply writing characters who happen to identify with the LGBTQ+ community, the same way you may write a character who happens to be straight. The same way you may write a character who happens to have no feelings except complete disdain to every member of the human population because they realised that the world is cruel and insufferable and unfair and torturous. The same way you may write a character who is turned on by sexy water bottles.

This means a few things:

Y'all.

I'm serious.

The number of times I've met a side character, and the protagonist goes, "That's my gay best friend, Gaybriel The Gay. He is super gay. He made out with the seven dwarves on the way to my house just now. He also is married to Mark Zuckerberg. Have I mentioned that he is gay yet?"

Y'all.

People don't just go up to you and say, "Hi, my name is Aquium and I'm sexually attracted to water bottles."

They don't!

If someone identifies with the LGBTQ+ community, you don't have to tell us straight away unless there is good reason to. You can show us. We can connect the dots. Your readers are not that dumb. Usually.

This means that they have goals. They have ambitions. They have dreams and quirks and interests. They have a personality that is more than just their sexuality or gender.

Similarly, their plot should not just be about their sexuality or gender.

Obviously, if you are writing a story about the hardships of coming out or transitioning, then it makes sense to make that the sole focus. And that's great! However, remember: they'll probably have more purpose than that. They will still have other dreams and hopes and ambitions.

Shout out to my friend who was literally kicked out of her house when she came out, but when asked what the hardest thing was about her teenage years, she said, "Choosing a degree that I would actually want to study and resisting the urge to buy ten pet rats."

I love her.

While, obviously, being kicked out of a house due to your sexuality would 100% be a focal point of any story and a giant conflict, it's important to remember that your character will still have hobbies and thoughts about their future and all other things that make us human.

Also, on the same note, not everyone from the LGBTQ+ community has had a tragic backstory. A bunch of them have, absolutely! But not everyone. So, um... yeah, you don't have to give your LGBTQ+ character a tragic backstory.

It's no less serious when two women get together. Or two men. Or two anyones.

It's still a relationship that involves vulnerability, trust, respect, intimacy, compromise, individuality, communication and conflict. They will be just as raw and real as heterosexual couples.

Why?

Because... they're literally just another couple.

It's been a while since I've said hullaballoo.

Hullaballoo!

In your story world, they may be discriminated. Absolutely.

If your narrative is in first-person, written by a character who is also discriminating to begin with [but then learns to become more open-minded and inclusive], then sure, you can write them a bit differently.

Otherwise, if you are writing in third-person with a non-biased narrator, then you do not treat members of the LGBTQ+ differently. If you introduce all characters by showing us their appearance and clothing, then do that with your LGBTQ+ characters. You can't just introduce them by their sexuality and then give us nothing else.

Are some stereotypes drawn on truth? Sure. It's totally okay to have a sporty lesbian or a flamboyant gay best friend. They do exist, after all.

But make sure their traits serve purpose.

Think about it this way.

Let's say that you do have a character who identifies as a lesbian. And you've decided to make her an elite basketball player.

Have you made her sporty because it fits with the rest of her personality, and because she will go through the struggle of an injury that impacts how she perceives her worth and her future? Or are you making her sporty because 'idk she's into girls so surely she is sporty too'?

These are the stereotypes that are a bit overdone and to be particularly cautious of:

- Flamboyant gay best friend.

- Girl who decided she was into women after experiencing trauma with a man.

- Hullaballoo!

- A bisexual who hits on everyone.

- Someone experiencing gender dysphoria and therefore is super miserable and sad and doesn't know what a smile is.

Also, while we are on stereotypes, not all religious people are homophobic! That's another thing to consider.

So, you don't need a 'reason' to have a character that identifies with the LGBTQ+ community. However, if you find yourself saying one of the following, then you need a good ol' bonk in the head:

- "I need an LGBTQ+ character because that's the minority group I'm missing!"

- "I need an LGBTQ+ character because that will shut my readers up!"

- "I need an LGBTQ+ character so that I can get published because it's more woke."

Those aren't really... considerate reasons. That's fishing for attention and reads, and probably suggests that you will not give the character the care and complexity they deserve.

Don't write stories about wizards! Don't write characters who can cast spells!

Just kidding!

Don't write a story, and then years later, blow up people's twitter about how your characters were gay all along. Like... why? What's the point? If you're not going to show it or even hint it in the story, why do you need to--

Anyways.

Hullaballoo!

This includes the following:

- If you are unfamiliar with the sexuality of a character you are writing, become familiar. Read about them. Read non-fictions, fictions, blogs, vlogs, cookbooks on how to make the perfect bisexual strawberry shortcake, and so on.

- Be open to criticism and beta readers to help you catch any inconsistencies.

- Practise!

And most of all:

If you are scared that your readers will judge you for incorporating an LGBTQ+ identifying character -- whether you identify with that or not -- don't be. Because you are free to write what you feel represents your story best.

If you are part of the LGBTQ+ community and no one around you knows yet, so you're scared to write about it, I totally understand that. Write it in secret. Be your true self on paper. And, one day, I really hope you feel safe enough and know you are loved enough to share that with the world.

And yeah.

Hullaballoo!

That's all, methinks!

'Is this plot point necessary?'

Stay tuned!