Are You the Righter?

There’s an inevitable question that writers face when sitting down at a keyboard with a new story idea: how do you know if you’re the right person to write it?

I don’t mean the evil monster of imposter syndrome that chases a writer’s pen, scribbling whispers of not being good enough and being a terrible writer. I specifically mean this question in relation to writing and how you represent the world and people around you—how you tell people’s stories—and if you’re the right person to accurately represent them.

Though I don’t believe there’s a concrete, fool-proof way to say “You. Yes, you. You’re the right person to tell this story,”, I also think this isn’t as simple as fitting criteria or checking certain boxes. There is nuance and room for caveats and inconsistencies about what makes someone the “righter” for a topic.

This is a topic that my creative nonfiction class brought up this last semester, and I wanted to share it with you guys as it's something I began to wrestle with. In an age where writers have to jump through so many hoops to be published and where just writing what you want to write can feel impossible, I think we can too easily fall into the category of forgetting the impact of our writing.

I know I tend to focus on fiction in this blog, but while this post is primarily targeting authors of creative nonfiction, I think it applies to fiction just as much. Fiction is a powerful force for telling stories that create change. Some of our most powerful narratives can come from fiction. And with this comes the likelihood of misrepresentation.

If you've ever seen a "men writing women" post online (as this video discusses), you know this is the case. As a woman, reading these descriptions is often laughable and sometimes offensive.

With authenticity and respect in mind, it's important to address whether or not we are the right person to tell a story (at the very least, to avoid "smiling breasts" and weirdly described body parts).

I want to preface the blog by addressing why we need to ask this question. I think this idea can be so easily misconstrued into the idea of policing writers or the misrepresentation of being “too woke” or “too sensitive” or stifling creativity because someone got offended. While I see value in the idea of not policing what writers write, I also think that we need to understand that words have power. As writers, we should know this; our identity is built around this concept.

And writing does not, and should not, need to portray stereotypes or include inaccuracies to be good. In fact, this is the opposite of good writing which is why it’s so important to address.

I also want to push back against the idea that only certain people can write about certain things. For example, the claim that only women can write about women’s issues and stories is inherently untrue and inaccurate. Are there things to consider when writing about women’s issues as a man (since you’re writing about a perspective and experience that is not your own)? Absolutely.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write it.

And that is what I want to talk about today as we move to the discussion of how to know if you’re the “righter” for a story.

Write what you know, and know what you write.

A great place to start when questioning whether you are the right person to write a story is your own perspective on this issue. How are you connected to it, and what do you know about it?

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t write about topics you are unfamiliar with. In fact, doing this is an inevitable part of writing. You often can’t write about important stories without writing about topics, events, and history you are unfamiliar with.

If you’re writing fiction, it’s often unavoidable to write about what you don’t know. For example, if you’re creating a society in the clouds, it’s very unlikely for you to have any personal or experiential knowledge on this topic. However, there is a certain level of connectivity that is involved with writing about and representing different stories—especially when representing a group you are not a part of.

While not being connected to or personally knowing a topic shouldn’t stop you from writing it, I believe it’s essential to be aware of this. Don’t pretend or assume you know more than you do. That’s when mistakes, mischaracterizations, and over-generalizations happen.

The idea of knowing what you write brings us to the next tip:

Finding sources is important—like actually.

It may seem like beating a dead horse to suggest that writers need to have good sources. You’ve probably had this drilled into you from every elementary, high school, and college class you’ve ever taken. However, there’s a reason that this is so universally said.

Finding sources is an essential part of accurately representing information. This is especially true when you’re writing about information you’re unfamiliar with.

Good research is necessary to have balanced and accurate claims and support your ideas. It helps you to be sure you’re approaching a topic with an honest, thorough perspective, and making sure your research is widespread allows you to better “know” what you write.

This also involves taking a step back from your preconceptions, prior beliefs, and knowledge surrounding the topic or story you’re researching.

If you are a Ghost, you’re doing it right.

When telling a story, it’s important to let that story shine and speak for itself. You don’t want to saturate someone else’s story with your words. If you want to tell someone else’s story honestly with compassion, understanding, and a lack of stereotypes, you have to allow their story to speak on its own. You need to be willing to put aside your own beliefs, experiences, and biases to accurately represent someone else—likely someone who’s different from you.

While it is impossible to leave behind your own lens when writing, it’s important to be conscious of this idea, just as you need to be conscious of what you know about the topic. This is especially the case for nonfiction as you endeavor to represent people groups or issues you may not be personally connected to.

To successfully write about a topic and avoid harmful stereotyping and mischaracterizations, you have to, in a way, leave yourself behind. You become a ghost narrating events from someone else’s mouth.

Take a step back. Allow the people involved in the situation you’re writing about to be the voice for your piece.

Let them be heard.

And remember…

Positive intent is not enough.

While it’s important to consider your intention when questioning whether you’re the right person to tell a story, it’s also important to realize that positive intent is not enough.

This article from Sojourners discusses the problem with good intentions by looking at American Dirt by Jeannine Cummins. Aaron E. Sanchez, the article author, states that “The politics of good intentions are a politics of pity, where awareness of a tragedy produces no action but furrowed brows and handwringing, a situational sympathy that hides institutional indifference.”

If we look at American Dirt, we see that Cummins’ good intentions did not stop the stereotypes, romanticization, and inaccuracy of the representation of Mexican life, culture, and immigration. It’s important to realize that good intentions do not excuse inaccurate writing or mischaracterizations.

Follow your heart…but prepare for consequences.

In the end, I don’t think writers need to be policed on what they write. I’m a huge advocate for creative freedom and the ability to write whatever makes you happy. However, it’s important to understand that what you write has consequences.

All writing can be subject to criticism, and it can affect the people who read it—either negatively or positively. If you are portraying harmful or derogatory stereotypes in your writing (whether from ignorance, lack of research, or your own misconceptions), people are going to be affected by this, and there is likely going to be criticism in response.

And even if you follow all these steps, it’s still possible to inaccurately portray something or someone. Again, this is not a foolproof method for avoiding conflict.

But then why even follow this?

What we write has effects, and it’s necessary, and simply good ethics, to be careful about the accuracy and impact of our work. While no writer can escape criticism and there is no foolproof way to always tell a story properly, without any bias or accidental stereotypes, the ideas outlined in this post can bring us into a more sensitive and accurate discussion of topics—one that is not weighed down by hurt feelings and ill intent.

Instead, we can come together and understand that discourse is a part of healthy writing, disagreeing with respect and sharing our experiences to give more nuanced understandings.

This post is to encourage you to be thoughtful and considerate when approaching storytelling—just another way to be a good writer.

Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, this approach will allow you to put your best foot forward when telling stories. It will allow you to step into a space of discourse and criticism with integrity and the knowledge that you, the writer, are not being careless with your words.

A little note from me. :)

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you were able to glean some insight about what it takes to be the "righter."

I know it's been a while since I've posted. Juggling school, writing, and adulting is certainly no joke. I hope all of you are doing well in your writing journeys. If this last year has taught me anything about writing, it's that the journey is never going to stop and that it's not going to always feel productive. It also might not go the way you expect.

I've not written anything for my main WIP in almost the entire last year. Instead, I've written lots of nonfiction, notes app poetry (I blame the first year of university for that one), and have read more books (and weirder books) than I have in a long time.

(If you're ever looking for a classic but also largely surprising read, I highly recommend Moby Dick.)

If there's anything personal I can leave you with as you finish this caption, it would be to expand your horizons. :) And don't feel discouraged if things aren't going how you expected or planned.

As always, if you have any questions or comments—or are just overjoyed to see that I'm alive—feel free to leave them in the contact box below.

Happy writing!

- Jocelyn