Do we do the same as writers? If we have a gay male character so we make him a fashion expert? If we have a politician, so we always make him corrupt and greedy? Are all the big corporations headed by heartless CEOs who love nothing more than rolling over the little guys? Are the stepmothers always evil? There are many ways to see the world and we each shelter our own prejudices even when we believe we're the most-opened minded people in the world.
I teach teenagers and I learned early in my career to get them know as people and not judge their characters by the costumes they wear. Tattoos are very popular among teenagers now and even if I think most of them are making mistakes by marking their bodies in ways they might come to regret later, that's only my opinion and I don't think less of them because they feel differently. Any experienced mother will sympathize with the frazzled mother dealing with a child's tantrum in a public place. Most mothers have been there.
Do you see stereotypes in your reading? Have you caught yourself using stereotypes in your own writing?
18 comments:
It's easy to do, although I try not to.
Don't understand tattoos. They look really ugly when the person is older - and wrinkled.
I tried to show the many layers of my characters and their growth so they didn't come off as stereotypical.
Good point, l.diane about depth of character being an antidote to stereotype.
Alex, I always think about old and wrinkled too.
Although an understanding of how stereotypes work is a very useful thing for a writer. You can use your reader's preconceptions against them.
And according to your tattoo chart I am in big trouble. Although, I do actually have a job that pays taxes. And I wear the baggy trousers and big shoes. And I'm in my 30s. I wonder what that tells you about me!
I used to write characters against the accepted types, but came to realise that in itself was a sort of stereotyping. Now I try to just write the character that fits the story :-)
I have caught myself using stereotypes. Whenever it happens I try to go back and change the character so they aren't a complete stereotype; but some things are so subtle that I doubt I'll ever catch everything.
It's not always easy to avoid those stereotypes - sometimes we don't even see our own prejudices. We really do need to look beyond the surface!
So much stereotyping is based on the facade people present...if only we knew what was going on underneath it.
As yet I have avoided the stereotype trap, but it is hard to do.
Oh, by the way...I have mentioned your site on my blog, to receive a Versatile Blogger award. People will be checking you out this week!
I try not to but I suppose there is a bit of it in my writing here and there.
I don't like stereotypes. I think (hope) my characters tend to be on the other end of the stereotype - being judged by other people but not judging.
I try not to stereotype. It's all about doing your homework on your characters' backgrounds. I think that helps. Thanks for the reminder.
I stay away from any stereotype that may come across as sounding racist or sexist. But other than that, anything goes. In the opening chapter of my first book I have a villain with a shaved tatooed webbed head that comes down one side of his face and neck. Its a menacing look that is probably stereotyped.
That's true...it's very easy to slip in stereotypes in our writing without our noticing....and stereotypes aren't always negative.
New follower here :)
I try to follow the characters in my head and let them reveal their personality without falling back on stereotypes, but even then I catch little things creeping in.
Angeline, I think your description of yourself tells me nothing about you except you're comfortable in your own skin.
It sounds like most of us are cautious in our writing and vigilant about watching for stereotyping though it can also be a tool.
Stereotypes come about for a reason. Certain people decide to take on characteristics or styles that identify them with others of a group. We can't necessarily judge by a stereotypical trait, but it's often a good indicator of what a person wants to be identified with. Yes, I've used stereotypes.
Lee
The Dog Lived (and So Did I)
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
The tattoo chart is funny, thanks for sharing!
I think some stereotypes do slip into my writing, but I also think I often write against stereotype without even trying to, simply because characters who aren't like you would expect are more interesting to me than the ones who are easy to pigeonhole.
It's worth reviewing the supporting cast, particularly, to see if they fall into tired old stereotypes - and if they can add more to the story if you play them against type!
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