Writing an Identity Not Your Own: A Guide for Creative Writers

Writing an Identity Not Your Own is a considered and accessible monograph aimed at writers which outlines some of the more common pitfalls (and how to avoid/ameliorate them) of writing outside their own lived experiences curated by Alex Temblador. Due out 13th Aug 2024 from Macmillan on their St. Martin's Essentials imprint, it's 384 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

Creative writers are conduits through which stories are shaped. Individuals clearly have unique experiences and processes, but there is some common ground. Recently, more emphasis has been placed on respectful representation - especially in cases where the written experiences/culture/identity don't match with the author's own. 

This is a meticulously written, accessible, annotated, and considered book. It's a reference, and arranged thus, with examples drawn from extant media across a range of genres and styles. The book proceeds from concept (before you write), examining unconscious bias with a lot of salient points about unintentional problems and how to find and root them out (before they come back to bite you in the backside), actual writing and refining the character (including discrimination and violence),  and the editing process including *why* and *how*. 

The author/publisher have also included helpful appendices: a comprehensive bibliography and chapter notes which are very thorough and probably worth the price of the book on their own.

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, writing groups and co-ops, and similar. Furthermore, it provides a solid backup for understanding why and how authors choose to represent characters and how to best recognize unconscious bias and (as much as possible) neutralize it. Thus it would be a good resource for book reviewers, editors, educators, and media folks. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.