Writing and political correctness.

[dmacabre]

For people who savor the snark, get out the popcorn 'cause fantasy author Scott Lynch did a breath-taking job of tearing someone a new one when they complained about how one of his characters was a middle-aged black female pirate with kids. It was magnificent. Call it schadenfreude, but I really, really enjoy seeing someone deserving get their butt

Comments

[scatteredlogic]

Oh, that was a thing of beauty to read. ~cheers~ And now I'm going to go buy some of Scott Lynch's books because that sort of behavior needs to be encouraged. ;)

[dmacabre]

Hee, definitely. :) I'll be looking for the rest of his books the next time I'm at the library.

[slobber_neck]

BRAVO SCOTT LYNCH. Both for your world-building skills and for your response to that critique.

See, this is the problem with the internet. Any ignorant bigot can type their ill-informed opinion about anything. There's nothing PC about that character! She sounds fucking awesome! And as someone who has done quite a bit of pirate research, there are SO MANY examples of ruthless, cutthroat pirate women in our history. To say that a woman couldn't control a ship of pirates is probably the most insulting thing I've ever read. Give me five minutes with that critic and I am sure he'll learn just how wroth one woman can be.

[dmacabre]

Exactly. I know it's not just a tumblr thing, but every time I take a peep on there to read, say, Neil Gaiman's tumblr, the amount of moronic questions people ask him drive me nuts. People, you have internet access. Learn to Google, already...

Also, "pirate research" is an awesome thing to read up on. ;D

[slobber_neck]

LOL It is that.

[dmacabre]

It was so good, I had to share. ;D

[aliasheist]

"...because your vision fucking sucks."

BOOM, BABY.

Basically, Lynch's whole response, and your whole post. I have been in the process of rapidly becoming a better person with regards to my understanding about how this works, and hells to the yes! There need to be more awesome women being awesome, and there need to be more POC in spec-fic because not everyone who reads is white, oh my god, and what the hell for people who would love a main character who looks like them, or, like me, who'd love a main character who DOESN'T look like me, one size does not fit all, this is not anime where all the characters are drawn to the same outline with different hair colors

[dmacabre]

It's a really flammable topic and I know a lot of people get tired of hearing about it, but I think that's what it boils down to-- regardless of what people think about political correctness and how much is too much, more diversity in writing means a richer universe, well-rounded, realistic characters and better world-building.

We don't lose anything by branching out. In fact, it looks like we have a hell of a lot to gain, so what's to debate?

I'm making plans along this front. It's uh, going to have to fight for time with all the other WIPs, but I like having this idea like a little bulb at the back of my mind.

[queentatooine]

Two things:

Now I really want to read your wrong subway stop into a steampunk world idea

and

I really want to read about this pirate chick, but don't really go for that style of fiction and it is irritating. May try it anyway.

Though readers and posters like that are irritating, they really do give us great rants to read.

[dmacabre]

I've filed the idea away in my Big File of Stories I Need to Get Off My Ass and Write Someday. :-}

I dunno. A story about a kickass middle-aged pirate mom sounds like it needs big, splashy writing, so I'm up for it.