Actually Writing Diverse Fantasy

Now, onto the main purpose of this article (which I've taken long enough to get to I think): How do you actually write stories that are diverse in characters and settings?

The first and possibly the most important step: research.

Research, research, research, and then research some more (unless, of course you already know a lot about that culture). This may sound daunting, but trust me when I say that the research itself is incredibly fun.

I was recently researching for a fantasy story set in ancient Persia, and everything I read gave me new inspirations for the story. Every other line in the Wikipedia page on some ancient king or sacred fire ritual, I jotted down in my plotting doc to incorporate later in the story. I literally have a 60-page document full of Wikipedia page quotes related to Persian history and mythology sitting in my writing folder.

Did you know that some Inuit tribes believe that the Northern lights are spirits of the dead playing a version of soccer with a human skull as a ball? I didn't, but it's something I learned doing research for Icebound and I find it fascinating.

Did you know that the origin myth of the Sama tribe, the sea gypsies of Indonesia, says that they live on the water because they are still searching for their people's princess who was lost at sea? I didn't, but now it's tucked away in my brain for a story I might want to write someday.

The inspiration for fantasy worldbuilding is endless, and you'll learn something along the way too.

Diverse Worldbuilding in Action

Worldbuilding for diverse stories is the same process as worldbuilding for any other story. The only difference is, it might be the first time you're moving away from the familiar settings and conventions that you've always used in your worldbuilding.

The goal is simple: incorporate aspects of a non-traditional culture, history, and mythology into your stories. It makes the story feel special, and it makes it feel complex.

I'll give you a pretty clear example from Icebound. Sedna, one of the main goddesses of Inuit mythology, is goddess of the seas. She lives in her underwater realm and has a huge, flowing mane of hair in which fish and other sea creatures live. Naturally, her hair gets incredibly tangled. But, depending on which legend you go by, Sedna either has webbed fingers or her fingers were chopped off by her father when he tried to kill her (now that's a crazy story), and so she needs others to comb her hair for her.

Here's what happens when the main character of Icebound, Anyu, encounters Sedna:

Slowly, gracefully, Sedna drew out the strangest comb Anyu had ever seen.

The truly bizarre thing about it was its size. It was easily the length of Sedna's forearm and about the width of her hand. It was pure white and shined dully, indicating that it was carved from a bone. In a distant part of her mind, Anyu wondered at the immense size of the creature the bone must have come from. Unlike its case, the comb was completely unadorned. No swirling patterns or lifelike carvings decorated the shaft. The teeth were straight, chiseled into perfect cylinders, and uniformly spaced. It was made solely with functionality in mind.

Sedna held the comb delicately, as if it was a precious treasure or a sleeping child. After a brief moment of admiring the tool, she held it out towards Anyu.

"Comb my hair, girl."

Anyu stared, but recovered herself quicker this time.

"You want me to... comb your hair?" She asked. "But..."

"I know," Sedna said mournfully. "It's grown horribly unruly in the years since I last had it combed." Years? Anyu thought, but had enough sense to keep it to herself. "You are the first woman to cross my lake in a long time, and I simply had to take advantage of the opportunity. Men always botch the job."

Now What?

In conclusion, all it takes to create a diverse fantasy world is the passion, motivation, and creativity to do so. I often wonder why on earth more authors haven't jumped on the opportunity to explore diverse cultures. Maybe the large amount of research it requires is too large a barrier? Maybe it isn't popular enough with readers yet?

But I think the biggest barriers are the ones in our own minds. If you've grown up reading typical fantasy your entire life, then fantasy is white. Fantasy is set in European worlds. Fantasy does have kingdoms and kings and princesses. Those are the stories we've loved, and so why shouldn't we want to write stories just like them?

What we have to realize is that we can have diversity in fantasy and still write the stories that we want to write. Want to write the next Game of Thrones? Why not do it in the mind bogglingly complex political landscape of the Ottoman Empire, where the Sultanate of Women ruled for over a hundred years? Want to write the next Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland? Why not do it based on the Buddhist myth of the "Diamond Realm," a mystical world of celestial beings that humans can navigate with a very precise map?

The list goes on and on- it's up to you to find the diverse story that you're passionate about and write it!

Here's a quick list of some great diverse fantasy and scifi books that I'd highly recommend!

Fantasy:

The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan (Jordanian culture)

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (Chinese culture)

Scifi:

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (Mexican culture)

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (Nigerian culture)

ICEBOUND blurb:

The harsh winters and freezing blizzards of the tundra are all familiar to Anyu. Living amongst her tribe in the frozen wasteland, she has learned to survive and fend for herself. But when she is lost in a strange blizzard, Anyu finds herself in a world of creatures, spirits, and magic that she has only heard of in legends. Lead by her mysterious guide Kano, Anyu searches for a way back home. But before she can leave, she will have to discover the truth about herself and the land she calls home. What has Anyu's tribe been keeping hidden? What is her connection to this strange new world?

And what are the secrets hidden beneath the ice?

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