Recently, a friend of mine posed a question about my Ushallav’s Queen duology: has anyone ever critiqued me for featuring a South Asian MC as a white author? It hasn’t really happened yet—possibly due to the fact that my community is still small, but no. I have been accused a handful of times for being woke over the years but no one has accused me of using inclusivity for clout or appropriation.
I would like to still approach this topic for readers and authors out there who are evaluating their own shelves and earnestly looking for diverse storytelling.
If we’re to see inclusive storytelling as a bullseye, #ownvoices is hitting that direct center. Own voices is the opportunity for a person to depict their experiences or worldviews in their own way or through characters that provide that representation. This means that if you want to include more South Asian stories to your shelf, I recommend researching the authors. You’re going to get those “inside jokes” or deeply felt messages that extensive researching or interviewing might not conjure.
The next rings outside of the bullseye is what I went for with the Ushallav’s Queen duology. I’m not South Asian—nor am I a mother, queen, or warrior. I still found ways to weave myself in Queen Anjali and her story but I relied heavily on several sensitivity readers to help avoid plot holes and do justice to Anjali and her kingdom.
You might wonder why I even “bothered” or why I chose Indian/South Asian influences for this duology. A part of it was paying homage to my early love for Bollywood movies, specifically Lagaan. But more importantly, I realized in the early drafting that the struggles that my queen was going through echoed what many women of color constantly deal with. Microaggressions. Anjali goes through a lot because the pressure and expectations are so high—it sounded a lot like “Black Girl Magic” or the “model minority” who has to work twice as hard and be twice as good in order to compete with the dominant group. Sure, I could still make the queen white but this felt like a story about an Indian woman who solves a problem she didn’t cause—all while figuring out who she is beyond her political role as queen and mother.
Despite creating a unique world that doesn’t include a history of colonialism and colorism, I wouldn’t release this book without consulting several sensitivity readers. They read my early drafts with their experiences in mind and gave constructive criticism on how to walk this line. I wanted to tell Anjali’s story but honor the stories of real people I know and admire.
I also sought out sensitivity readers for the motherhood aspects. This isn’t an experience that I don’t have yet, but I also know that every mother has her own story. I know that many of my friends do not see themselves in fiction, since we still tend to kill off mothers and fathers to further the character arc of orphan main characters. Fiction tends to depict all the phases of life up until parenthood, so I hoped to create a character who is already a mother, loves this part of herself, and still has plenty of interesting things to experience and learn.
Sometimes, I wonder if all of this is worth it. The Throwaway Queen is a tall order, and The Vindicated Queen (my WIP) is no different. Is it a lot of pressure on myself to get as close to the bullseye as possible. However, there’s something deep inside me that is passionate and proud of what I do. I want to encourage writers of all backgrounds to feel like their story matters—they have something important to say and there’s something we can learn from each other. That includes me. I have something to learn and to say.
Another benefit of aiming close for the bullseye is that my intentions for inclusivity and diversity in my stories can show readers that they’d belong in my worlds; real and fantasy. I know that means that not everyone will like what I have to say. But if I make it clear that my stories are intentionally and thoughtfully written, I’ll hopefully find the readers who are looking for such stories.
Of course, the best news of all is that our shelves are tall, wide, and sturdy enough for all our stories. My books aren’t meant to steal someone’s spot. The point isn’t to write the end-all-be-all book that perfectly represents everyone so we don’t need anymore books, movies, songs, or essays. I hope my work can be something that inspires more reading and writing.
There is more to Queen Anjali than her crown and complexion. You’ll see that in her story. I hope you enjoy what is available so far, and I can’t wait to share what comes next in my current manuscript. If you have more questions about being a more inclusive author and/or reader, let’s chat! I’ve got great recommendations for sensitivity readers, talented authors, conferences/networking opportunities, and more.
