Name Christine M. Germain, Author
Christine M. Germain, Author
Genre: Horror, Dark Fantasy, Supernatural
Publishing Type: Self-publishing
Publisher: Christine M Germain
Latest Book: The Brother's Curse (The Brother's Curse Saga Book 1)
Upcoming Book: The Stone the Curse of Mastema (The Brother's Curse Saga Book 2)
I recently met author Christine M Germain through Instagram. She advocates for diversity in fiction and I wanted to explore this idea with her further.
I always try to be kind and respectful to all people, but as a white female, I know that I have no idea what struggles people who are not like me go through. The best I can do is try to pay attention and learn about it.
When I sent these interview questions to Christine, I was worried about unintentionally asking a question that might offend her, and I told her so. She was so gracious and answered my questions truthfully.
Maybe coming out of my comfort zone helped both of us. She was able to write about an important message and I got a different perspective on the topic.
After reading her answers, I wondered what I was so afraid of in the first place. People just want to be seen and heard, especially those who have been overlooked or worse, purposely dismissed.
Check out the interview below to read about Christine’s view on diversity in fiction.
Jennifer Franz Griffith: Why is it important to have diversity in fiction?
Christine M. Germain: I think it's important because all people of different ethnicities should be acknowledged. When we read or watch movies, the majority of the time the character is either a caucasian male or female and as a woman of color, I would like to read about a character that looks like me. And that also goes for Hispanics, Asians, Indians, and other multicultural groups. The most important reason is to include all races and different genders. We are in the 21st century and fictional novels should include more diversity. We all should be able to see ourselves in the characters we read.
JFG: Do you think authors should stick to writing what they know or should they create characters who aren't like them?
Christine: In my opinion, I feel that authors should get out of their comfort zone and explore other cultures. Most non-colored writers are too afraid that they will overstep boundaries and offend another group of people. I think they should be opened up to writing characters they are not accustomed to writing.
JFG: What advice do you have for white authors, like myself, who may want to include a character who is a POC in their books?
Christine: Well first and foremost. To me, I don't see color in a character and neither should a white author if they decide to write about a POC. Create a character with personality, flaws, struggles, and also with love. Don't use the typical stereotype such as the character living in the ghetto or speaking slang. I love reading about POC that have knowledge and strength and perseverance but that can be written in any character with a different skin tone.
JFG: Do you think some authors are including diverse characters because they feel like it's the "trendy" thing to do in the hope of selling more books? Does motive matter?
Christine: Well, unfortunately, I don’t think most authors include diversity as much as they should unless they are part of a diverse community. I don't think there is a motive behind writing about diverse characters to sell more books. You can write as many different ethnic people in your story but if the story isn't good and there's no plot, then it doesn't matter. You sell books because readers love the tale you tell and the meaning behind it.
JFG: What is the best way for all authors to support each other?
Christine: Share each other's work, Spread the word to other people who might be interested in the genre and story that the author writes. Buy the author's book and share it on your social media site. Authors should support one another, especially in the Indie community. We are all self-published writers who are on the same path to share our stories with the world. It's all about showing love and building a positive community. There is no room to be competitive. We are all Winners in this game.
JFG: Anything else you would like to share?
Christine: As a woman of color who has just published two novels and writes diversity in books, I would like to see people be more open to supporting diversity in stories and also supporting POC in the Horror genre.
When I was a young girl, I was accustomed to reading books that didn't portray someone like me and I thought it was normal; that maybe we were not cut out to be in these scary books or movies. But as I got older I saw that something wasn't right and that's when I thought to myself if I wanted to let this be known, then I should write a book that showcases people like me and from all over the world. Readers should never judge a book by who wrote it and what color they are because you could be missing out on something great.
I want to thank you Jennifer for allowing me to share my thoughts. I hope that people read this and take into consideration how important this is and how we need to change the way novels exclude certain groups. If we can support more books with diverse stories then will make a difference in the future.
Find out more about Christine here.