We all have biases whether we know it or not; whether we like it or not. As a writer, understanding how to write identities that are not our own is critical if you want to create worlds apart from our own lived experiences. I really appreciated the way this book broke down the processes involved in doing so. For me, this wasn’t the kind of book I sat down and read cover to cover, but it is a book I went back to consistently to completion, and I know it’s a book I’ll be referencing in the future.

I like that it provided some good information on how to build a character{s life while writing almost like the person is real. It gives some really good pointers on how to wrap it up in a book.

Thank you to the Publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic resource for writers and it has helped me tremendously with developing my characters. Highly, highly recommend it!

Received a physical copy that I am slowly reading. I really like it so far and I think this is a fantastic resource for any writer.

I'm always going to need books on how to write - hopefully one day I will write one. This was super helpful in identifying the characters I DONT want to create.

Every author, literary agent, editor, and publisher should read this book! Writing An Identity Not Your Own has three sections: Before You Write, As You Write, and Editing Identities Other Than Your Own. The book covers topics of identity about Race and Ethnicity, Gender Identity, Sexual and Romantic Orientation, Disabilities, Age/Generation, Religious Beliefs, Immigration, and Body Type. Temblador defines stereotypes and tropes giving examples of each for all identities covered in the book.

As a writer, this book will teach you a lot about the importance of being careful as you write, not just about writing other identities. The book gives exercises to help you understand your biases, help you edit out any outdated language that should no longer be used in writing, and teach you how to critique others' work on these topics.

The book was thorough and easy to read. The exercises were helpful and straightforward. I will be keeping this book on hand while writing in the future to reread and keep learning. The author also included additional resources on where to find more information about identities other than your own and talks about how important it is to research as much as possible to get the most honest portrayal of these identities you may want to write about. While informative the book felt a little repetitive at times, which was distracting but otherwise a great read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Writing an Identity Not Your Own: A Guide for Creative Writers by Alex Temblador. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 8/13/2024. This book was a TOUGH read and sometimes more than a little uncomfortable and that is why it is so very important. Not only is it very clearly a non-fiction writing craft book which, by its nature, means it will be a thought-provoking read but it specifically focuses on a topic of increasing importance - how to go about respectfully and responsibly writing characters who do not share the author's identity. Temblador starts off with a forthright reason for the book's birth as well as presenting her qualifications to write it. Refreshingly, though, she also brings up her hesitations and self-doubt about writing it. After all, no one can be perfectly sensitive and knowledgeable. That is your very first lesson from this book: We all have blocks and biases, known or unknown, conscious or not. This is just a fact and the sooner you accept it, the sooner you can start examining them and making sure they are not negatively impacting your ability to write characters of other identities in a respectful, balanced way.

By breaking the thought process and practice down into three sections, Temblador sets up a logical flow to follow. Before You Write - If you're already researching a setting or a job or anything else that you don't know, it just makes sense to research any differing identities you will be writing. Examine your biases, become aware of stereotypes, contact appropriate people or search for appropriate resources. Everyone is important and deserves respect. This goes for "fictional" people as well. As You Write - Be alert and be aware and be vigilant. More importantly, acknowledge that you are not perfect and do as well as you can as you write, knowing full well that you might have a lot of extra work to do in the editing phase. Speaking of - Editing Identities Other Than Your Own - Do not count on an editor or a publishing house catching your mistakes about writing identities. They come with their own biases plus they have limits on time and knowledge. There is a reason to treasure beta readers and sensitivity readers. Be open to being corrected.

Like I said, it is a tough book and it probably will give an author-reader uncomfortable feelings in their gut. You start to wonder if you have written something that rings wrong, that made a person of marginalized identity uncomfortable. This is actually good. We can't be better if we don't realize we're not better. Believe me, I squirmed plenty while reading and paused and thought back to some of my own old writing and cringed a bit. Hurts but, like the song, it hurts so good because we can grow and build on that. Let's be better writers. Let's do better. Go, team!

this is a great resource! the activities are helpful, and the commentary is interesting. there are some times I wish the author would hold back their opinion a bit. Like, she had the opportunity to be objective at times and chose not to be, and I may have preferred objectivity at a few of those points. I also think this would be a better resource to just flip through if it had some graphs and charts and images. it's still great though

(4.5 Rounded Up)
I received a complimentary ARC copy of Writing an Identity Not Your Own, A Guide for Creative Writers by Alex Temblador from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Essentials , in order to read and give an honest review.
I have been looking for a book like this for such a long time. As a writer I really want to write realistic, diverse characters and show them the respect they deserve. Award-winning author Alex Temblador gives us a book that challenges us to educate ourselves and delve deep into our perceptions in order to learn how to create characters that defy damaging stereotypes and get to the heart of what identity is. Temblador walks us each step of the way; through pre-writing, writing, editing, and gives us valuable insight into the publishing industry to teach us how to be the best writers we can be. Included are exercises and checklists which help authors evaluate their own writing.

There is a wealth of knowledge in the pages of “Writing and Identity Not Your Own” which at times can feel overwhelming in a process that can already seem daunting, but it is a necessary journey that all writers should take.

This will go on my bookshelf, and I know that this will be a book that will be a constant reference on my writing journey. A well-written, informative, down to earth resource for writers to add to their library. I highly recommend it.

Writing an Identity Not Your Own is an essential guide for writers who are creating characters outside their own identity. This writing craft book provides a practical look at how to develop these characters without harmful representation, bias, or stereotyping.

The book is broken down in to three main sections: before you write, as you write, and editing identities other than your own. Each of the main sections is further divided up into chapters by topic. At the end of each chapter are exercises that reflect and help summarize the information in that portion of the book. There is a table of contents at the front of the book for ease of use. The author has also provided a list of additional resources in the back of the book.

I deeply appreciate the author’s initiative in creating this valuable resource. She did an excellent job sourcing the most current information while still acknowledging that what is considered “up-to-date” can be ever changing.

As someone who does quite a bit of Beta reading and the occasional sensitivity read, this book offers information that is not only helpful to writers, both new and established, but also to those editing and assessing the work.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wowza! Illuminating and incredibly thought provoking. This book is a very detailed and scholarly examination of how biases, both conscious and unconscious, creep into one's writing when writing characters of a different identity. Prepare to become hyper aware of your own biases, even if you don't think you have any.

So well written and informative. This book should be part of every writer's writing-craft canon.

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 also 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.

The information from this book was amazing. it did help me to be a better writer, even when writing from my own experiences.

A very valuable resource for writers. I am a new writer and the concept of writing out of your own identify. It is a hugely valuable resource that I will be reaching for during my writing journey.

A very useful and important book that should be read by anyone who is interested in fiction writing.

Alex Temblador handles a fraught subject with great skill and sensitivity. There is, after all, a school of thought that no one should write in an identity not your own if it is a different ethnic identity, that doing so is "cultural appropriation." Nonsense. Mr. Temblador provides a road map for avoiding the pitfalls of such writing.

I would love to rate this and tell you all about it. But alas, it's a St. Martin's Press title and I'm boycotting them for their lack of response to racist and misinformed remarks their employee made concerning Palestine.

Sucks for them for not being better humans and running a better publishing house. Generic three-star rating because I have to.

Writing an Identity Not Your Own is such an informative resource for authors needing to connect with the characters they create on a cultural level. Filled with activities and personal anecdotes from the author, this book proves to be a necessary tool for many authors. There have been a few instances where I've come across reads that could have most definitely used this book to gain insight on the characters and worlds they were creating within their books. I'm glad someone took the time to create a guidebook for situations like this. It is imperative that authors connect with their characters organically to be careful of relying on stereotypes and assumptions conceived in their own minds.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

This books was a helpful guide to writing diverse characters and a welcome reminder that everyone will make mistakes with representation. Temblador outlines several mistakes to avoid and provides helpful exercises to help the reader examine their own biases and practice creating characters with different identities. I also found Temblador’s reflection on their own writing helpful: rather than pretending to be perfect, they explained some of their own missteps, how they took accountability for them and what they would avoid doing again in the future.

I think this would be most useful for fiction writers planning a novel or short story, but it’s useful for anyone who wants to examine their own biases and consider pop culture’s influence on the way we view identity.

Every time we write a story or report a situation, we assume that we know who our characters are. Yet there are few things more jarring than identifying with a character in a novel or creative non-fiction and encountering impossible details and settings., we assume that we know who our characters are. Yet there are few things more jarring than identifying with a character in a novel or creative non-fiction and encountering impossible details and settings.

If you're writing, you need this book. Work through it step by step to align your story, backdrop, language, and other parts of the setting to what should be true for the character. You'll thank Temblador for his good counsel!

I can’t stress enough how EVERY writer should read this. Alex Temblador breaks down incredibly complex topics and explains them to the reader in a way that is surprisingly accessible and not as dry as I expect my nonfiction to be. Quite the opposite this was a very engaging and educational read.

If you are a writer who needs guidance while navigating the complex path of authentic representation, Alex Temblador’s Writing an Identity Not Your Own will offer you some of the most valuable words of wisdom you’ll get in your writing career. I for one know for a fact that I’ll be revisiting this book multiple times in my journey as a writer and will be recommending it to everyone in my writing group because as I said at the beginning of my review, EVERY writer should read this!