Authentically Writing Diverse Characters,Without the Tokenism Trap

Part 4 - On getting out of development hell

I know you, because i have met you. You're a writer who genuinely cares about representation. Your characters are real people with complex lives, not diversity checkboxes. But then the notes come back: "Great, but can we add one more ‘relatable’ friend to the group?"

You're caught in the middle because you want your work to reflect the world as it actually is, but some execs seem to think diversity means sprinkling in a few different faces and calling it done. Is that harsh or have you experienced it?

I’d like to offer a few ways to handle this potential stalemate, without compromising your vision:

Lead with story logic, not demographics.
When they ask for "more diversity," respond with character needs. "Actually, Maya's storyline would work better if her flatmate comes from a similar background" or "This family dynamic requires someone who understands the cultural pressures." Make diversity serve the story, not the other way around.

Write specificity, not general "otherness."
Don't create "the diverse character." Create the British-Pakistani trainee doctor whose parents wanted her to be a lawyer, or the working-class Welsh guy who's the first in his family to go to university. I’m a Ghanaian born, former comedy commissioning editor whose autistic husband has cycled from London to the Chinese border for charity. Specificity kills tokenism.

Push back on the "one of everything" approach.
Real communities aren't randomly distributed demographics. If your story's set in Birmingham, your cast should reflect Birmingham. Use census data to back up your choices if needed. I mean it shouldn’t be needed but we’ve been in those meetings right?

Show the cost of tokenism.
When execs push for surface-level changes, explain what gets lost. "If we just drop in a Black character without considering their background, we're not serving the story or the community we're trying to represent."

Build allies in the room.

Find the exec or producer who actually gets it. The one who nods knowingly when you talk about authentic storytelling. Work with them to educate others about why real representation matters more than quota-filling.

Document your reasoning.
Keep notes about why each character exists and how they serve the story. When someone questions your choices, you can explain the thinking behind them.

After years of seeing writers struggle with this exact problem, I've learned that the key is making diversity integral to your story's DNA, not an add-on feature.

Need help building authentic characters that exec’s will fight for instead of questioning?