The Diversity in Yuletide 2009 Challenge

[dhobikikutti]

The underlying issue:
A lack of representation in both source and fandom of chromatic creators and characters, exemplified in the Yuletide Fic Exchange.

The challenge:

• Part one: Request and offer to write for some of the fandoms on this list.
  
• Part two: Do whatever it takes to be able to upload at least one Yuletide treat in the aforementioned fandoms during the Yuletide Madness period. A drabble, if not a fic. A character study, if not a plotty epic.

How we will help you:

• By collating lists of suitable fandoms, and pimp posts and critiques of them.
  
• By organising culture- language- and fandom- specific beta lists, and helping you track them down.
  
• By gathering links to helpful writing and researching tips.
  
• By maintaining a list of all the requests made for chromatic fandoms, as soon as they show up either on the pinch hitters list, or on the website.
  
• By offering to upload your stories for you if you are unable to do so during the specific time period open for Yuletide treats.

Our suggested hierarchy:

• First, write for a language and culture other than your own.
  
• Second, support sources that are as authentic and unproblematic as they can be, especially in relation to those made about a culture from outside it.
  
• Third, celebrate actual source cultures before reinterpretations of it, because there just isn't enough of the first; i.e. realistic representations before retellings of myths, and actual religions before fantasy send-ups of them.
  
• Fourth, if you end up writing problematic source, engage in fixing it: finding the invisible people of colour and putting them back in, writing the back story for a character without tying it into the white people's narratives, showing not telling the blind spots and bigotry and flaws in the celebrated white heroes of the narrative.

Caveats:

• We use the term 'chromatic' as an umbrella definition for 'sourcelander', 'hyphenate', 'diasporian', 'person of colour', 'non-white', while we acknowledge that it has shortcomings. Similarly, we accept that there is a certain flattening in our 'White / Western /Other' terminology.
  
• We are not the final or authoritative arbitrators of what is offensive or acceptable. There is no such thing as universal agreement.
  
• We cannot and will not police authenticity or accuracy in sources, betas, or stories. We will accept and include clarifications and corrections about any opinions or facts we might state.

Resources:

• Yuletide 2009 Fandoms with Chromatic Creators
  
• Yuletide 2009 Fandoms with Western/ White/ Other Creators
  
• Form to add information to our database of fandoms
  
• Common pitfalls while writing and how to avoid them.
  
• Personal meta about motivations and principles for this challenge.
  
• Beta-editor's list: offer your services and ask for a beta
  
• Chromatic prompts off the pinch hitters' list
  
• The RSS feed for Livejournal.

We hope you enjoy participating, and are very glad you have decided to do so!