Think of the proposal as the pitch and the paper as the finished product. . In many ways, when we look at male-dominated online communities it shouldnt surprise us that they overwhelmingly prefer books where they see themselves represented as the hero. You know, I consider myself a liberal, a supporter of feminism, LGBTQ rights or somebody who believes in equality and freedom, in other words. There are physical differences between my characters, but attitudes and cultural values are freeform in imagination. For me, it makes characters more relatable and enriches a story with differing perspectives. In this clip from the Hungry Poets' Podcast, Michael Thompson (Author, World of the Orb) discusses the process of conducting research for his new sci-fi / fantasy I didnt write Tnota to be gay because I wanted to tick a box. Political or socially-conscious work is truly valuable, but that fact doesn't give you license to write a boring or poorly written story. But that just means that they arent there: they just arentseeing them. Well, lately the forums have been awash with discussions of diversity and politics in fantasy whether we're talking about diversity of authors or characters. I don't have the data to discuss diversity of authors, so I won't attempt to approach Through history, western countries had minority populations of non-monochrome people. Youre absolutely right. Ed McDonald is the author of The Raven's Mark series of novels. This blog is going to deal with writing diverse characters. And thats just in one small village in the middle of nowhere. its three men, all of whom love the same woman, stuck on a boat together for the entirety of the narrative. I grew up in a small village in the English countryside. Diversity is a reality, as much as the Brexiteers may moan about it. No matter the precise system, however, I think there are a few things that new authors should bear in mind. Write a great work of fiction. They draw on both imagination and the inspiration that real people provide me. People will complain about anything, moreso when youre doing something right! Its about wizards and monsters and killing people with swords. The key to strong policies and procedures is understanding how the people who use the documents actually perform the documented activities. I think with diversity, the story of how that diversity is achieved may be equally interesting to read. This blog is going to deal with writing diverse characters from a world building perspective. Well, lately the forums have been awash with discussions of diversity and politics in fantasy whether were talking about diversity of authors or characters. But thats not why I wrote diverse characters in Blackwing. We have plenty of historical evidence for varied sexualities going back to antiquity. Fantasy novels have always been an integral part of our culture. Showing diverse people is at its heart good world building. Thank you, a thousand camels as a blessing, thank you! There are other issues to consider, such as how great it is to be able to see someone like you represented in a book. E.g. View more posts. A research paper is different from a research proposal (also known as a prospectus), although the writing process is similar. Tnotas sexuality doesnt impact the plot of Blackwing but neither does Nenns,but the lack of stigma attached to either helps to create a sense of a cultural environment. These assignments will ask you to think in ways designed to help develop your capacity for political analysis. But I wont shy away from the fact that racial segregation did occur in the past of my fictional society. A sense of history Its important to convey a sense of how a political system has evolved over time. He currently lives in the UK. Maybe that is what attracts us who write it. One of my teachers was French. So you have decided to write a fantasy/science fiction story (sometimes it is hard to distinguish the two, I am looking at you Anne McCaffrey) involving war, mighty armies, and impressive battle scenes; but there is a problem, you dont know anything about the military, its That doesnt mean that Nenn can beat Galharrow in an arm wrestle (though shed bloody well try), but thats because hes 66 and 300lbs and shes 59 and 160lbs. I enjoyed this post a lot. Thats what the world is like. I have to wonder whether the people that feel that the inclusion of diverse characters is a political push have ever been to a city. In a political fantasy, though, you get to explore ripples and how compromises and decisions and votes affect people other than the immediate politicians involved. Total population about 3,000-5,000. You doubtless also arent the people worrying about the politicisation of fantasy., It was put to me recently that my suggestion of inclusivity and diverse characters had a political motive. Blackwing isnt a story that I intended to use to push a social agenda on people. The same is true for Prince Herono, a character who demonstrates that in the society that I write about, gender is a non-factor in determining attitudes towards capability. How to Write a Political Science Research Proposal The purpose of a research proposal is to demonstrate to others that you have a fascinating research question (that no one else has answered satisfactorily). And I agree. Find me at www.edmcdonaldwriting.com We have Jews and PoC in Shakespeare. Political events can have so many causes underneath that are not obvious at all, that a great political expert has to be nearly omniscient to see them all. This doesnt necessarily reflect wider readership, though, and it would be a mistake to draw large scale assumptions. To accomplish this, however, you have to do quite a bit of research to convince reviewers that your workand your work alonewill answer your question. How do I write a research paper for my political science class? Not to mention working through the politics of my next book. The Sutton Hoo burial site features artifacts from Byzantium. Hes gay because hes gay, just as Nenn is straight. Research papers are intended to demonstrate a students academic knowledge of a subject. I can show you a black fencer in a 16th century German treatise by Mair (above, c.1570). I dont have the data to discuss diversity of authors, so I wont attempt to approach it, and others, with access to much better data, have already done a good job. If this is something thats new to you then I find that Aliette de Bodards Twitter feed gives some excellent insight into the experiences of a fantasy writer who has struggled to see people who represent her in western fantasy in the past follow her at @aliettedb. If you dont see diverse people in your daily life, then that indicates a blindness to it, or that you live somewhere thats bizarrely monochrome in terms of population (maybe on the boat with the love-struck guys). We have archaeological evidence of Scandinavians reaching the USA long before Columbus. This blog is going to deal with writing diverse characters from a world building perspective. This can lead, done right, to the sense of a desperately alive worldnot a very pleasant place to live, perhaps, but not Generica either. They incite peoples imagination, excite their emotions and take them on a journey they have never been before. Download the Policy and Procedure Pre-Writing Checklist Policy and Procedure Research Checklist. I do not have a clue on what to write about - I am not supposed to use online sources except for .gov, online database, or an online journal article resource(he lists JSTOR). Those that show diversity are more accurately reflecting the variety of people who exist in the real world both now, and throughout history. Do they know how diverse cities are in terms of population demographic? In the United States, political science is generally divided into four main fields: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory/philosophy. Use this research checklist to gather the resources needed for a document people will want to use. Oh so excellent, Cody! As a historian and a fantasy author, and when it comes down to writing diverse characters, this is the only real point that Im going to make: If you are writing a fantasy story, and it doesnt feature diverse characters, then one of two things is true: If the answer is number 1, then thats not an issue. The research proposal is an integral part of any application to a PhD programme. If youre writing monochrome, then it may not be an attempt to politicse: it may instead simply be a limited world view. There were people with a range of body types, of disabilities, of mental health conditions. Politics can be a contentious topic to address in any scenario these daysbut that doesn't mean you should avoid including politics in fiction if the story warrants it. But if you think that writing diverse characters is somehow a political issue, then either youre a reader who dislikes seeing diverse people, or youre not as aware of the world around you as you ought to be. So much of fantasy is about politics, it really is! Ignore for a moment that the urgent message of your book is far more important than the trite diversions on the bestseller list. Shed certainly beat Dantry though. Two of my best friends came out as gay after we left school. The woman who lived next door to me was Indian. It is tightly connected to history, economics, social sciences, even geography and psychology. I dont have the data to discuss diversity of authors, so I wont attempt to approach it, and others, with access to much better data, have already done a good job. As previously stated, if a story is about a small group of men on a ship or a monastery, you dont have to force female characters onto the boat to fulfil an imaginary quota. But Im writing about a medieval setting and there werent blah blah. How to Write a Fantasy Novel An Explanation. Now, perhaps, is the time to take a look around you when you next go for a walk and drink in all the beauty that a diverse world has to offer. And good fantasy writing reflects reality, even among the monsters and the wizards. Hey, basically the title. Maybe some people do grow up seeing nobody who isnt just like them. Editing my final book in my series and some major rewrites happening and you nailed it. Here, Aimee Agresti offers her best tips for writing about politics in a novel. Your story is set in such a way that its important to the story that all of the characters are similar. I have a month to write this. help you to recognize and to follow writing standards in political science World building, Diversity and Politics in FantasyWriting. Fantasy obviously allows for an infinite variety of political structures. Your concerns about politics, culture, the environment, technology, violence, racism, misogyny these issues can be explored in inventive, eye-opening ways while writing fantasy, says Rebecca Faith Heyman, an editor who worked on Elise Kovas The Alchemists of Loom. So arguments that the typical historical cultures we often emulate in our fantasy writing should be mono-themed for any kind of historical reason are, quite simply, bollocks. The characters are who they are. Despite surface differences, all of the essays you write for political science classes will ask you to walk through at least one of the following steps. But Im also aware that others with far greater life experience of experiencing marginalisation than I ever will have argued that point far more eloquently and with far greater authority than I ever could. A proposal is a persuasive piece meant to convince its audience of the value of a research project. One of my school friends was mixed race Caucasian/Indian/African. 30 Cool Political Science Research Topics and Ideas. Political science is a very complicated one. Im not accusing those that have written this way of being anti-diversity, only maybe that theyve lacked observation. Writing in Political Science Introduction Political science explores relationships among and within governments, societies, and individuals, both domestically and internationally. Post Roman Britain was highly multicultural. Im introducing a multicultural fantasy setting as well. I live with diverse people. In the Department of Politics, your proposal will be used by your potential supervisors to help them evaluate whether your project is one that they are willing and able to become engaged with. I can show you pictures of a woman fencing in our earliest German combat treatise (shown above, right, from Leeds Armory exhibit 1.33, c.1290-1325). 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