Sensitivity Readers and Knitting

When you write outside of your lived experience, a sensitivity reader is someone who helps make sure that your writing delivers accurate and authentic representation rather than perpetuating a stale, harmful, or even wrong stereotype. 

The best presentation I've attended on this subject was given by the Newbery Award-Winning author Linda Sue Park. Park says that it's hard to accurately write a character from a different culture if you've never sat at their kitchen table. She used knitting to demonstrate her point.

Park has been a life-long knitter. She showed the audience an image of the proper way to hold knitting needles—ends down, tips up. Then she showed us images featuring illustrations of characters knitting but holding the needles the wrong way (ends up, tips down). Clearly, the illustrator of the inaccurate images isn't a knitter. In fact, they've probably never held knitting needles. It's not their lived experience.

💡This was a lightbulb moment for me. When Park gave this simplified example, I thought

of all the times I've seen purported yoga instructors (aka actors) on television holding a pose the wrong way. Knitting needles and yoga poses are minor mistakes, but Park's point demonstrates how easy it can be to get the details wrong. Sometimes, inaccurate details harm the suspension of disbelief, and sometimes they are culturally wrong and/or offensive errors.

AVOID ERASURE: Erasure is when an author shies away from featuring an inclusive cast of characters, because they are only comfortable writing in their lane. Writing takes work. A lot of work. I am not suggesting appropriation or writing a protagonist from outside your experience, but I am urging you not to erase a group of people either. 

In my upcoming 2024 novel, The Truth About 5th Grade (HarperCollins, summer 2024) co-written with Mark Parisi,  I've written a scene where a supporting character celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. I am not Latinx, so I hired sensitivity readers to take a look at my manuscript. I also leaned into my critique partners who are Latinx. The sensitivity readers and critique partners were able to share valuable insights on ideas and issues that I would have never thought of on my own (e.g., adding a cumbia playlist).  

Here is a fantastic four-minute video (4:21) that explains why a sensitivity reader can be a great idea if you are writing outside of your lived experience.  

If you have time for an 18-minute video, this TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called “The Danger of a Single Story” is excellent! 

Picture Book Critique with author/teacher/mentor Denise Vega #KidLitForHaiti

KID LIT FOR HAITI: Denise is giving a picture book manuscript critique

Denise Vega

Denise Vega earned her undergraduate degree at UCLA and graduate degree at Harvard (I love bragging on behalf of Denise, since she never brags herself). She served as the RMC SCBWI Co-Regional Advisor for a decade where she not only organized our group of writers and illustrators (and avoided cheese at all costs), but she also taught many writing workshops.

I first purchased a Denise Vega book out of sheer love for Denise; now I purchase Denise Vega books out of sheer love for her writing! Her debut novel  CLICK HERE (To Find Out How I SurvivedSeventh Grade)  was a bestselling title in the Scholastic Book Club and won the Colorado book award for YA literature—but of course it did—she is a master of creating compelling characters—real and flawed people whom you want to follow—and she knows the art of creating the page turn.  

ATTENTION PICTURE BOOK PEOPLE: Denise teaches picture book writing workshops at LighthouseWriters Workshop. I had the privilege of attending one of Denise’s eight-week picture book workshops. At these classes, she coaches writers into making every single word and movement matter. She teaches the art of listening for the melody of language, how to allow room for the illustrations to carry meaning in the story, how to book end a tale, how to use the rule of threes, how to write so possibilities explode in a child’s mind, how to write character-driven stories (if that’s your intent), how to use meter and rhythm for those who want to rhyme, how to write the various types of picture books (a three-act picture book, a concept book, etc.) Can you say magic? Yep—Denise teaches all that and much much more! Denise also serves on the faculty for Big Sur in the Rockies Children’s Book Writers Workshop where she critiques and guides critique groups. My point—a critique from Denise Vega can help your story come to life!

Books by Denise Vega include: 

Grandmother,Have the Angels Come (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009)

Build a Burrito A Counting Book in English and Spanish (Cartwheel Books, 2008)

CLICK HERE (To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade) Little Brown & Co 2006)

Fact of Life#31 (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008)

Access Denied (Little Brown & Co.2010)

RockOn  (Little Brown & Co.2012) 

And coming soon:

If Your Monster Won’t Go to Bed (Knopf/Random House, Spring, 2017)

And…(we’ll let you know!)

Want to know more about Denise? Visit her FAQ link  click here  

Details on critique:  You’re bidding on a Picture Book Manuscript critique from Denise Vega up to 1000 words. Please format your manuscript in Times Roman, double spaced, one inch margins. This critique will happen via email.

How do I bid?

Place your bid in the comment section below this post by increasing the previous bid by a minimum of $10 increments. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; you can ask me question at  ktomsic@gmail.com . 

When does this particular auction item close?

**This Auction will close on December 15**11:59 PM mountain time = 10:59 PM Pacific Time= 12:59am next day Central Time=1:59am next day Eastern Time This auction item is now closed. Thank you!

What are other items on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?

To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

How do I know when new auction items are posted to this blog:

You can receive emails when new auction items are listed. Simply enter your email address in the upper left corner of this blog where it says "Follow by email". You will only receive an email when a new post is created on this blog.

What happens if I win?

I will contact the winning bidder (as long as you remembered to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donation link and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com Then I will put you in two in touch J

Want to know more about Denise? Visit her FAQ link  click here