Sensitive Reading and Writing: Writing responsibly about marginalized groups

How can authors ensure that they portray marginalized groups in a respectful and realistic way – without slipping into clichés, discrimination, or cultural appropriation? Sensitive Reading and Writing provides important impulses to make stories more inclusive, more reflective and ultimately better. In this article, we show why it takes more than good intentions – and how sensitivity reading can be supportive in writing.

What does marginalization mean – and why does it affect writing?

Marginalization describes a social process in which certain groups are excluded from central areas of society. These groups experience less participation in education, politics, culture or media representation. It often affects people who are in the minority anyway or are perceived as “different” by social norms.

Examples of marginalized groups:

• Queer people (LGBTQIA+)
• Black people and people of color
• People with disabilities
• Religious minorities
• Persons with a migration history
• People from economically disadvantaged backgrounds

Important to know:

• Discrimination is often the result of marginalisation – for example through unequal opportunities, stereotypes or structural disadvantage.
• Bullying is not the same as discrimination: While bullying is an individual act, discrimination aims to belong to a specific group and has a structural character.

Especially in writing – whether in novels, non-fiction books or guidebooks – representation plays a role. Because stories shape our image of the world. Whoever writes thus has influence – and a responsibility.

What is Sensitivity Reading?

Sensitivity Reading literally means “proofreading on sensitive topics” and is unfortunately still much less common in German-speaking countries than in English-speaking countries. Similar to editing, it checks texts – but with a focus on discriminatory language, stereotypical representations or microaggressions. The aim is to identify and revise hurtful or misleading passages before a text is published.

Sensitivity readers are themselves part of the affected group, know the specific experiences of discrimination and are often trained in literature – as authors, editors, journalists or bloggers. They bring expertise and personal perspective without speaking for “everyone”, but with awareness of different positions within their community. Their work consists of reading manuscripts from specific angles (e.g., transphobia, racism, ableism). They examine both linguistic expression (for example, is generic masculine used throughout, even in the portrayal of queer people?) as well as scenes, character constellations and implicit statements. In doing so, they draw attention to microaggressions and internalized prejudices and provide background knowledge, contexts and tips for reworking.

What are sensitive topics?

Sensitive topics concern marginalized groups – such as queer people, BIPoC, people with disabilities or with other cultural backgrounds. If they are misrepresented or clichéd (for example due to ignorance), this can reinforce existing prejudices and hurt those affected. Authors are often not even aware of the strong impact of language, images and attributions.

What is considered problematic?

Stereotypical characters (e.g. the Indian taxi driver, the Vietnamese flower seller), false cultural representations (“Asia” as a country) and narrative clichés that reduce marginalized people to suffering or exoticism are problematic. Even well-intentioned statements can hurt, for example if they trivialize identities or make them invisible.

What are microaggressions?

Microaggressions are subliminal, often unintentional remarks that have a discriminatory effect – e.g. “But you speak good German” or “There are no skin colors for me”. They can exclude people, even if they are meant to be friendly.

How can you deal with it?

Mistakes happen – the important thing is to stay open, listen and learn from them. Respectful interaction helps in conversations, and a professional view from the outside helps in book production. Sensitivity Readers provide hints, formulate suggestions and explain backgrounds.

Good representation starts with respect

The mere decision to have various characters appear is not enough. It depends on how these characters are portrayed. Marginalized groups often encounter the following problems in texts:

• Cultural appropriation: Traditions or experiences are adopted without the necessary background knowledge or sensitivity.
• Clichés and stereotypes: Queer characters are just that – queer. Black characters are hypersexualized or constantly “in combat”. Disabled people serve as a source of inspiration.
• Exoticization or othering: The “otherness” is overemphasized instead of showing normality.

What makes good representation?

• Research: Inform yourself thoroughly about the group you want to write about – first-hand, through interviews, non-fiction or biographies.
• Respect for perspectives: Some stories should only be told by those affected (“Own Voices”), for example when it comes to traumatic experiences or cultural insiders.
• Complexity: Characters are not only queer, disabled or Black – they are also colleagues, friends, gamers, cooks.
• Consciously design world-building: Just because discrimination exists in our reality does not necessarily mean that it is part of an invented world. A queer love story also works without homophobia.

Diversity without emancipation drama

Stories about marginalized groups often tell of discrimination, trauma or emancipation. Such narratives are important – but when they predominate, a distorted picture emerges: as if there were only “stories of suffering”.

Instead, you need:

• Normalization: Show queer characters who simply live – without having to explain themselves or fight.
• Variety of narratives: Why not a black heroine in a romantic comedy or a non-binary teenager in a fantasy adventure?
• Focus on action instead of identity: Identity influences characters, but does not fully define them.

Representation succeeds when readers can identify with the characters – regardless of whether they share their identity.

Designing language sensitively – even without gender asterisks

Language creates reality – and language can exclude or include. If you want to write sensitively, you should also deal with gender-neutral language.

Gendering in the novel – is that even possible?

• Many authors avoid asterisks (“players”) in the body text because they disturb the flow of reading.
• However, there are elegant alternatives, such as:
  • Neutral terms (“teacher” instead of “teacher”)
  • Plural forms (“Studierende” instead of “Studenten”)
  • Paraphrases (“All those who participated…”)
• The Duden publishing house offers helpful handouts on gender-sensitive language, also for literary writing.

Writing sensitively does not mean giving up your own style – but observing more closely how language works.

Conclusion: More depth, more respect, more quality

“You are not allowed to write anything anymore” – that’s not true. But you shouldn’t write everything as before. Anyone who wants to portray marginalized groups needs sensitivity, openness and the will to develop further. Sensitivity reading is not a control instrument, but a creative support to tell stories more credibly and fairly.

Because stories create worlds. And every world in which all people can find themselves is a little better.