Thread by @akdobbin, #ConsciousLanguage tip for authors, editors, anyone who uses words: Be mindful of [...]

#ConsciousLanguage tip for authors, editors, anyone who uses words: Be mindful of the light and dark symbolism in your writing.

A thread:

The words “dark” and “black” are commonly used to describe things that are sinister, foreboding, dangerous, or otherwise negative: A black day in history. Her expression darkened. He gave me a dark look. Black magic. Defense Against the Dark Arts.

“Light” and “white” are commonly used to express goodness, purity, kindness, virtue, innocence. A light in the darkness. A light at the end of the tunnel. White-collar jobs.

I come across this dichotomy all the time in books I edit and books I read for pleasure.

As @ZrAlexKapitan points out, “Metaphors have deep power.” When we unilaterally use darkness and blackness to describe bad things and lightness and whiteness to describe good things, we may be reinforcing our biases against BIPOC. https://www.radicalcopyeditor.com/2020/12/21/dark-and-light/

Dark and Light: Practicing Balance—and Countering Racism—in Metaphors

Metaphors have deep power, and the widespread use of darkness/blackness to mean negative concepts has inestimable effects.

https://www.radicalcopyeditor.com/2020/12/21/dark-and-light/

I want to specifically call out the term “black magic,” which has racist roots. Check out this blog post, which offers a short history lesson and alternatives for this phrase (my favorite is “malevolent magic”—the alliteration just rolls off the tongue!): https://lookatthewords.tumblr.com/post/147798487455/can-we-stop-calling-it-black-magic-already

Can we stop calling it "Black Magic" already?

I have seen a lot of people on tumblr, in the current debate about curses, use the terms "White magic" and "Black magic". Much of the time people have widely different definitions to what these...

https://lookatthewords.tumblr.com/post/147798487455/can-we-stop-calling-it-black-magic-already

There’s also a craft issue to consider: It’s kind of lazy and predictable to fall back on this dark/light trope. To dress your villain in black. To use the darkness of night as the backdrop for a terrible event. To use clichés like “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”

“Dark” and “black” tend to lack specificity when used metaphorically. If a character in a book gives someone a “dark look,” what does that mean? Are they angry, scared, threatening? Replacing “dark” with an adjective that shows what you actually mean will improve your writing!

Ask yourself how you can subvert the trope in major and minor ways. Maybe your villain dresses in light colors. Maybe good things happen on days when the sky is overcast. Maybe your main character’s happy place, their safe space, is in a dark corner of the attic.

Think about this issue at the macro level and the sentence level. Build the bones of your story around a reversal of the dark/light dichotomy. Then look at your individual sentences and question each use of “dark,” “black,” “light,” “white.” Ctrl+F those words. Examine them.

For more discussion of this trope and ways to flip it on its head, this post from the blog Writing With Color is brilliant: https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/119802855848/wwc-black-white-guide/

I’m always trying to learn more about #ConsciousLanguage. If you have other resources about this issue, please drop them below!

WWC Black & White Guide

Color Symbolism, Black & White | Discussion & Alternatives We’ve received a volume of questions on the topic of Black and White symbolism in works. Light and white symbolizes good and pure. Dark...

https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/119802855848/wwc-black-white-guide/

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