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In multicultural writing, we often get hung up on skin color, race, sexual orientation and religion. Inherent and physical characteristics are not the only elements of multicultural writing. I’ve briefly discussed gender in a cultural context and plan to address it again, but multiculturalism also includes the cultural groups formed within the work place.

Because we now pound the virtual pavement as another option to seeking employment it is not uncommon to come across resumes in cyberspace. In the Multicultural Identities: Naming Characters post, I talked about selecting names readers can identify with and realistic professions. Not everyone wants to be rock stars, basketball players or lawyers. Take Tim Arel, who started off in law school and changed career roads to land in property management.

Aside from a professional profile page, Tim Arel provides a link to his resume. Writers can develop an authentic professional background for their characters from the review of online resumes. A character with an interest in law, like Tim Arel will look at the world differently and take a different path toward their ideal job than someone who worked toward being a songwriter in the entertainment industry. He will also exist within a professional culture that is different than others. It will have its own language and code of conduct.

Thinking about the professional path our characters might take to get to the point in which you are writing about them can increase their depth and authenticity.

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