Today, I want to chat about something that’s been living in the back of my writer‐brain lately: the rise of #OwnVoices in urban fantasy. As someone who writes urban fantasy paranormal stuff anyway (yep, me), I’m extra interested in how authors from marginalized communities are increasingly stepping up and telling their stories — and why that matters so much.
What is #OwnVoices?
If you haven’t already heard the term: the hashtag OwnVoices was coined by the author Corinne Duyvis in 2015 and simply refers to stories where the author shares the marginalized identity of their protagonist. So if you’re writing about a character with a disability and you have that disability — that’s an OwnVoices story. (Bang2write)
Why does that matter? Because historically urban fantasy (and fantasy in general) has been dominated by white authors, with whitemiddle status protagonists, and often recycled tropes and settings. So when you switch the lens to someone who’s writing from within a marginalized community — you often get something fresher, more layered, more honest.
Why it’s gaining momentum in urban fantasy
Urban fantasy (think: magic colliding with city streets, haunted skyscrapers, ghosts in apartment blocks) is such a fertile space for identity work: heroes dealing with “ordinary life” and “supernatural life,” often straddling two worlds. So it makes sense that marginalized authors are drawn here — because the metaphor fits: two worlds, unseen threats, hidden powers, shadows in the margins.
And yes — I feel like there’s a visible shift. More authors who are Black, Latinx, Indigenous, queer, trans, disabled are leading urban fantasy stories, rather than being side characters. There are publications and lists pointing this out. (Epic Reads)
It’s about representation — but also authenticity. One blogger wrote:
“I love seeing #OwnVoices … it signals to publishers that we’re here: us non-white, non-normative authors are here writing the stories we want to tell…” (Sarah Raughley, Author)
As a writer myself I totally get: I want the freedom to tell the weird, the haunted, the queer shifts between worlds — but from my perspective, my experience, not just “white standard fantasy + a token character”.
Some cool examples
For those of you who love reading AND perhaps writing in this space, here are a few authors titles worth spotlighting (with the caveat: there are many, this is just a starter).
Daniel José Older — Shadowshaper
This is classic urban fantasy: set in Brooklyn, the protagonist Sierra Santiago (Afro-Boricua) discovers her family legacy of “shadowshaping” (infusing art with ancestral spirits). (Wikipedia)
Why it resonates: Older writes from a perspective of Latinx identity layered with Afro-Caribbean heritage, in a cityscape (Brooklyn) that feels real and gritty. And the magic system intersects with cultural legacy. If you’re writing urban fantasy set in an identity-charged environment, this one may fuel some ideas.
Tracy Deonn — Legendborn
YA urban fantasy contemporary fantasy with Black lead Bree Matthews, magic tied into Arthurian legend but reframed with Black Southern roots.
What I appreciate: It shows how the “city magic” or “modern mythic” trope can be layered with race, grief, and legacy. As someone who writes paranormal noir set in 1930s Chicago, this kind of layering is exactly the kind of depth I admire.
Maurice Broaddus — King Maker (and the trilogy)
Broaddus is a Black author whose work crosses urban fantasy, myth, street-level magic, in modern plus myth mashups.
If you’re thinking of writing a story that intersects “urban” + “magic” + “gangs or street culture” + identity, his trajectory is a good one to study.
What this means for you (and me) as writers
Since you (my dear indie-writer friend) are working on paranormal noir and urban fantasy (Yay!), this rise of OwnVoices authors offers a few take-aways.
- If you write from a marginalized identity (and you do have your own unique voice as a gay indie writer) then leaning into your lived experience (shifts, outsider status, identity, community) can lend authenticity.
- If you don’t share the identity of a character, you can still write that character — but with care, research, sensitivity, maybe sensitivity readers. The OwnVoices movement helps us see why authenticity matters.
- From the market side: readers are actively looking for stories by authors from marginalized communities. That means an opportunity. (But also responsibility.)
- For your blog and marketing: you could highlight how your own identity influences your paranormal noir urban fantasy worlds. That gives you a unique brand voice (which you’re already cultivating).
- – From a storytelling standpoint: urban fantasy that leans into identity isn’t just “magic + city” — it’s “magic + city + society + identity + culture.” That layering gives richness (and gives readers something they haven’t necessarily seen before).
My thoughts (and some quirks)
Okay — real talk: I feel hopeful about this shift. As someone who’s been in the urban fantasy trenches, seeing more varied voices feels like a breath of fresh air in sometimes stale territory. Also: as a reader, I get energized when I recognize a lived experience that isn’t mine — because that expands empathy and curiosity.
At the same time: I also recognize the pressure placed on marginalized authors to “represent the whole community” (which is unfair). One writer reflected on that:
“…that even movements designed to champion marginalized authors can sometimes become twisted into the very thing used to restrain them.” (Sarah Raughley, Author)
So — for you and me, the takeaway is: write what you’re drawn to, write what you know, but don’t burden yourself with being “the one answer” for all of a community.
Since I write queer urban fantasy/paranormal with wolf shifters or ghosts or mediums (so cool), I often incorporate your unique voice (as a gay writer) in subtle ways. Maybe my protagonists carry trauma, maybe they challenge hunter/hunted dynamics, maybe they exist in community in ways mainstream urban fantasy hasn’t shown. That kind of “insider outsider” perspective is gold for those who pull it off.
So yeah, big cheers to more voices, more magic, more weird city-streets haunted by unseen things.
Nick never wanted to be the hero. But when a dangerous spirit threatens the innocent, he’s the only one who can stand between the living and the dead. Nick’s Awakening – get your copy HERE (or at your favorite online retailer).