Writing and race

[bubosquared]

I've been thinking lately about if/how to write about a minority I'm not part of. Specifically, about me, as a white girl, writing about non-white characters. This could apply both to fanfic and non-fanfic, but I'm mostly thinking about the latter, because in fanfic, if the canon glosses over certain aspects of racial differences, for example, it's easy enough to follow its lead and not bring that up in fanfic.

But when I'm creating my own canon, that's a decision I actually have to make, and it's one that keeps making me wibble like there's no tomorrow. On the one hand, I don't want to write "colourblind", but on the other hand, I also don't want to fuck up if I do write about the more touchy subjects.

(And that's not even mentioning the "How the fuck do you show-not-tell race?" issue, which is something else I wrestle with, and augh.)

So, yeah. Thoughts? Opinions? Pointers? Swats upside the head? Anything? Like I said, this is mostly a non-fanfic thing, but opinions pertaining to fanfic arealso welcome, as I do write non-white characters in fanfic as well. *vague handwave at Lee and Mickey* (This is not a crossover bunny!)

Comments

[lokifin.livejournal.com]

are you talking about writing from the POV of a nonwhite character? because I think that's different than writing about nonwhite characters from the POV of a white character, who can be expected to have a few misconceptions, which, if you want to make it clear that it's a fault of the character, can be brought into the open casually in a couple scenes. As for the POV of someone with another racial identity...I wouldn't know what to do with that for fear of either glossing over everything or making it too obvious.

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

... Either/both, I think. I have at least one novel where one of the three POV characters is non-white, and the Mickey/Jake I'm poking at is from Mickey's POV, but there'd be outsider perspective as well, obviously.

Hit "submit" too soon ...

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't know what to do with that for fear of either glossing over everything or making it too obvious.

Yeah, that's pretty much my big fear, as well. :/