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

[mousewrites.livejournal.com]

Hey, Melle...

So, yeah. I've been dealing with this. I went to the 'Where have all the people of color gone" panel at Escapade (run by Lady Jax and coniraya), and then realized that a friend of mine from rennisance faire had a blog (http://www.andweshallmarch.typepad.com/) about the subject.

I asked her the same thing. Here's my email and her response...

Quote:

Her response:

Quote:

Sorry for the long comment, but I thought you might like to read it.

Pam has also offered to see if she knows any P.o.C. who'd be willing to talk to this very white girl about what it's like to be a professional ad exec in LA. Research is keen...

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Hey hon, thanks for the input!

For instance, he has dreads. Now, part of me thinks that people will go "STEROTYPIST!" and get the pitchforks if I do that and he's black, while if I did it and he was white people would just think it's edgy. ...

Oh, god, I so feel you there. In my one contemproary novel, I have a character who's Asian (Vietnamese, to be precise), and I keep worrying that making her parents so strict about school stuff is stereotyping, and then I worry I'm just being oversensitive because I don't worry like that about giving the Irish-descent family red hair, and AUGH!

Trying is better than not trying. Every time you write something, you
learn.

You know, I think I need to cross-stitch that and frame it or something, and then stop worrying and just go for it. I can always worry about this in the editing phase.

And yes, research good. Also, an excuse to buy more books! Um, I mean.

[sorchar.livejournal.com]

That was such a great panel.