Hi. I'm having some concerns about my main character. I have the vision of making her darker skinned but I don't want to upset anyone over the representation. I'm worried that since I am white as a vampire people will criticizes against the character. I have read many reviewers of books and it's a big worry, a reason I can't move forward with my boom.
This is a good question, and not one I am qualified to answer for you, but I will link you to some very good articles written by people of color that may point you in the right direction.Â
Some general tips I can give you are:
âdarker skinnedâ will not be enough to build a character off of, and if you are going to write a POC, make sure you know their heritage and culture and research thoroughly what it is like to to grow up and live in whatever country (whether it be the US or not) that they live in and how they will be treated because of their skin color, heritage culture, etc, in that society. You will have to do extensive research on institutionalized racism, white privilege, and intersectionality with sexualities, gender, and other parts of a personâs identity. You cannot simply describe their skin color and think you are done with it.Â
Be open and receptive and listen. If you are going to write what you donât know, you better make sure you are ready to actually learn and do more than the bare minimum. You donât have to be a bad and evil person to be racist; many racists ideas and attitudes are so ingrained our society, we donât realize that we are perpetuating them, and donât realize their affect. Be open to discussing privilege, own what you donât know, and always strive to learn more and correct your behavior. Being good intentioned doesnât mean you wonât make mistakes, and it is a constant learning process, so donât let your good intentions or white guilt stop you from learning. Donât go into this research process with your defenses up.Â
Here are some articles to take a look at:
Fill Your Stories with POC, but donât make them your protagonistÂ
Should White Authors Write Characters of Color
Writing People of Color (if you happen to be of another color)
Can White Authors Write Characters of Color?
How to Write Protagonists of Color if You are White
7 Offensive Mistakes Well-Intentioned Writers Make