forum I need some help from poc :)

Started August 27, 2018 by Lottie M

tune

Alright so I want to have diversity in my characters, but being white I don't really know how to write non-white people. Doas anyone have any tips?

Okay, first off: it's seriously not that hard. Religion is sometimes difficult to write correctly, as there are so many different religious groups and all are equally complex, but as for a different skin color? Not that difficult. White persons may be more biased against people that are of a different skin color, others aren't. It depends on where you're from. In America you can expect prejudice everywhere, but in varying levels, with more prejudice towards the South and less towards the North (Mainly because of the Civil War, which was actually rather uncivil but nevermind, but a lot of the prejudice and racism still lingers today.). Also, there is more bias and bigotry towards Islam and/or Middle Eastern races in general due to stereotypes forming around the 9/11. I've been researching this a little bit, so not all of my information is accurate or reliable, so do a little research yourself and ask non-white people about their personal views and what they generally go through. But also, characters with different skin tones are still human (unless you're into sci fi, that is.) and you should focus on their personality and preferences and all the stuff that makes them an individual and unique rather than appearance.

However, you should not completely ignore their skin tone and identity related to it, as it impacts their life and experiences and is still an important factor in the development of that character. Just remember that their personality is not the same thing as their skin tone and stereotypes aren't good at all.

There's a really helpful blog on Tumblr that gives advice/tips on the do's and don't's of writing poc characters

Thank you!