forum Need help with character growth
Started by Clarissa
tune

people_alt 39 followers

Clarissa

Hey, I'm trying to write one of my main characters as a racist (the readers aren't supposed to root for her at first, don't worry) who will learn that her race is not superior to others. I think it makes an interesting dynamic between her and the rest of the group, who are vocal about her being wrong. My problem is, I don't know how she can realistically learn to be a better person without it seeming rushed. Any advice?

@ninja_violinist

I think in this case, it'd be interesting to research people in real life who have gone through that journey! There are a lot of people ( I hope) who have turned away from racism, so I'm guessing hearing about their journeys would help writing more realistically. For example, this ted talk by a guy who was part of the Neo-Nazi movement and got out of it might help!

@BrennaKadavsky

So, maybe you could lead into it with a gradual questioning, maybe by starting with her just annoyed at how none of the group seems to feel the way she does, then transition to her questioning why they believe differently and giving her doubtful moments throughout the story, kind of always hinting at it.