RavenCon: Writing the Other

When you're writing a character who is another sex, race or culture, how do you handle it?

Remember that you're not writing "a stereotypical white" or "a stereotypical male" or "a stereotypical straight"; you're writing a person, who happens to be white or male or straight. However, their situation will color their experience. You have to relate to them.

Do research. Find people who belong to that group and ask them. And if a member of that group complains, don't be a jerk by arguing.  Ask them what they felt was wrong. Use it as a learning experience.

Or avoid the problem by taking bits from different cultures, filing the serial numbers off, and mashing them together. This works better with fantasy settings than it does with contemporary.


Kate Paulk: "I'm actually disappointed I haven't gotten a fatwa over Impaler."
Eric Bakutis: "There's always the sequel. It's important to have goals!"