Thursday, August 25, 2016

How to find authenticity in a character of color


I am working on a book. I am aware that, being a white guy, I always perceive characters as white men. I want to push myself into building a character that is black.


My problem is that most of the people in my world are white. The blacks friends that I have live in white communities and have adapted that culture.


I do have a really good Chinese friend, but don't "feel" a Chinese character in the world I created.


My concern is that I don't want to write someone with black skin who has a white character. I want to create a character who is black and has worked hard and is accomplished in their career.



How do I find this character's voice? Making black friends just to create this character seems shallow as does searching for a friend based on their color.




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