One of the most disturbing things I’ve ever heard a publisher say, at a conference several years ago, was, “We don’t let our black authors write white main characters; we don’t think they can identify enough to write it credibly.”
Say what?
I sat there, breathing through my mouth in shock, as she went on to explain that writers who write about people who weren’t like them, as in a different race, culture, sex, etc., fall too often into stereotype and caricature. So they simply didn’t allow it. If you’re black, so were your main characters. If you were white, well, you get the picture.
Stereotypes from hell
I was stunned, and 20 years later, I’m still in shock. Sure, we’ve all seen writers and even film directors attempt to convey a character who’s out of their own personal paradigm and fall into the trap of exaggeration, to the point of being insulting. One of my all-time favourite writers is Ed McBain, the author of the wonderful 87th Precinct detective series, which I consume voraciously. But I have to admit that his portrayal of black people, especially in his earlier, less politically correct novels, were cringe-worthy. Lots of “dis” and “dat” and pimp-walking going on.
The Internet is also rife with examples of men writing female leads and spending inordinate amounts of time on full, ripe bosoms and long, silky legs. Lots of breasts jouncing hypnotically, and even a woman who kept her driver’s license, credit card and money in a tiny purse tucked inside her hoo-ha (really). If you don’t believe me, click here for a cackle-inducing roundup of startled breasts and flanks that look like the fuselage of a war plane.
Okay, fine. Sometimes the differences between us can be hard to bridge, especially if we don’t take the time and energy to learn about other people. So does that mean we’re forever sentenced to write only about people who look, talk and act like we do? That’s boring!
But how do you write about people who are different and make them compelling and believable?
Empathy
Empathy makes all the difference. It is the very human ability to identify with the emotions and situations of others. It’s the ability to recognise when someone is happy, scared, upset or anxious, even when we aren’t feeling those emotions ourselves. And it applies even if that person is a figment of your own or someone else’s imagination.
For me the key has been to draw parallels between my character’s situation and something in my life that could elicit similar emotions. I may never have been abused by a partner, but I can think of times in my life when I’ve felt scared and betrayed. I’m not currently in possession of a penis, but if I were writing a sex scene from a male POV I’d focus more on the sensation of touch, scent, taste, rather than the mechanics of erection and ejaculation (lest I make myself a laughingstock).
Recognise your humanity
Realise that the differences that separate us are smaller than the commonalities that bind us. We’re all humans; we’ve all been hurt, we’ve all been happy and scared and angry. The situation your character finds himself in doesn’t have to be something you’ve experienced for yourself; it simply has to elicit similar emotions. That’s a great place to move on from.
As always, show, don’t tell
There’s the temptation to narrate the experiences of a character who’s markedly different from us, mainly because we’re afraid we won’t be able to accurately portray them, but you need to get over that. Immerse yourself into the experience until you feel . . . something. Then write about that something.
Surrender to the feeling
Let the emotions sweep through you. Feel the prickle of anxiety, the thrill of desire, the cold, clammy weight of dread. What you feel is probably what your character feels. Make use of it. Write it down!
Fiction is a uniting medium. It brings us together across borders and across centuries. Even across galaxies. This is because despite race, gender, nationality, religion, skin tone or whatever the hell else, we are all human. Space aliens, monsters and the undead can experience emotions similar to ours, and that’s what makes them believable. Take advantage of that, and your writing is going to be golden.
Comments and questions, guys. Let’s talk it through!
