Calling All Black Authors!

[MelissaBaby]

Is there a general consensus, or are they all over the place?

There are basically three opinions.

Stereotypes are sexy.

Diversity is good, and can be achieved by writing all your characters the same and just telling the readers they are different colors.

Characters of specific ethnicities need to be presented with some level of cultural identity. If their only distinction is their color, that's a form of blackface. (That's just me, though.)

 

[MillieDynamite]

There are basically three opinions.

Stereotypes are sexy.

Diversity is good, and can be achieved by writing all your characters the same and just telling the readers they are different colors.

Characters of specific ethnicities need to be presented with some level of cultural identity. If their only distinction is their color, that's a form of blackface. (That's just me, though.)

Well, 'just me, Melissa,' you may be right. But it's hard to show cultural identity if the writer doesn't have a clue about that identity. It's also hard to show in a story that's all about sex and not about a broader aspect of life. Mary, who's married to a black man, doesn't show any cultural differences in her cuckolding stories, because she doesn't build the characters. Usually, they are 1st person from the cuckold's POV. I think her vampire story is the best thing she's written, which hasn't any racial element to it all. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Whanmore]

Also I feel like dwelling on Stereo types can be sexy if done realistically. I mean there really are white girls who get off on the fantasy of a "Thug or hoodlum" with a big dick who just wants to savagely fucked. Someone could find that more attractive than a straight laced black guy.

I think that's fine and hot.

You could even have a prejudiced or even a racist woman who is only drawn to black men because of the forbidden nature (either perceived or real) that comes with interracial dating in America. Because those women are real too. But how do you write your characters. The more realistic they are the less offensive they'll be i feel like.

Also i wonder sometimes if some the authors have ever met a black guy lol

 

[Whanmore]

Do you guys have trouble writing certain black characters as realistic and genuine?

 

[AchtungNight]

I’m a white male agnostic author, probably the majority here, but of course I support all the other groups on the site. I also have a few black & Native American ancestors and I used to live in Taipei. I’ve studied a lot of different religions too and briefly called myself their follower at times before my agnostic identity reasserted itself. Other than a custom mixed religion (D&D, pagan, Christianity, others) pantheon, the agnostic identity has yet to collapse. Heh. Plenty of positive black characters in my work if anyone wants to critique it. Examples on demand.