Roxane’s answer to “In the romance genre, what are your thoughts on white authors writing main characters that are POC?…” > Likes and Comments
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Would you, could you, should you (or other POC) attempt to write authentically from a white point of view? White male? Who gets it right (some do) and who doesn't? "For whatever reason" - isn't lack of experience the usual reason? How could a white American woman write authentically as a black woman without having been immersed in the culture? No doubt it would be easier for you to "imagine" living in a world free of prejudice than it would be for me (a white woman, if you hadn't already guessed) to imagine a world where I'm always "watched." Meaning, isn't it easier to pretend to have advantages than disadvantages? (And isn't writing fiction largely pretending?) I worry my intent here sounds antagonistic; it isn't. After reading voluminously, I feel that I may qualify as a beginning anti-racist, and I think books are one of the best ways forward - if we can get people to read.
As a writer, I feel like I should stay in my lane. I would be really nervous about making mistakes.
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Susan E. Marshall
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Aug 07, 2020 07:31AM
Would you, could you, should you (or other POC) attempt to write authentically from a white point of view? White male? Who gets it right (some do) and who doesn't? "For whatever reason" - isn't lack of experience the usual reason? How could a white American woman write authentically as a black woman without having been immersed in the culture? No doubt it would be easier for you to "imagine" living in a world free of prejudice than it would be for me (a white woman, if you hadn't already guessed) to imagine a world where I'm always "watched." Meaning, isn't it easier to pretend to have advantages than disadvantages? (And isn't writing fiction largely pretending?) I worry my intent here sounds antagonistic; it isn't. After reading voluminously, I feel that I may qualify as a beginning anti-racist, and I think books are one of the best ways forward - if we can get people to read.
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As a writer, I feel like I should stay in my lane. I would be really nervous about making mistakes.
