tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post6187395703352065853..comments2024-03-29T01:22:34.762-05:00Comments on QueendSheena: IWSG: Black History Month, Express Yourself: Character Crushes and Alex's Wednesday Movie QuoteSheena-kay Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712661419116636671noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-56489557329072237282013-02-11T20:48:25.556-05:002013-02-11T20:48:25.556-05:00Oooo now isn't this thought provoking stuff!!
...Oooo now isn't this thought provoking stuff!!<br />I have also thought about skin color when comes to my characters. I want them to be authentic but not stale. I don't want them to fit in the typical "mold" but then I don't want my readers thinking I pushed them either. I only wrote what I knew. You know?!<br />Great characters here!!! Snape is a good one!!!Danihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11026644605799767199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-49855904232292125642013-02-10T01:19:09.461-05:002013-02-10T01:19:09.461-05:00Hey Sheena,
Thanks for this post. I fear I strugg...Hey Sheena,<br /><br />Thanks for this post. I fear I struggle with the same thing ie shortage of black characters. I too tend to write based on what I grew up reading. I experimented with a race a bit in my paranormal Metamorphosis about a league of superheros (heroine is black with electric blue hair ;D), and made sure the focus was on the story and not race. Since then came The Space Between were the focus is on race and class differences, but that was the story I was trying to tell in that case. Definitely write your storyline first and your characters will tell you who they should be. With Space, I knew I wanted it to be about an interracial couple. I knew I could go the black/white route, but that's not what Drake and Lacey were telling me they were. As you know, Lacey is biracial and Drake, well... you'll see. He has an interesting situation ;D But that felt normal for his character. Do you, and don't feel bad for not writing ethnic characters because you're a woman of color. We need to write what we feel and the rest will pan out!Victoria Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14983121458179944639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-30524522840342257492013-02-08T05:08:50.040-05:002013-02-08T05:08:50.040-05:00:) It seems that there are a lot of us who like Wo...:) It seems that there are a lot of us who like Wolverine. Actually, you hit a theme that I've been thinking a lot about lately. The book industry is horribly slated, or so it seems. Your Snow White idea sounds great! Hopefully, we'll get to see it on the shelves someday.Tonja Dreckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07683717853264134466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-71809754134684919282013-02-06T21:29:28.219-05:002013-02-06T21:29:28.219-05:00Oh, I love Wolverine!
I think you are experiencin...Oh, I love Wolverine!<br /><br />I think you are experiencing something much non-white readers/writers experience. I'm hispanic but only one of my characters has hispanic influence. We truly write what we read, but we can push ourselves to go beyond. I think you're snow white story sounds fantastic and you should keep pushing yourself to write that which you'd like to read. There are more people out there like you and you just might hit a niche there, so don't let it go!<br /><br />Best of luck!Georgina Moraleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03164961271767174713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-2049548987178036682013-02-06T20:53:37.750-05:002013-02-06T20:53:37.750-05:00Love your character crushes! Love your character crushes! Jackiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04526192448146446752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-24382632238602151782013-02-06T20:47:53.072-05:002013-02-06T20:47:53.072-05:00This is interesting. I recently read a post from a...This is interesting. I recently read a post from a blonde woman saying she doesn't write any blondes and that she wants to. <br />I tend to write characters that look like the people around me and I've had to make myself stop. (For example I realized I had several men with dark hair, blue eyes, and dimples-just like my husband.) ;)Rachel Schieffelbeinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629400142880123520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-69775467090845962362013-02-06T18:09:38.628-05:002013-02-06T18:09:38.628-05:00Wow, now you have me looking at my wip...my charac...Wow, now you have me looking at my wip...my characters are all white...hmmm, not for any reason, but much like you, its what I read. Just for you, I'm adding in some color variety :-D Tammy Theriaulthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128574900510175415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-43230954713081561122013-02-06T14:57:50.734-05:002013-02-06T14:57:50.734-05:00Ooops prematurely hit publish! Point is...don'...Ooops prematurely hit publish! Point is...don't worry about templates and what everyone else is doing...write the character that's in your heart, make them real and likable and the rest doesn't matter.Elizabeth Seckmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00045076826326574984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-35866978446692334442013-02-06T14:56:30.518-05:002013-02-06T14:56:30.518-05:00I'm with you. I just want to love the MC, no m...I'm with you. I just want to love the MC, no matter what race, sex, or creed. I can't help but think of "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving. Owen was a dwarf with a twisted body, and he was totally lovable and endearing. Elizabeth Seckmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00045076826326574984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-61428077082891390052013-02-06T13:58:22.538-05:002013-02-06T13:58:22.538-05:00Interesting that would be a concern of yours. (And...Interesting that would be a concern of yours. (And don't you wish we were all viewed as just people?)<br />What EJ said - focus on the story first and the characters will tell you who they need to be.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-46850734940639224992013-02-06T13:01:55.279-05:002013-02-06T13:01:55.279-05:00Okay, you just rocketed up my cool charts with you...Okay, you just rocketed up my cool charts with your Wolverine crush! My favorite comic book hero by far. :-)<br /><br />I think it's an interesting thing you bring up about feeling the need to write more black characters. My stories have a girl with Native American heritage in them. I grew up in Oklahoma, have Native American ancestors, and lived in that culture. I've been told that there needs to be more Native American, and basically non-anglo characters in fiction in general.<br /><br />I don't disagree, but that's not why I did it. I did it because that's just who the character is. I think that's our primary obligation as a storyteller: be true to the character. If she happens to be black, asian, Native--so be it. <br /><br />I go about it that way, because the second I realize I'm purposefully trying to apply some balance or socially motivated theme to my fiction, the stories become something other than what I intended. I guess I'm saying the issue becomes the focus, and not the journey/story.<br /><br />Really glad to read someone talking about this so candidly, Sheena. Well done.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00273059558675234923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-5200174810745142862013-02-06T12:59:02.119-05:002013-02-06T12:59:02.119-05:00I love your twist on Snow! Since you don't rea...I love your twist on Snow! Since you don't read a lot of books with black characters, you should experiment with your own. Take people you know and mix up their personalities and quirks. Angela Brown uses black characters in her books, but she doesn't say they're black, because, really, they're just characters with a story to tell. You get a hint of what race they are through her descriptions of them. The focus is not on race. She writes wonderful characters and tells wonderful stories and I absolutely adore them! Try Neverlove and another one coming out soon called Frailties of the Bond. Gwen Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13132836346305559246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-82180761465886949132013-02-06T11:28:58.546-05:002013-02-06T11:28:58.546-05:00Hi Sheena,
I'm always worried people will ca...Hi Sheena, <br /><br />I'm always worried people will call me out and claim that I didn't write an authentic experience for characters of different races. I think that's why so many sci fi books look at racism through the lens of alien cultures. It's something I need to work on. Renahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02767762370997304308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-77541532045653855752013-02-06T10:52:30.929-05:002013-02-06T10:52:30.929-05:00Hi Sheena,
Great post and something I've nev...Hi Sheena, <br /><br />Great post and something I've never really thought of, from a black author's point of view.<br /><br />I think your Snow White idea sounds very interesting...you should go for it :)Mark Meanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08029920604932980141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-2113689412441209432013-02-06T06:24:58.997-05:002013-02-06T06:24:58.997-05:00Hey,
Thanks for the thought-provoking post... I&#...Hey,<br /><br />Thanks for the thought-provoking post... I'm about to start WIP#2 and haven't even considered cultures and colors - but my wife has had some serious diversity training, so I'm sure she'll keep me on the straight and narrow :)Mark Koopmanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03634424953074803816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452907821353988622.post-55634752240293857622013-02-06T05:08:13.895-05:002013-02-06T05:08:13.895-05:00Yes Alex is a real asset to Bloggers and there is ...Yes Alex is a real asset to Bloggers and there is always something going on.<br /><br />Enjoyed your post.<br />Have a good day.<br /><br />Yvonne.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com