Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

About Whitewashing

Tags: ethnic studies, networking, reading, writing
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  • 22 comments
ankewehner

ankewehner

March 26 2012, 07:54:26 UTC 9 years ago

I'm still at a point where if I don't check myself (or do at least a bit of worldbuilding including thinking of melanin-levels beforehand), 99% of my characters are white. I do think mine are more pliable than described there when they're still new, though, particularly if I change features by filling in worldbuilding retroactively. At least looks-wise; personality seems tricky to change once it's settled in my head.
ysabetwordsmith

Hmm...

ysabetwordsmith

March 26 2012, 17:30:54 UTC 9 years ago

You might try setting stories in a place where most or all of the characters have some other shade of skin. It's not a very common technique, outside of local fiction set in such places, which kind of surprised me -- I've always done it. You get some pretty cool stories that are different from the usual.
ankewehner

Re: Hmm...

ankewehner

March 27 2012, 05:47:38 UTC 9 years ago

Yep, that's what I meant with "worldbuilding", since I rarely write anything recognisably set in an existing place. :)