Any interest in a story event for non-white characters?

[joy_of_cooking]

Imagine @Omenainen 's Pink Orchid event but for people of color rather than women: write a story, any story, with at least one character who is not white and yet has plausible motivations and relationships and personality and so on.

I've read some fantastic stories involving such characters, just enough to make me realize how rare they are. Let's get some more.

Is this something people would be interesting in writing (and reading)?

 

[StillStunned]

Reading, definitely. Writing? I'm not sure any of my characters would be different if I described them as having a particular skin colour (which I think I've only done once: in "Flesh for Fantasy", Mel's appearance is based loosely on Mel B from the Spice Girls).

 

[Bamagan]

Imagine @Omenainen 's Pink Orchid event but for people of color rather than women: write a story, any story, with at least one character who is not white and yet has plausible motivations and relationships and personality and so on.

I've read some fantastic stories involving such characters, just enough to make me realize how rare they are. Let's get some more.

Is this something people would be interesting in writing (and reading)?

I don't think I can support this. I've never written a plausible character yet and I'm too old to start now.
In all seriousness, though, .

 

[SeraphNocturne]

You'd have my interest as a writer and reader. As a mixed race woman it's already something I do, so it's not a far out thought to me. I'd spotlight characters of color for this event, to date I only have one (the FMC lead of my long running series) and would probably put up several stories for it.

 

[AchtungNight]

Sure. Plenty of non-white characters in my work already. All the femslashed protagonists in my Star Trek and Pathfinder stories, The Sisters Next Door, and Girls Dorm Blues. Clarke in Debrief. Nick in Compensation. Several Asians in Beijing Streakers. Deeewa, Benicio, Eva… I can’t think of anyone else offhand. That covers African, Arab, Asian, and Hispanic plus an Orion alien and a red-skinned demoness. I’d probably want to give Lakestrider some onscreen action or maybe Dr. Joash just for new race inclusion. They’re Native American and Indian respectively.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I think it's a fine idea but as I already include people of other ethnicities, it wouldn't really draw me to participate unless I happen to be writing one at that time.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Imagine @Omenainen 's Pink Orchid event but for people of color rather than women: write a story, any story, with at least one character who is not white and yet has plausible motivations and relationships and personality and so on.

I've read some fantastic stories involving such characters, just enough to make me realize how rare they are. Let's get some more.

Is this something people would be interesting in writing (and reading)?

I have written black guys and Asian girls in my stories.

For example, the co-FMC in Caputpedes is of South Korean ancestry. But, to be honest, aside from her name, she could have any skin-color. She’s based on an actual Korean-American I knew. There is a black crew member in the same story, but the same comments apply.

There is also a black male supporting character in Heaven and Hole. But again his race is not terribly relevant.

The FMC in Mors Immatura is Chinese-American. But it’s not a major plot point.

The FMC of A Hard Day’s Night is Asian-American with Thai heritage. But I only throw in a couple of cultural references and mostly stress she’s just an American woman.

I did toy with the idea of writing a story about a black girl going to London to study. But I kinda chickened out.

Even when in space in the future, my characters are typically just Americans - with the odd Brit thrown in for comedic relief (e.g. Oúriēl in Heaven and Hole).

I’m not sure I’m a good enough writer to accurately draw a really different experience to my own.

Em

 

[KeithD]

I already include nearly every special writing challenge theme being set forward and have tired of all of the writer-generated contests going here, so, no disrespect but I'm taking time off from considering posting to any of them. For the most part, as with this, you can find relevant stories in my existing file already.

 

[SimonDoom]

It's sounds like a fine idea but my only concern is that there are so many events now that the event calendar is getting overly crowded. It's impossible to keep up with as an author or a reader--for me anyway. We have events that step on one another, like the 25th Anniversary event that was only announced recently and has a deadline coming up right away. If you have too many contests and events, then they start to cannibalize each other, undermining a big part of the value of entering a contest or event, which is the extra exposure it gives.

 

[Bamagan]

I’m not sure I’m a good enough writer to accurately draw a really different experience to my own.

Em

Which should be taken as proof of cepahlopodophilia, at minimum.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Which should be taken as proof of cepahlopodophilia, at minimum.

I like octopuses - always have. I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was little.

Em

 

[AwkwardlySet]

A big no from me.
Just as the Orchid event is based on the unspoken assumption that most of us are chauvinists who write women who have no personality or agency, and you need an event to force you to write a different kind of women, so is this idea based on a silent premise that we are mostly mild racists who write only white characters.
Racism exists because people emphasize the difference in race and make it meaningful, and in that way interracial category has some nuances of racism, even if it wasn't intended probably. This event is meant to emphasize the difference in race and it has no other theme, unlike most other events (Halloween, Christmas, Nerd, nude day, etc.) In my opinion, its fundamental idea makes this event more or less racist, even if I am sure that the OP had no such intentions. I understand many people will feel differently, but I wanted to state the way it all seems to me.

 

[Bamagan]

I like octopuses - always have. I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was little.

Em

I was more referring to the sterilizing tentacles that string people out like pearls on a necklace, but sure, play innocent.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I was more referring to the sterilizing tentacles that string people out like pearls on a necklace, but sure, play innocent.

Oh, you mean squids. You never can tell with squids.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

Interest in reading definitely.

Writing is trickier for me just from the basis of: I'm white as fuck and it shows in my writing.

I would *not* want to fuck up cultural differences and I'm not a confident writer as it is. If I had time to really perfect characters? I'd absolutely want to participate. If it would be a rush job resulting in caricatures, not so much.

What she said

 

[Bamagan]

Oh, you mean squids. You never can tell with squids.

Em

Definitely a bit more aggressive than 'cuddlefish'

 

[EmilyMiller]

Definitely a bit more aggressive than 'cuddlefish'

Maybe we need a Cephalopod-based Author’s Challenge.

Come to think of it, I’ve never written two cephalopods in flagrante - it’s always been with humans. Maybe that’s the way forward.


Em

 

[Bamagan]

Maybe we need a Cephalopod-based Author’s Challenge.

Come to think of it, I’ve never written two cephalopods in flagrante - it’s always been with humans. Maybe that’s the way forward.


Em

Dibs on the naughty-lass.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

A big no from me.
Just as the Orchid event is based on the unspoken assumption that most of us are chauvinists who write women who have no personality or agency, and you need an event to force you to write a different kind of women, so is this idea based on a silent premise that we are mostly mild racists who write only white characters.
Racism exists because people emphasize the difference in race and make it meaningful, and in that way interracial category has some nuances of racism, even if it wasn't intended probably. This event is meant to emphasize the difference in race and it has no other theme, unlike most other events (Halloween, Christmas, Nerd, nude day, etc.) In my opinion, its fundamental idea makes this event more or less racist, even if I am sure that the OP had no such intentions. I understand many people will feel differently, but I wanted to state the way it all seems to me.

I have the mild assumption that you're looking at this--and the Orchid event--in the wrong way. I didn't see any of that in the Orchid Event. I read it as the opportunity to exercise your writing abilities and focus on a story featuring women in a powerful light in a way that would appeal to female readers and engage in the presence of women beyond the base notions of erotica, not unlike many, many female romance novelists and authors of either gender do here. The challenge there is to highlight that. I saw several people mention it would be just another walk in the park to them, and that's cool. To say that Literotica caters primarily to the male audience is an understatement.

I'm viewing this idea in the same light. It appears an opportunity to step out of what might otherwise be 'your comfort zone' and write a story involving a person of color touching base on their world; be it their religion, their creed or culture. Nobody said anything about racism, and no, suggesting this event proposition isn't shedding racist tone. The OP made the mention that he sees little presence of POC in stories here and I'm inclined to agree. Outside of Interracial (I've got my gripes there, I won't get into it) they seem to appear rarely and typically are only side-characters or token additions to an otherwise primarily white cast, with lackluster presence. I've researched to the stars about locations, mannerisms, time periods and then some. It's nothing at all to do a little research on a culture or ethnicity I might find intriguing and write a story around it without making it tropey, or as Erozetta noted, a caricature.

It's cool if you'd rather pass on it because it doesn't interest you, but I don't see a need to try and dig at an angle that isn't there.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

Maybe we need a Cephalopod-based Author’s Challenge.

Come to think of it, I’ve never written two cephalopods in flagrante - it’s always been with humans. Maybe that’s the way forward.


Em

If you run it, count me in. Maybe set for next year though, KeithD has a valid point... there's so many contests and events.

 

[EmilyMiller]

A big no from me.
Just as the Orchid event is based on the unspoken assumption that most of us are chauvinists who write women who have no personality or agency, and you need an event to force you to write a different kind of women, so is this idea based on a silent premise that we are mostly mild racists who write only white characters.
Racism exists because people emphasize the difference in race and make it meaningful, and in that way interracial category has some nuances of racism, even if it wasn't intended probably. This event is meant to emphasize the difference in race and it has no other theme, unlike most other events (Halloween, Christmas, Nerd, nude day, etc.) In my opinion, its fundamental idea makes this event more or less racist, even if I am sure that the OP had no such intentions. I understand many people will feel differently, but I wanted to state the way it all seems to me.

I kinda agree - think the same about Pink Orchid. But maybe my opinion about it is a bit milder.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

If you run it, count me in. Maybe set for next year though, KeithD has a valid point... there's so many contests and events.

Yes totally. I in no way even try to enter them all. But it’s still a lot. Unless you have an idea that just lines up.

Em

 

[SeraphNocturne]

Yes totally. I in no way even try to enter them all. But it’s still a lot. Unless you have an idea that just lines up.

Em

It's to the point that I'll get interested in one, fuck up the deadline, and then realize there's like three more later on that I can put my half finished story into...

But we don't have tentacles yet, so bring it on.

 

[Euphony]

If you run it, count me in. Maybe set for next year though, KeithD has a valid point... there's so many contests and events.

FR.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I have the mild assumption that you're looking at this--and the Orchid event--in the wrong way.

I already said that I knew many people would feel differently. But what I want to emphasize is that there is no right or wrong way to see this, in my opinion. Neither of our views is more right or more wrong. You see it as something positive and empowering, and from your point of view, you are completely right. I see it as something that has an underlying assumption that is not good, even if I am sure the OP had no such intentions. It is well meant, there is no doubt in my mind about it, but I feel it only emphasizes the things that it's supposed to fight against.
It is a matter of a point of view, mostly.