Hello! This blog was recommended to me by a writing professor, in regards to the novel I’m currently planning in class. I had a couple questions I hope you could clear up.
-My main character is a black man. His mother always told him white women were the devil, due to a literal bargain with the devil who appeared to her during a summoning as a white woman. Ignoring his mother, he settles down with a white woman. When she dies under mysterious circumstances, he finds the town that once pretended to respect him liked him a lot less than they let on. The first part of this question, I suppose, is is it a savior’s narrative if my novel addresses PTSD, fear of the dark, racism in small towns, and police brutality? Along, of course, with random occult under themes to address the historical fire under Centralia, PA. My professor believes that to be the case, though I am uncertain.
-What DOES constitute as savior narrative? As of today, I believed it was the narrative that it takes a white person to show up and make everything all better. Is the fact that I’m a white author make it instantly a savior narrative?
Aw, so cool that your professor recommended us!
Anyhow, I’ve read over this question a few times and don’t see where your details would connect to a white savior narrative.
White Savior, in short, relates to white people saving People of Color.
It could be from circumstances (e.g. financially poor PoC, White people in “Africa” …who also don’t even bother to mention/know the African country they’re in!)
It might be from themselves or their own bad decisions
As mentioned in “Is this the white savior trope?” – on our common misconceptions II post:
If you have a story with a sympathetic or kind white character, that doesn’t mean it’s the white savior trope. The problem with the white savior is that it centers POC’s realities and stories on whiteness. The only time so many of our stories get told is through whiteness, like Dances With Wolves, The Last Samurai, etc. Whether or not the white protag is a jerk or genuinely being helpful isn’t the only issue.
So, not seeing a white savior in your particular storyline.
Is the fact that I’m a white author make it instantly a savior narrative?
I think your last question is spot on; I think your professor may have been warning that you, the author, are leaning towards becoming “the white savior” from your approach to these subjects.
You’ve got:
Black intercommunity issues (dating outside race and mistrust of white people/women)
Personally, I cannot recommend writing this for all the ways it can and does go wrong. I also don’t feel like in the climate of the world, especially my world in America, I need a book like this right now. I’m sure others agree as well. There’s not much you can teach me with this book, especially as a non-Black person, who also sees what is happening around me and is affected by it.
As for those it may teach, i’m more comfortable with a Black voice imparting that authentic perspective vs. someone outside of the community.
There are questions you should ask yourself before tackling such a book:
Why are you writing about this subject?
Are you qualified to write it? If you’re trying to teach readers a lesson about racism: if you cannot experience racism or anti-blackness yourself, I would not trust your qualifications.
What is your message? What does your book intend to say blatantly and also what does it imply subtly?
Does it hurt/benefit the people?
Does it portray the people in a three-dimensional matter or is it a one-sided story of pain and struggle? How proportional are your happy/normal moments to the struggles?
Can you comfortably represent these people’s culture and daily life?
Does your voice add to the conversation or attempt to dominate the discussion?
Have you talked to the people you’re writing about (regarding your ideas/ events in the story)?
Has your ideas and actual story been/going to be beta-read by the people at hand?
There are also things you should do before tackling such a book:
Become as close to an expert as possible. This requires extensive research. (Books alone will not do. You need to talk and work with people in the community. Scourge blogs, conversations, know the history, etc. See WWC Research Posts)
Have sensitivity readers. They should review everything from your concepts, the work in process, and final product. (I’d recommend someone you pay and can be brutally honest, not just a friend)
Know your limits. You simply cannot write about what racism feels like or what it’s like to be an X, if you haven’t experienced it. Be aware of your perspective.
Consider addressing issues on a smaller scale. This could mean scaling down the number of issues you focus on, and/or making one of the race topics just one aspect of the plot vs. the plot. This seems more manageable, especially if you have never written on the topic before.
…Or smaller Issues altogether: Another idea would be to practice covering the tough topics. For example: writing a story that incorporates micro-aggressions into a Character of Color’s life without any aggressive racism, and then working your way up in this WIP.
Consider a co-writer. Maybe you shouldn’t write this work alone. What about inviting a voice to the work who has first-hand experience in the topic?
Balance the struggle. Even stories that cover the hard stuff should not be all about struggle. You need moments of light, breaks from the pain, sweet with the bitter, or else it’s just needless suffering that simply hurts to read.
Don’t speak over us/for us: If you’re white, your story naturally comes with privilege. People are more willing to listen to a white person talking about People of Color’s issues than actual People of Color themselves. That’s why a book like this should work with that privilege to actually center the struggles of the people at hand. Don’t make it about you or the white characters and certainly to not excessively highlight or victimize them. As a white writer, become as invisible as possible.
Know your book will likely be highly criticized and rejected. At least by the community. You’re going to get stuff wrong. You’re also going to get stuff right, but people aren’t comfortable with who is speaking that truth when it could be someone more qualified speaking it. These are all valid reactions.
“can’t shake the devil’s hand and say you’re only kidding” is the most concise and powerful dismissal of people who are “jokingly” racist and i can’t believe it’s from a They Might Be Giants song
Anonymous asked: Aaaaugh I’m really sorry to ask this and I know you answer questions like this all the time but I haven’t been able to find a straight answer anywhere else. Is there any possibility that you might know whether it’s considered offensive to describe people as having wood-colored skin? I know it’s considered offensive to compare skin color to food, but if it was said that someone had mahogany or pinewood skin or something, do you think that would be okay? Again, I’m really sorry.
This question is one not only of style but also of knowing and relating to your intended audience. There are no hard and fast rules on which descriptive words for skin color will be offensive to everyone every time. Though many descriptors for skin color have been identified as offensive or acceptable by large groups of people in the past, the reality is that every reader has their own preferences.
Similarly, there is no word choice that will fit perfectly in every stylistic circumstance. Tone, pacing, genre, character development, theme, and desired voice must all be taken into account.
So, you can understand that is difficult to advise you in any specific way. We cannot tell you yes or no. The best answer is that it depends.
The trick, I believe, is to think critically about the denotation and connotation of the word in question and use your best judgement. That judgement is born of experience and research, which means writing people with skin tones other than yours and learning about representing people who do not look like you from people who do not look like you. You may not have the experience or have done the research, and that’s okay, but the only person who can answer your question is you. You know your style and level of experience. You know the circumstances. You are the one who knows your intended audience and interacts with your readers.
This is a situation where the answer cannot just be given to you. You need to do the research and gain the experience, then you can decide these things for yourself.
Here are a few resources to speed you on your way:
Guide to Human Types Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 and the Catalogue of Human Features, all by majnouna IMPORTANT: If you’re thinking of using these guides, it’s definitely worth it to read this “thoughts on skintones” discussion. Be advised that it is focused more on drawing than on writing. Still worth it.
Rebellions are built on hope 
