Nikki asked, "I'm curious, are there any people of color in In This Land?"
Yes. T'rin, for example, is not white. I do not have the citations on me, but this conversation came up a while ago, and there are descriptions in ITL of T'rin having darker skin than Rini.
Overall, I would like to write more often about people of color. And people with disabilities. Just more kinds of people in general. Kim and I talk about it a lot.
(Side note: "Kim" is the name I use when I'm talking about someone but, for whatever reason, don't want to disclose that person's identity.)
I want my writing to be more inclusive, and I keep talking to Kim about it to bounce ideas off of her. I've written about people of color on both of my websites, and I want to do it more often in the future.
ITL specifically is set in a fantasy world. In my mind, that makes it an entirely new place, like a fresh start. However, I've spoken with readers who don't view it that way, who carry over assumptions from this world. They view ITL through their real-world perspective, and bring in bits of real-life thinking on sex, gender, politics, etc. If Xio Voe had chocolate-brown skin instead of white-pink skin, if he had curly black hair instead of straight, white-blond hair, they'd read and interpret the story differently.
That doesn't mean that I shouldn't do it. It just makes me wary of how I represent people. I would like to include more people of color in ITL. I just want to do it well.
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ReplyDeleteI do see ITL as a completely different world but I also do see elements of our world in it which you cannot help, I suppose. I also understand that you want to represent other races in a way that isn't demeaning
ReplyDeleteAsking questions like this are hard for me because of well meaning yet frustrating comments like the one above. Yet, I had to ask because there are plenty of brothers left and lands we haven't even heard of yet in ITL.
POC often just resign ourselves to the fact that a majority of stories out here rarely have more than one or two familiar faces, you know?
You have an entire world and a wonderful oppurtunity to do something meaningful.
apologies.
ReplyDeletesince I've no desire to either give offense or advertise my own ignorance I deleted my comment that Nikki found frustrating. Maybe someday I'll know more about the subject so I can contribute to a conversation on it better. I guess I'll just keep my mouth shut till then.
ReplyDelete