avoiding racism in character description

[lexxi]

I am white, as is my narrator and most of the main characters in the novel I'm working on.

Some of the secondary and background characters are black.

I don't give a lot of physical description for the white characters, but when I do it tends to involve hair or eye color as well as body type.

Usually just one or two details here or there, especially for the secondary characters. I'd like to do the same for the black characters. I'd like to avoid mentioning race explicitly while still suggesting it to astute readers. I also want to avoid any food metaphors in describing skin color.

Would you cringe at or appreciate something like this?
We all wore dark clothes backstage to avoid being seen. Leo was designated to hand off the props to the actors from behind the curtain; with his dark skin tone even in short sleeves he'd be most likely to blend in.

(needs work on the phrasing)

Any other pointers?

[jst5150]

lexxi,

The description would matter in the context of the scene. So, is the description vital to what's happening in the ecosystem at that moment? Or isn't it? Is portrayal of race part of the storyline or isn;t it?

I get that you have to establish the character and give the reader some visual. However, if it's not mission essential to the story, then, there are ways of signifying that through the language your characters use, mannerisms, habits and other ways that wouldn't grate on stereotypes.

For example: if one of the characters is about to have sex with one of the African-American characters, then getting all the senses involved would be important and describing his/her physical makeup crucial. Might be true of there were some sort of race relations issue going on. Something tactile and tangible like that. Otherwise, its description for the sake of description.

If you're telling us that you have black characters, then there's probably a reason why they are there. When you nneed to start revealing those reasons is when you need to enhance the descriptives.

Have fun writing!

[Kitty Pryde]

that's something i struggle with in my writing too! the default for nearly all western (white) writers is that all characters are presumed white until proven otherwise, which makes my head explode. i hate to do it. on the other hand, saying he was a peachy-pinkish, and she was tannish-olivey, and he looked as pale as a cave fish, and she was all pasty and freckly, to announce the caucasianosity of your characters sticks out because it's not often done. i don't like to announce anyone's color straight-up, unless it's very striking (very very very pale or very very very dark, or dark skin and blue eyes, or the good old pale white skin and black haired hot babe.

i like what you did above, but i might leave out 'tone' and just say 'with his dark skin, even in short sleeves...' IMO it's a quick and easy way to slip it in. there are other ways to indicate a non-white character if you get creative. i have my MC's best friend, woken up in the middle of the night and rushed across town to get her in an emergency, wearing jammy pants, flip-flops, and a faded old t-shirt that says 'black is beautiful'. it gets the point across. and says a little bit about the character's personality as well.

[Kitty Pryde]

lexxi,

The description would matter in the context of the scene. So, is the description vital to what's happening in the ecosystem at that moment? Or isn't it? Is portrayal of race part of the storyline or isn;t it?

I get that you have to establish the character and give the reader some visual. However, if it's not mission essential to the story, then, there are ways of signifying that through the language your characters use, mannerisms, habits and other ways that wouldn't grate on stereotypes.

For example: if one of the characters is about to have sex with one of the African-American characters, then getting all the senses involved would be important and describing his/her physical makeup crucial. Might be true of there were some sort of race relations issue going on. Something tactile and tangible like that. Otherwise, its description for the sake of description.

If you're telling us that you have black characters, then there's probably a reason why they are there. When you nneed to start revealing those reasons is when you need to enhance the descriptives.

Have fun writing!


I have to strongly disagree that there has to be a 'reason' why a character is black. Her scene sounds like kids putting on a high school play. The average American high school has kids of every different shade attending. Is there a reason that a white character shows up? Characters are who they are--skin color and cultural background and everything are a part of that. lexxi's point (i think) is that she wants to populate her story with a realistic mix of different folks without saying HE'S NOT WHITE!!!

[Polenth]

It would read more real if the character was dressed up in black long sleeves and gloves, and the viewpoint character couldn't see the point because they were dark already.

'Black' skin will show up against a black curtain. It's the wrong shade to blend in and it's shiny. Though your viewpoint character may not know this, I'd imagine someone involved in the play would know (even if just from noticing on the dress rehearsal).

As for saying someone is dark skinned... there's nothing racist about noting a physical attribute of a character. The racism comes if they act like cardboard stereotypes instead of people.

[Teleute]

My $.02:

Usually just one or two details here or there, especially for the secondary characters. I'd like to do the same for the black characters. I'd like to avoid mentioning race explicitly while still suggesting it to astute readers.

There's nothing racist, IMO, in outright stating the race of a character if the "default setting" for that work = white, any more than it would be if the "default setting" for that work = black. I wouldn't get the racism heebie-jeebies if Zora Neale Hurston referred to an "old white lady." Or whatever.

You can do it in a slightly less in-your-face way than that (i.e. with no explicit stating but enough info to make it obvious), but not too much IMO because it ironically makes race MORE significant than it should be if only "astute readers" can pick up on the race of a character. Because they spend more time thinking about the race of a character than they should. By trying to relegate it to the background, you shove it in the foreground.

Neil Gaiman's The Anansi Boys tries to be coy about this. Now, I knew from the get-go that the main character was black because (1) Anansi is an African god and (2) I had read American Gods, the prequel where the MC's dad shows up. But I spend zero time thinking about the race or hair color or whathaveyou of the characters I'm reading about; the way I picture characters while reading are the ways in which their appearance affects the story. In this case, the MC is a doughy, dorky-looking fellow, and his doughiness and dorkiness affects his narrative. His race doesn't. So Gaiman never mentions the MC's and antagonist's race until he drops a bomb about 2/3 of the way through the book, and then he does it for all the other black characters, which is almost everyone. All of a sudden, I was forced to think of the characters in terms of race rather than their attributes that actually mattered in the context of the story.

If Gaiman had just mentioned the race of the MC early on to establish the default setting - OR described the irritating boss the MC has as an old white guy - then I would've just been like, "oh, ok, doughy dorky guy who is also black." And then I wouldn't have gotten distracted; it'd barely be noticeable. I wouldn't have to think about it.

That show versus tell debate? Telling is for background info, and should be used for background info. If you don't want race in your foreground, then don't "show" it. (That is, unless race informs the conflict of your story.)

I also want to avoid any food metaphors in describing skin color.

Hear, hear. I am especially tired of beverages being used to describe skin color - "tea with milk in it," "mocha," "cafe au lait."

As for saying someone is dark skinned... there's nothing racist about noting a physical attribute of a character. The racism comes if they act like cardboard stereotypes instead of people.

Word. Using black characters strictly as helpers for white protagonists (i.e. "magical negroes") is racist; having black characters and daring to say so is not.

ETA:

i have my MC's best friend, woken up in the middle of the night and rushed across town to get her in an emergency, wearing jammy pants, flip-flops, and a faded old t-shirt that says 'black is beautiful'. it gets the point across. and says a little bit about the character's personality as well.

That's really awesome.

[Kitty Pryde]

My $.02:



There's nothing racist, IMO, in outright stating the race of a character if the "default setting" for that work = white, any more than it would be if the "default setting" for that work = black. I wouldn't get the racism heebie-jeebies if Zora Neale Hurston referred to an "old white lady." Or whatever.
tually mattered in the context of the story.


The thing is, in 1800s England, the default setting is white. In, say, a midwestern town of hardscrabble settlers in pioneer days, the default setting is white. In like pretty much every book written more than 50 years ago, the social/legal/economic/cultural status of different colors of people made it really obvious who was black/white/brown/whatever, so it wasn't necessary to dwell on it. That's not the case anymore. For a story set in modern-day US (or UK), white ISN'T the default setting (with maybe a very few exceptions). The assumption that it IS, is racist, IMO.

[Teleute]

The thing is, in 1800s England, the default setting is white. In, say, a midwestern town of hardscrabble settlers in pioneer days, the default setting is white. In like pretty much every book written more than 50 years ago, the social/legal/economic/cultural status of different colors of people made it really obvious who was black/white/brown/whatever, so it wasn't necessary to dwell on it. That's not the case anymore. For a story set in modern-day US (or UK), white ISN'T the default setting (with maybe a very few exceptions). The assumption that it IS, is racist, IMO.

I don't think that all (modern day) books have a "white default setting," many have others. The writer/story determines what the "default setting" is. Amy Tan novels, for example, clearly have an Asian-American "default setting," and if a character is NOT of Asian descent, she expressly mentions it. She doesn't have to mention every character being Chinese-American, because that's the default.

And yeah, if I picked up a new Amy Tan novel and didn't discover until halfway through that the MC was a corn-fed blue-eyed Midwestern girl whose hippie parents had moved to San Fransisco, I'd be taken out of the narrative a bit just because it messed with my expectations for Tan's fictional world.

[Jerry B. Flory]

I didn't notice any racial slurs in there, lexxi.
If you aren't trying to be prejudice then don't sweat it.

If you want a practice exercise try writing something about illegal Mexicans and the kind of people who hire them and how they are directly affecting the lifestyle of a white MC.
You have to do it without open prejudice. You don't hate them because of what they are, you resent what they do. You resent the people who hire them as a slave labor force and pay off the local officials to look the other way.
All of these elements are overshadowed by the fact that they are Mexican. Is it really a racial issue?
Project your resentment toward this group of people without racism.
By the time your done, your sentence about a black man's skin blending in with shadows will seem pretty tame.

[Kitty Pryde]

I don't think that all (modern day) books have a "white default setting," many have others. The writer/story determines what the "default setting" is. Amy Tan novels, for example, clearly have an Asian-American "default setting," and if a character is NOT of Asian descent, she expressly mentions it. She doesn't have to mention every character being Chinese-American, because that's the default.

And yeah, if I picked up a new Amy Tan novel and didn't discover until halfway through that the MC was a corn-fed blue-eyed Midwestern girl whose hippie parents had moved to San Fransisco, I'd be taken out of the narrative a bit just because it messed with my expectations for Tan's fictional world.

No, they definitely don't all have a white default setting! Speaking of which, can I direct you all over to this AWESOME post (http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/2007/08/01/what-does-it-mean-to-be-this-caribbean-writer/) on Toby Buckell's blog? The short version is he has an interesting perspective on race and writing (he's half white british and half black caribbean, but he 'looks white'). I forgot how good it is.

[Zoombie]

My black character, who is the main character, doesn't have his skin color even MENTIONED till...page...

161.

Course, my novel takes place in the future, where mankind doesn't care that one character is black his GF is white.


No they care far more than she's a cyborg and he's a purestrain human.

[RedScylla]

It's an interesting dilemma, but one that's totally worth tackling. Don't be afraid to try multiple attempts at how you present characters of different races.

I found that ideas of "racial defaults" can even provide interesting ways to define peripheral characters around your MC. For example, in the novel I'm currently querying, one of the few hints that you get of the narrator's race in the first 100 pages is that he often identifies people as "white" or "Korean" or "Mexican." It's essentially a process of elimination game, and one that means zip to the narrator, because he sees himself primarily as an Okie.

[Don Allen]

Just a general comment, Racism exists, but describing race isn't racist. If you shy away from describing a mans blackness for example, you're being somewhat dishonest in your description. just a thought for you....

[dpaterso]

Would you cringe at or appreciate something like this?
We all wore dark clothes backstage to avoid being seen. Leo was designated to hand off the props to the actors from behind the curtain; with his dark skin tone even in short sleeves he'd be most likely to blend in.
All depends how it's delivered. That snippet of on-the-nose wooden block narration perhaps isn't as effective as characters pointing out the same thing -- and Leo either protesting, if that's how the story goes, or maybe even volunteering for the job for that reason, making a joke out of it. Let your characters help you get past the problem.

/opinion

-Derek

[Wayne K]

Unless you're writing hateful racist rants I wouldn't let the word police get in my head if I were you. In my first book I drop the N-Bomb by chapter three, and hatefully too. The thing is that it's not racist, it's the perception of the racist I saw.

Sometimes there's only one way to say something.

[tehuti88]

If I saw a description like "dark skin," I'd just assume it's a dark-skinned white person, or perhaps, at most, a Latino or Indian or something. I have to confess that if I have a black character in my writing I'll just say they're black, same as if I have a Japanese character I'll say they're Japanese, or if they're from North Dakota I'll say they're North Dakotan.

In another writing forum somebody got miffed when I referred to black people as "blacks" because to them it seemed horribly racist and overgeneralizing, but, well, what else would I say? I say "whites" when I mean white people like myself, too. Granted, if I were to generalize and say "all blacks this" or "all blacks that" then I would understand, but I was just referring to a particular race, and that's the term I've always used. If I knew more specifics about a character's background I would say something like "Kenyan" or whatever, but until then, I can only refer to somebody based on their race. (And of course, if they're American born and bred, I can only call them black anyway.)

I live in a place that's like 99% white and Christian so of course this influences the racial makeup of my stories and perhaps influences how I view things, but I really see nothing wrong with just mentioning somebody's race, as long as it's pertinent to the work. If it's not important that we know a particular character's race, and/or if the story otherwise makes it clear throughout the work that there's a varied racial makeup as opposed to a bunch of white people or whatever, then it doesn't seem necessary to dwell on the particulars.

But that's just me and apparently I'm racist! :o

[donroc]

Sometimes the description can be in the name you choose for your characters.

[veinglory]

I have noticed even very major writers giving non-white characters 'coffee' descriptions that almost fetishize skin color.

My rule of thumb is to mention skin color in non-white characters when I would mention it in white ones, which is rarely. If someone's ethnicity (which is rather more/other than color) is relevant it will tend to come up very quickly via the reactions of the other characters (whether white or not).

But if the writer is not hung up on race the narrative voice shouldn't be either.

[maestrowork]

I had to describe characters of all races in The Pacific Between. Sometimes the race was obvious so I didn't have to emphasize the skin colors or whatever. Instead, I only described relevant details like the way they dressed or stood, etc. There were a couple of times when the race wasn't apparent, so the narrator glossed over the racial details. Some people may argue that if race is not important, then why mention it? To me, it's all about verisimilitude -- I was trying to set up a "real world" but race is no more than another attribute. Like Veinglory said, it's no big deal and the narrative voice reflects that. There's nothing inherently racist if you say the character is black or white or Asian. It's a matter of how you present that information and in what context.

[CaroGirl]

I describe a character in my MG novel as having a "dark face." I think of him as black but I don't really say it explicitly. My 1st-person MC simply doesn't care if her friend is black, white, or purple, which says something about her, I think.

[MetalDog]

I'm firmly in the 'if it matters that a character is X, say they're X' camp.

All the pussy-footing around seems far more race-conscious than just writing a race tag.

[inspired007]

I have noticed even very major writers giving non-white characters 'coffee' descriptions that almost fetishize skin color.

My rule of thumb is to mention skin color in non-white characters when I would mention it in white ones, which is rarely. If someone's ethnicity (which is rather more/other than color) is relevant it will tend to come up very quickly via the reactions of the other characters (whether white or not).

But if the writer is not hung up on race the narrative voice shouldn't be either.

I am black woman and I just wanted to comment on 'food/coffee' descriptors being used in books. One of the major reasons you see this is because it so prevalent in black culture. Whether you know it or not (or like it or not) it rings true to the way that black people talk amongst themselves. Black people come in many different shades so it's easy to describe if you say someone is toffee, caramel, mocha or milk chocolate. Also, it's a matter of pride in some cases. We can differ so drastically even if we share the exact same genes! A person who is black might not actually have dark skin so IMO describing a character as having dark skin hits the nail on the head.

I don't think the original sentence is racist at all, but I can't lie that when I read the bit about blending into the curtain, I sort of shuddered. It's not racist, that depends on the intent, I think, but it's definitely something that made me, a minority, feel like that character was singled out for being different. I'm sure that if I read the entire story, I might feel differently. Maybe they're all friends and race is spoken about without tension or issue. Race is slowly becoming less of an issue and isn't so taboo these days with more young people around who have never experienced the fights of the civil rights era. This goes for both sides of the divide.

The thing is, up until this point, white is the default in everything our society does. It's definitely the default in books too.


I'm firmly in the 'if it matters that a character is X, say they're X' camp.

All the pussy-footing around seems far more race-conscious than just writing a race tag.

I think that descriptors are very useful and can be a way to differentiate skin tone. As I said, all black people aren't the same shade. My sister is black, but she has the color of Beyonce, while my shade is closer to that of Denzel Washington.

Also, depending on the work, it can be plain to just say "because he was black, he blended into the scenery." Beyonce is black too, but I doubt she'd blend in well to a dark curtain.

[MetalDog]

If it matters what shade they are, I agree, refine it down. I've knocked out a few purple and red faces where appropriate describing 'white' characters. Mostly, though, I'll opt for the simple description - I like to just sketch character descriptions, even for my MCs, if I was more into massive visual detail, I might feel differently.

[CharlotteAmbrose]

I agree with the things Inspired007 had to say.
As long as it's done in a flattering light I can't see what the problem is for any race. I have a black character that I describe having skin as chocolate velvet. The same way I'd look at someone pale and call them milky. Taking away the food thing - I just go to a thesaurus ans search that way.
My way of describing characters is searching online for hours and picking out a photo of someone that would fit the bill. The guy I chose had skin that was deep dark brown and satiny smooth. I do that for a writing exercise of showing not telling.

[Juliette Wade]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in the posts so far is the question of point of view and character voice. The way that you execute your descriptions can reflect on the identity of the character making the observations. I'd say this is probably preferable to having it reflect on the identity of the author. Who is observing this backstage situation? How does he or she think about skin color? To go as far as saying someone blends into darkness is giving the idea more words that may draw a reader's attention. Is this something that the main character has an opinion about? Is it a critical observation in the scene? In that case we should probably be told how the main character feels about the observation: is this blending he/she notices considered good? bad? what? If you don't want attention given to the person in question, but need him in the background and BTW he's black, just giving him an African-American sounding name could be enough. I think this idea of the amount of words drawing attention to the description itself may be what Jason was referring to in his early post. Giving something extra words means it gets more time in the reader's mind, and thus it's more likely to be perceived as something that might matter to the plot.

[RJK]

I'm not sure a consensus was reached. Some say it's terrible to compare black's skin color to coffee, or toffee, or chocolate, others say that's what many blacks do. Yet others say successful authors will compare a black person's skin color to milk chocolate or coffee.
My guess is, if it's done well, it's okay.
Here's how I introduce my MC's partner I'm not sure if it passes the test:
When Theron got back to the squad room, his partner, Detective Doug Connors, was in his cubicle. His milk chocolate skin was a shade darker than the last time Theron had seen him...
..."You look like you got a lot of sun. Do you guys burn, or just get darker?"
Connors rubbed his arm, "I got his after one day lying around the pool. No, I never got sunburned, but I imagine it could happen."

[Polenth]

The times I've come across drink descriptions, it's left me wondering what the character looks like. Authors tend to assume that every country serves (and describes) its tea and coffee in the same way. But they don't. In England, you ask for tea and milk is assumed. In France, you have to ask for tea with milk if you want milk.

Once you get into speciality teas and coffees, the chances of reader understanding go down even further.

Drinks lead to confusing descriptions if you're aiming for a cross-cultural market, unless you're very careful with your wording.

[stormie]

My 11-year-old niece says she's "not black," she's "sorta medium brown."

And think about it: causasians aren't truly white, they're all shades. Ruddy, pinkish, ivory....

[cbenoi1]

> As long as it's done in a flattering light I can't see what the problem is for any race.

I have a black female in a WIP. One beta reader proposed that I describe her skin tone in contrast to her jewelry instead of using an absolute. Something like - "A woman walked in the room, her thick gold necklace glittering with elegance against her darker skin tone." - instead of - "A dark-skinned woman walked in the room."

-cb

[MsK]

When my son was little, he didn't see race, he just saw different shades of people.
Most white people were pink to him. Most black people were peach- don't know where he got that one.
And most black guys, with hair or not, were "bald heads". Michael Jordon and his famous bald head were very popular at the time.
Funny, but he thought I was peach too. He said, "My dads pink and your peach, so what am I?"
I'm not 'peach', but I probably was tan. :)

[inspired007]

I'm not sure a consensus was reached. Some say it's terrible to compare black's skin color to coffee, or toffee, or chocolate, others say that's what many blacks do. Yet others say successful authors will compare a black person's skin color to milk chocolate or coffee.
My guess is, if it's done well, it's okay.
Here's how I introduce my MC's partner I'm not sure if it passes the test:

Exactly!

It's all a matter of opinion anyway.

I've written a middle grade novel which is geared to young black kids. In the book, most of the kids are black with the except of one character, who is white. At first, I simply said that 'she was one of the few white people at our school'. After having thought about it, I scolded myself b/c I was sure I could dig a little deeper and find a more imaginative way to describe her.

This is what I came up with.

Lorie had really long, dark hair and a smooth, white complexion. Her mother was a makeup artist and today she was wearing eye shadow that made her green eyes sparkle.



MSK; I really like the fact that kids these days don't see 'color' the way we often do. It's great!!!!!!! And, at the risk of introducing politics into the convo, it's one of the many reasons Obama won. If he had been seen simply as a black man, the way he undoubtedly would have been several years ago, he would have lost. Society is changing, slowly in some ways, but definitely changing!

Awesome thread.

[xDemode]

I don't think the original sentence is racist at all, but I can't lie that when I read the bit about blending into the curtain, I sort of shuddered. It's not racist, that depends on the intent, I think, but it's definitely something that made me, a minority, feel like that character was singled out for being different. I'm sure that if I read the entire story, I might feel differently. Maybe they're all friends and race is spoken about without tension or issue. Race is slowly becoming less of an issue and isn't so taboo these days with more young people around who have never experienced the fights of the civil rights era. This goes for both sides of the divide.

...

I think that descriptors are very useful and can be a way to differentiate skin tone. As I said, all black people aren't the same shade. My sister is black, but she has the color of Beyonce, while my shade is closer to that of Denzel Washington.

Also, depending on the work, it can be plain to just say "because he was black, he blended into the scenery." Beyonce is black too, but I doubt she'd blend in well to a dark curtain.

I'm a black woman, and I agree with you 100%. I'm twenty years old, and reading the line about how he blended in with the scenery was a little weird for me. He'd have to be really, really, really, really, uber dark. My father is dark-skinned... and he never blends in with the darkness. The only time he does is when he's outside at night in this thick, black leather coat he owns.

Black people come in different colors and shades! I know Inspired has already mentioned it, but it needs repeating. My mom is actually really light skinned with green eyes, but it's rare to ever read about blacks with these type of features in a story.

In the rare event that a story DOES include a black person, he/she is always dark-skinned. Maybe they just mean darker than white, but it doesn't read that way to me.

It's a little ridiculous.

[kuwisdelu]

To be honest, if it matters what race he is, I'd just say "he's black."

Describing skin color is fine for description, but when it comes down to it, skin color doesn't always tell you race. My mom is very dark, darker than a lot of lighter-toned African Americans, but we're American Indians. And what about those other Indians from, well, India? They can get pretty dark, too. Skin color doesn't always tell you enough. If it's all that matters, it's fine.

But if you want to get across a character's race to the reader, I always prefer "she's this black girl..."

Certainly there's no "default" race anymore. However, I still tend to think of the viewpoint character's race as the "default." If the main character is white, and someone else isn't, it feels perfectly natural to mention the character as black. Similarly, if the main character is black or Asian or whatever, and the other character is white, it feels perfectly natural to refer to him as "that white guy..." etc.

[Makai_Lightning]

To be honest, if it matters what race he is, I'd just say "he's black."

Describing skin color is fine for description, but when it comes down to it, skin color doesn't always tell you race. My mom is very dark, darker than a lot of lighter-toned African Americans, but we're American Indians. And what about those other Indians from, well, India? They can get pretty dark, too. Skin color doesn't always tell you enough. If it's all that matters, it's fine.

But if you want to get across a character's race to the reader, I always prefer "she's this black girl..."

Certainly there's no "default" race anymore. However, I still tend to think of the viewpoint character's race as the "default." If the main character is white, and someone else isn't, it feels perfectly natural to mention the character as black. Similarly, if the main character is black or Asian or whatever, and the other character is white, it feels perfectly natural to refer to him as "that white guy..." etc.
Well, more important is the sort of people the viewpoint character surrounds themselves with. Someone who themselves is white, but hangs out with mostly hispanics, will notice another white person more in the crowd, even though they themselves are white. In that case, perhaps even more so because they are white.

Default is simply expectation, and expectation comes from the environment, not solely the self.

[ellisnation]

I think the risk of sounding racist comes from the reader, not the writer in most cases. Which means, no matter what you say, it could be taken the wrong way. When writers describe a black persons skin as being smooth, chocolatey, velvety, or like coffee - most white people will pass this by without a second thought. However, if your reader is black they may roll their eyes a little because it doesn't sound real. African American skin is just like caucasion skin. It might have acne, scars, the complexion could be very uneven, etc. The very dark stereo-type used in alot of books just doesn't ring true for most of us in the 30 and under crowd because we are used to a diverse pallette of shades in every race.

[IceCreamEmpress]

Similarly, if the main character is black or Asian or whatever, and the other character is white, it feels perfectly natural to refer to him as "that white guy..." etc.

Walter Mosley does this in the Easy Rawlins books, and it seems appropriate for the viewpoint character (a black man living in an almost entirely black neighborhood*)

*although Easy Rawlins would probably have described himself as "Negro" or "colored" in at least most of the books**, because the word "black" was generally out of favor as a self-identifier in the US in the first half of the 20th century. So that's something to think about for those of us who are writing historical fiction.

**I think Mosley finesses this by not having Rawlins discuss his self-identification, but I may be misremembering.

[Zelenka]

Walter Mosley does this in the Easy Rawlins books, and it seems appropriate for the viewpoint character (a black man living in an almost entirely black neighborhood*)

*although Easy Rawlins would probably have described himself as "Negro" or "colored" in at least most of the books**, because the word "black" was generally out of favor as a self-identifier in the US in the first half of the 20th century. So that's something to think about for those of us who are writing historical fiction.

**I think Mosley finesses this by not having Rawlins discuss his self-identification, but I may be misremembering.

This has been a fascinating discussion and it's a dilemma I've had a few times. Actually the historical aspect is the one I'm up against now and still haven't really decided on - my novel is set in 1880s London, so many of the things my characters would say, if I'm being accurate to the time, would not be considered PC nowadays. Haven't quite fathomed how to go about that one yet but thankfully I've a few chapters still to go before I get there.

[Ruv Draba]

Description should be memorable or it's not worth writing.

Description isn't memorable unless it evokes some emotion.

Choose consciously the emotion you want to evoke with your descriptions of characters and if you don't know then don't write it.

[Dichroic]

Maybe the question is, what is it you're trying to tell your reader? Appearance is one thing; some authors like long detailed descriptions while others prefer to let the reader do more imagining. Fine, either way. But do you need to say more than that? A charcter who has grown up black in an urban US city has likely faced some specific formative experiences (like being followed suspiciously around a store, or being stopped for 'driving while black') and they will have impacted who that person is. A person of identical appearace who grew up in, say, Ancient Rome where status was important but not necessarily tied to skin color will not have those influences.

It's not enough to give your character's mother light brown skin and green eyes; you have to thikn about how she fits in with the people around her and how that affects your characters. (Not trying to pick on you, xDemode. I'm thinking of a lab partner I once had whose mother fit that description - and so the people around her found her exotic and beautiful and my friend had to deal with having any boy she brought home fall in love with her mother.)

[IceCreamEmpress]

This has been a fascinating discussion and it's a dilemma I've had a few times. Actually the historical aspect is the one I'm up against now and still haven't really decided on - my novel is set in 1880s London, so many of the things my characters would say, if I'm being accurate to the time, would not be considered PC nowadays.

I am finishing a Big Civil War novel (US Civil War) right now, and am generally finessing this by having the characters self-identify their races and ethnicities whenever possible. I picked this idea up from Bruce Alexander's Sir John Fielding mysteries, and I recommend it where possible.

One of the challenges I'm facing is not making the "bad guys" say all kinds of racist stuff just to enhance their badness, because in reality most of the "good guys" would have used words we would find racist today as well.