Just Realized a Theme in a WIP...

Pearl

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I'm working on the sequel to my first book, which was a vampire story that had abusive relationships as the theme. The way it goes is a young woman is basically forced to become a vampire by her abusive vampire boyfriend. And the story ends with her becoming a vampire.

Now I'm working on the follow-up, and I'm about halfway through when I noticed an unsettling theme going on: slavery. I was conscious of existence, but after writing a major scene recently, I realized that slavery is a big part of this vampire world. Their leaders engage in human trafficking so they could feed off of humans, one of the vampires was a slave in Haiti before being changed. And I just wrote about a new vampire who is a Nigerian immigrant from Canada who laments about being a sex slave to his maker. The MC, who is white, could be seen as a sex slave herself based on the sex scenes in the book. I mean, the reader could look back and think that way; she's being coerced.

Am I being racially insensitive to the issue of slavery? The reason why I chose to have that vampire be a Nigerian-Canadian is because I felt there weren't enough nonwhites in the story, and also he's a gay character from a conservative culture, and that's what lured him to the vampire world (my vampires are sexually fluid). I could've made him from Russia, but again, I wanted more diversity among the characters.

Should I switch the characters, like the one from Haiti and use a different character? Am I being insensitive? I didn't intend to have this as a theme. I just wrote that scene and it was like a lightbulb went on.
 

Snitchcat

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The reason why I chose to have that vampire be a Nigerian-Canadian is because I felt there weren't enough nonwhites in the story, and also he's a gay character from a conservative culture <snip> I could've made him from Russia, but again, I wanted more diversity among the characters.

Same question I usually ask everyone who has a similar query: Is the diversity what the story needed, or what the author wanted?
 

Pearl

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I guess both. I think the story could've done without this particular character being Nigerian-Canadian. But at the same time, I needed someone from a conservative culture struggling with a gay identity (The reason why he is gay is because he's a good vampire, and I've read articles mentioning how gay vampires usually are evil, as if being gay is wrong. Plus, it rules out any romance/rescuing for the female MC).

I could've made it someone from a conservative American family. But I felt compelled to talk about other cultures. Sometimes I think having diversity in a story allows education about other cultures, such as something simple like a name, opens the door to the idea that other cultures exist besides American. I also feel that is definitely needed now these days.
 

Snitchcat

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Hmm... that's quite the situation. This is heading into territory I'm not comfortable providing an opinion on.

Perhaps ask if you want to tell a story, or if you want to "educate"? Can you ask any PoC friends?
 

Odile_Blud

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I'm a black woman. It doesn't bother me at all. I wouldn't call it racially insensitive either. It actually sounds like you could have a very interesting story, and I wouldn't discourage you from writing it or doing it the way you originally had planned.

Slavery is an actual issue that still exists today, and I think it is healthy to address it. I assume you are not glamorizing slavery, so I don't see any reason why it would be offensive.

Just my two cents.
 
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