Writing a book?

Question

Okay I have been planning to write a book on a biracial child. I actually started in around the fifth or sixth grade then i stopped because i did not have time and i did not think i could truly depict a biracial child. The book was not supposed to revolve around race, but i believed i would automatically have a biased or untrue perspective being that i am not biracial. I hope don't sound like an idiot. But can i just write a book about a biracial without having to do research or interviews. Biracial children are the same as other children. Everyone shares similiar experience but why do i have to do research?

Answer 1

No you can't. Biracial children are not the same as any other children. They face very definite obstacles and have many questions and problems. For instance, there are certain diseases common in one set of genes and not another. They feel confused. Some have the idea that people of other races don't like them. Some have had one parent leave and are being raised by a parent of one race when they would like to know about the other race as well.

How hard can it be to interview some biracial children? I have a team of consultants I use when I write my novels. I write murder mysteries so I have a lawyer, a cop, a fed, a munitions expert, a medical examiner, a doctor and several others. I ask questions when I need to know information. It helps me to write accurately and also to have insights into how people think. Their thought process is critical to me.

So sit down with some biracial kids and talk. You will find your experiences are very different from theirs. The research will help you to flesh out the characters and to make them come alive for you. Without it, all you will have is flat, two dimensional characters with no spark in them. And they may very well tell you experiences they have had that become subplots and backstories for your book.

Research is absolutely the way to go. And this research should be easy. I have two Amerasian nephews. Their experiences in life are very different from my white son's. If you want to write a good book, put in the time to give your readers an accurate portrayal of a biracial child. Don't cheat them by making it up. Pax - C

Answer 2

Definitely do some research, you might even want to read some of the autobiographies out there written by biracial people. The reason being, everyone has a different experience and yes, our race, economic status, religion, education level, are all things that greatly impact our view of the world. If you want to create a character that has lived a life different from the life YOU'VE led, than yes, do what you can to understand the lives of others and you'll have a better chance of having a realistic, sympathetic, chartacter. Remember the "all people are the same" thing only applies in terms of human rights, not when it comes to the way we think and live.

Answer 3

Yes we all have similarities. But, Have you ever been Mexican. I am Mexican and I can tell you that white folk that have little contact with Mexicans, Have very STUPID ideas of what we are. I was born here in the good ol' US of A. I love my country. I would not have it any other way. But I can't forget where my family comes from, because its part of me. That is something many whites don't understand about us. We are proud of our heritage. We know our heritage. We are Americans. But, that does not change the fact that we are of Mexican decent. That is why you will never understand. And because you don't understand, you can not possibly intelligently write about something that you have no experience in. Especially about a child of mixed races.

Answer 4

well every writer does research and you can think of it that way. learn different perspectives from your own. good luck