White writers who write about characters who are non-white are accused of cultural appropriation. Which in all seriousness is why I hated the Alex Cross novels by James Patterson from the very first one. So which way is it? Do we commit cultural appropriation or do we stick to "what we know" and get accused of being exclusionary?
I wondered if Patterson was black, after reading Along Came A Spider, because of Cross' grandmother or mother's racist preconceptions of his white girlfriend, which were then validated by the narrative.
Regarding the cultural appropriation issue, it makes me wonder why people even bother. If you can't write flaws into a character "of color" or non-straight characters, or female characters, how are you supposed to write?
"Sometimes unhinged, sometimes unfair, always entertaining"
- The Crownless
“Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.” GK Chesteron
Deus Vult!
