Creating Characters of a Race, Creed, Nationality or Color Other Than Your Own

Most novels include a large cast of characters. They often represent a variety of races, creeds, nationalities and colors. Professional authors usually possess the necessary technical writing and narrating skills, along with sufficient knowledge of the subject, to create diverse characters that are believable. Many amateur and novice writers often do not, but unfortunately attempt to do so anyway.

For a writer to create and adequately portray a character of a race, creed nationality and/or color other than their own, he/she must first perform adequate research. There are books and periodicals that describe in great detail specific cultures, religions, histories, languages and traditions of every conceivable origin. Most people's social circle includes a diverse group of individuals - Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, Latino, Oriental, Native American, etc.

If skilled authors expend the necessary time and effort to access the abundant material available and engage in intelligent conversations and interviews with relatives, friends and acquaintances representative of the particular aspects in question, they will create characters that are believable, accurately portrayed and interesting. If they don't, they won't.