Is There a Culture of Genre

Yesterday I was attending one of my critique groups where I presented a science fiction (sci-fi) piece and another member read her romance and still another read from her historical saga. What is interesting to me is that each genre has specific requirements. It is understandable that the historical piece must be grounded in a particular time-frame. The year is likely mentioned or the plot revolves around a known event. For romance time period is not so important and the setting is not dependent upon when. It seems that the what and with whom are more necessary. For science fiction it is most likely assumed that the plot takes place in the future, and unless earth is mentioned, the expectation is that it takes place on a different world.

The reason I bring this up is that the historical writer is not as familiar with science fiction and was concerned that my piece did not delineate a specific year. At first I thought I had left out a vital piece, but after careful consideration and research I realized that it was not necessary. In sci-fi, it is the world-building that helps the reader with time.

For the members of the group that are more familiar with sci-fi it wasn't a problem. Which brings me to the place of norms and dictates. Each genre has requisite themes, settings, or action for a piece to be listed under that heading. And, each genre has its own language that is most easily understood by those who frequent it. Does that qualify as a culture? I wonder.

The Importance of Truth

How important is the truth? It's extremely important. I could make excuses for not having blogged in a while, but I think the truth is best, no matter how it makes me look.

Okay, here's the truth. I've been busy working on a short story. It's been a bear keeping the story tight, concise, and flowing. I've been so buried in that and rewriting other works that I haven't taken the time to blog. I know, I know...bad blogger, bad blogger. I considered putting myself in time out, but that would just keep me away longer.


Several people I know are gearing up for Nano. How can I write fifty thousand words when I'm trying to get these five thousand words to work and flow? Who would have thought it would be this hard. Well, actally I did. I went into this thinking that it would make my writing tighter, and it is. But figuring out changing scenes with a smooth transition and very few words has got me stumped.

So if anyone has an idea or suggestion, I would gladly hear it.

Beauty

I'm sitting in front of my computer trying to decide what to write about. I've been stuck for the past few days and am now so late with my post that I needed to do something. So today I am telling you that I don't know what to tell you except what is on my mind.

This world is made up of so many beautiful people. How do I define beauty? I don't think I can. Like the editors, I know it when I see it. Sometimes it comes in the form of someone's actions, something as simple as a gift of chocolate or as great as a life-saving event. Other times it comes in the form of their words, words that encourage someone in the pit of disappointment or helping another to find direction in their life.

I guess beauty is also made up of people's hopes and dreams. Sometimes it is defined by ethnic influence or cultural constraints.

What I would like to ask is how you define beauty. Tell me what you find beautiful. The two greatest forms of beauty will be rewarded with, drumroll please.....SEE'S CHOCOLATE. My personal favorite. So let me hear from you. You've got seven days to share your form of beauty with me. Ready, set, go!

Culture at Home

I was talking with my mother the other day and made a reference to my being southern. She asked me how could I be southern when I wasn't born anywhere near the south and hadn't grown up there? Culture isn't so much the place you've grown up in, but more the environment.

I'm talking about the atmosphere my parents created in our home. Both of my parents are from the south and everything in our home reflected that. From the way they raised us to the food we ate down to the expectations they had for us.

All of my life I heard things that would make no sense to a child from another culture. Sometimes what they said didn't make sense to us either. Like the time I was in the backyard bouncing the ball off of the side of the garage. This was a problem because there was a huge window with lots of glass.

My father yelled (hollered) out the back door, "Stephanie, quit chunkin' that ball upside that wall." Now I grew up with the man and I was about nine at the time, but I had no idea what he was talking about. My only acceptable response was, "Yes, Sir." And because I had no idea what he was talking about, I promptly went back to what I was doing.

You've got to know that it wasn't that long before he was back at the door hollering, "I said, quit chunkin' that ball." To which I responded, "Yes, Sir." But I still didn't know what he meant and kept throwing the ball against the wall.

Then I hear the backdoor open and my older sister comes running out screaming at me in a stage whisper, "Are you crazy? You're going to get it if you don't stop. Daddy's talking about coming out here." Okay, I'm a little slow because I still was clueless. I guess the look on my face said it all because she said, "You know he's talking about throwing that ball. You'd better stop it."

Of course I stopped it even though I was still not clear what chunkin' was, but I knew if my father had come out there I was getting a wuppin' for  sure. That's spanking for those who aren't familiar with that word.

So you ask, what has this got to do with writing? I'm sure everyone has something from their history that is culture specific, make sure your characters share it with your readers.

Life is Good and People are Great

This weekend I attended a writing retreat sponsored by SCBWI-LA. It was awesome. I learned so much thanks to Martha Mahalik,  Associate Editor of Greenwillow Books and Arthur A. Levine, Vice President at Scholastic, Inc.

These two awesome editors were kind enough to facilitate critique groups. Yeah, I know, what an incredible opportunity. Their help and direction were priceless and their manner was most gracious. I was also impressed by the manner in which they treated the works that contained cultural repesentation other than their own.

Their comments were respectful and encouraging. It gives me such hope and joy knowing that there are editors willing to stretch themselves and reach beyond the boundaries of their own culture.

This weekend gave me two things; opportunities to improve my work and encouragement that the world has room for everyone.

What a great weekend!

Strong Women Make for Strong Characters

Last night I was thinking about being of color and what it means to me. I felt a smile spread across my face and wonderful memories flooded my mind. Growing up Black and female is an awesome thing. I am taught I can do anything I set my mind to and work hard at. So I was strongly encouraged educationally and not just that, but I was encouraged in living life. A life of purose. A life of courrage. A life of strength.

What does this have to do with writing? Everything! It helps me work through the crazy process of attempting publication. I am encouraged by friends and family and told that I will make it as long as I keep at it. I have a whole cheering section all my own. When I'm knocked down by a rejection, my community and family are right there reminding me that I can do it. My husband's mother has always said, Nothing beats a failure but a try. That is absolutely the truth.

I have an unquenchable desire to write stories that captivate. Stories that encourage. Stories that change lives. Everyday my writing improves and grows.

The strength of my culture helps me to write strong characters. Characters with depth. Characters with drive. Characters with voice. (yes, the ever elusive, but necessary, quality).

In the immortal words of Worf, with a slight spin, of course. Today is a good day to be Black!

The Brighter Side of Culture

Now that I've gone on and on about the negative and difficult things about being a writer not of the majority culture, I'm ready to tell you the good stuff. One of best things is that I have a wealth of emotions to pull from, mine and others. It helps me to create realistic characters and their reactions.

Someone recently asked me to consider writing about the more difficult things I've experienced, but I'd rather focus of the funny things; like statements having different meanings in different cultures. Someone once said in a group, "That dog is not gonna run." Because I'm of southern extraction I knew what he meant and laughed out loud. Everyone else in the group just stared. I would have thought the context made it clear. I guess not. It took a while to explain. Honestly, their response was funnier than his comment. I think there's a book in there somewhere. If not, there's definitely fun stuff to blog about.

Life can be a living comedy when I choose to see the lighter side. Sometimes it's not so easy to do, but I keep working at it. So today my question is, what double meanings have you run into?

Memoirs and Me

I've been away for a while. Then I went to the SCBWI Summer Conference, all resulting in the neglect of this blog. There is no excuse except that preparing for retirement and then attending the conference distracted me. At the conference I was getting so much information and attending so many breakout sessions that I am exhausted. I've been home for two days and I'm still exhausted. I experienced something very interesting; at least to me.

I had the pleasure of having an editor of a large and growing house critique my work. During that conversation we talked about my experiences as a teen growing up in a world where my dark skin brought varying responses from those around me. She suggested that this would be great written as a memoir. I've been thinking about what she said and trying to determine if I have anything of interest to say.

While this could be an interesting endeavor, I have concerns about what might get tapped into. There are feelings that lie unresolved because there is no resolution. And how do I express these without awakening the rage that sleeps within? How do I create a work of this nature without overwhelming the reader with that rage?

Maybe that would be the thing she's looking for, an emotional piece that a teen could identify with and be absorbed by. As a psychologist I am aware that for the reader walking though a piece like this would beneficial. I am also aware that writing a piece like this might dispell some of my own demons, or maybe not. Unfortunately it is very possible that the rage awakened, without the possiblity of resolution, could remain awake and become destructive, not just to me, but to those around me.

I have worked so hard to understand what the world has and doesn't have for me without uselessly pointing fingers or placing blame. I have worked to maintain as much balance in my life a possible. I fear this balance could be destroyed. Even writing this much saddens me.

My desire is that my writing would leave the world a little better for my grandchildren, giving them a positive place to see themselves in literature. Will writing this piece aid in this? I don't know. And before I attempt something like this I really need some answers.

I am open to suggestions.

Making a Decision

I've been thinking about writing and who I am and I've made a decision. I started this blog because of an ongoing internal argument. How do I see myself as a writer? With what do I identify? Then a short time ago I read posts from the blogs of  Editorial Anonymous and Justine Larbalestier which gave rise to even greater struggle. It affirmed what I already believed.

My thought process went something like this. If I identify myself as a writer of color does that mean I only write for that group? That is not my intention. When I write, I envision every group enjoying my stories.

Will others think I only write for a particular group? I hope not. I would like to think the world is beyond that, but I fear it is not; as evidenced by some of the comments on the afore mentioned blogs.

Am I pigeonholing myself? That is a risk I will have to take, particularly if I would like more representation of my community in literature.

So here is my decision. I am a writer of color whose protagonists represent the community to which I belong. To further clarify, my intention is not only to represent those that look like me, but to place these characters in a world where others are also represented. Not so much like a melting pot, but more like a stew. Who ever heard of or enjoyed a stew with only one ingredient. That would be exceptionally bland and it wouldn't be considered stew.

I would like my grandchildren to be able to see themselves clearly in literature as strong characters, but also understand that strength includes participating in the world around them. This then precludes writing to the exclusion of characters of different communities or groups.

My desire is to be read far and wide. So that means more time spent on writing and improving my craft. Making sure that my writing transports the readers to the story setting, involving them personally in the plotlines. I will get there if I continue to work at it. I will succeed!

Here We Go Again

In a blog I follow, Editorial Anonymous, the post for today commented on the odd cover Bloomsbury selected for a book for one of its authors. The problem is this. The protagonist in the book, Liar, is clearly described as an African American and the cover that was selected depicted a person that was NOT. Needless to say I had to comment.

There can be no mistaking the position that Editorial Anonymous is taking and I applaud him/her. While the choice of cover this house has made is quite an affront to me and those like me, it is refreshing to see that it offends more than people of color. One must ask, should an author of color create characters that represent themselves or are they better off (with respect to getting published) creating characters that represent the majority group? And, if things are to change, who are the ones responsible for that change?

I have always believed that if I want something to be different then I must do that something differently. Yet in doing this am I shooting myself in the foot with regards to my career as a writer? The risk is a large one, regardless of the beliefs of those around me.

In the blog by the author of Liar, Justine Larbalestier, she addresses this topic. What she says is that when authors of color write with characters that represent themselves (whether African American, Asian American, or Hispanic), many publishers respond: we already have 'a' book like that. Larbalestier says this is the reason her characters are always people of color, because of the paucity of representation in the publishing community. Further, when someone of the majority group writes with characters of color they are seen as enlightened and publishers almost rush to get it out there. Is that crazy or what?

There are those of you that would argue that these views are only the opinion of a prescious few. Well, here's the good news. When I read the comments on both of these blogs, the majority of responses were supportive of creating characters of color and offended by the American cover of Liar (the Australian publishers have a different cover). Not surprisingly there were those that believed the argument to be specious, using arguments such as business is busines or argued that this has nothing to do with racial issues. I guess it takes all kinds to make a world.

I would love to hear what you have to say on the subject, even if you disagree with me. But first I invite you to read the original posts.

Editoral Anonymous
 http://www.editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/

Justine Larbalestier
www.justinelarbalestier.com/blog/

Culture and Me

Right now I'm wondering if I have anything of importance to share. It occurs to me that when I write I often censure myself and attempt to scub out things that might be culture specific. Why? I'm not really sure.

I know that some of my concern is that people are often lazy. I wonder what will happen if something in my writing causes the reader to sort through the meaning of what a character says. Will it motivate them to keep reading or will the bump be are reason to put the book down.

Here's the rub. If I don't take the risk, then the world at large will never be exposed to my culture. Lack of exposure creates more of what already is. If I throw caution to the wind and lace these things throughout the piece, will it be overload and put the reader off. Trying to find the right balance between the spice of difference and overwhelming suffocation can be difficult to discern. Writing and the reader's connection with the piece is so subjective.

My decision is to work for that balance. If I want to be represented in the world of literature, then it is my responsibility to make it a priority and be willing to take certain risks. That's a little scary since I'm a new writer trying to break into the industry.

There are those that would argue that I should go with the flow until I get published then make the change. That feels a bit deceitful to me on so many levels. Just thinking about it brings up feelings that I'm not writing with my true voice and changing that midstream would be offensive.

I think genuineness is important and produces longevity in the market. I know how I feel when I pick up a book from a particular author expecting a certain type of read and am sorely disapponted when that is not there.

So, like the song says, "I've gotta be me."
...oops, I've dated myself again.

The Culture of Age

I've been thinking about all of the different ways culture affects our lives. I thought about the differences between generations and what that looks like. It brings me to a place which requires that I hold to a looser concept of culture.

Having crossed over the Mason-Dixon line of age changes how I see the world and everyone in it. And yes, I'm aware that the concept of Mason-Dixon could date me, but it's also possible that I'm just a really good student of American history. In either case, it's obvious that I'm no spring chicken.

Using these expressions belong to a particular time period and those who are cohorts of this era constitute another culture. Then there's the culture of the electronic age and technology. You know, the whole web-Facebook-My Space-Text-Twitter thing. It appears that those who indulge in these practices routinely have created yet another culture. It's one whose boundaries are much more fluid than the typical. All it requires is knowledge of technology. My participation is proof that the required knowledge is very minimal.

Writing any contemporary piece must incorporate at least one of these social networks if not all of them. I can't imagine anyone who has not at least heard of one of them, regardless of age.

How about a quick count. Is there anyone out there over the age of thirty who hasn't heard of one of either of these: email, website, blog, My Space, Facebook, texting, Twitter? I would love to hear about it. Drop me a comment.

Gender and Culture

Each culture has different rules and roles regarding male and female. Many cultures are male dominant, but it is important to know which cultures are not.

In research for an historical novel I found that particular culture was neither male nor female dominated. Both were expected to share leadership and neither was assigned to a particular role. How cool is that! It caused me to think about the cultures that are a part of my everyday life. I thought about the people I know from groups different than my own and how things work in their worlds.

The importance of this to a writer is huge. Imagine writing a story that is set in a distant land and the author of that story assumes that the roles in their own culture are global. Let's suppose the story has the male as the leader/family head and the writer attributes to him decision making power. But in the culture that is being portrayed the opposite is true. Suppose again, this error in the manuscript makes it past the agent and the editor and neither having caught the problem, the ms gets published.

Credibility of the author is destroyed and that of the agent's and publisher's is at risk. The trust of the reading audience has been lost and may never be able to be recaptured; all because of an assumption.

Even when you believe you are correct in the assignation of gender roles, check to be sure. Things are never as simple as they seem. An example is in western culture, specifically the United States. The male is assumed to be dominant and is designated family head/leader. Have you ever noticed that on Mother's Day there are more cards bought and sent than on Father's Day.

More and more families are becoming duel income households, partly due to economics or duel careers, the latter gaining more popularity. We are also experiencing more single parent homes, head by male or female. These examples do nothing to change the designation, yet they add a small twist to the thought of gender value that could have great ramifications on a story.

Bottom line, always do you research.

Here's a new question. How do you represent yourself, your culture, in your writing when you're different than the majority culture? How do you create the bridge from your culture to others? I guess that's really two questions.

As an author of color I often find myself in a difficult place. Do I write to my community or do I write more globally? My desire is to do both in each and every piece. But the real difficulty for me is when I write something that is culture specific making sure I put it in a context that is readily understandable by all. What is most problematic is when things don't easily translate or their is no readily identifiable similarity.

When I write science fiction it is so much easier because there I am creating worlds, and not just worlds, but cultures within those worlds. When people read science fiction they expect to have to learn as they go along. I have to admit that's half the fun, whether reading sci-fi or writing it. However, I find that when I'm writing contemporary fiction people aren't so fluid in the willingness or ability to learn as they read.

The challenge then is to make my characters so compelling that the reader experiences emotion in that context. To do this what needs to happen is the same thing that I do for science fiction. Build an emotional bridge for the reader by creating an intermediate world with anchors in both cultures. Not an easy thing to do for contemporary fiction. But if doing that was easy everyone would be published.

The answer then, lies in finding metacultural anchors. The greatest metacultural anchor is emotion. And the trick is building up the scene around it so that no matter what language you use the emotion explains it all.

I'd love to hear what you think.

I talk about researching cultures to write authentic characters. Then it occurred to me that it is possible that someone might not know how to get started, particularly for cultures that are quite different from their own. Or you don't know anyone from that background. Here are my suggestions.

Start by asking yourself questions about how someone would get to know you or your family. How would you describe the area in which you live? What are the things that people assume about your background that irritate you? What stereotypes do you battle?

Then head for Google to get information about the country and read about the customs. See what you can glean from their mode of dress, celebrations, economics, and class system, if they have one. If they have a class system, can someone move from one level to another, why or why not?

From there take a good look at their news media. You can't believe what details you can get. Do not dismiss the minutia, that's what is going to give you the true flavor of what you're after. You want to see what you can pick up about the crimes that are reported and the emotional reaction to them, career offerings and how one achieves them in that area, the things they deem important enough to report, and what is popular right now.

Contacting a travel agency will lead you to a goldmine of information. Ask for brochures of that area and the best times for travel and why. These will offer you current pictures and common dress. It will also give you an idea of the weather and climate. Ask about entertainment and if there are any cautions for travel there.

And don't forget to look into their history; particularly if there have been civil wars or border disputes. A fount of information can be found about religions, political positions, and taboos. This will also give you insight into why certain customs and laws were formed.

And finally, try to find an elder of that community and interview them about their childhood and how things are different today. I haven't met a senior yet who isn't ready for long conversation about the good old days.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Once you begin your journey, you will begin to build your own list of questions. Make sure you keep a record of all interesting tidbits. They may not be useful for your current project, but you never know what you'll be writing next. You'll be surprised at what you can learn about yourself while you're learning about others. Enjoy the journey.

Today when I was wondering what I would write about it occurred to me that I am writing to a particular culture. One which I am in constant research of, young adults. This can be a fairly difficult culture to understand.

On the surface it would appear not to be a problem, especially since I had once been there. But it's been a while and things have changed quite a bit. Yet there are similarities. When I was that young, I can remember thinking that I was in two places at once. Being on top of the world with all of life's promise ahead of me and living in the pit of despair, never knowing if I was okay. Did I wear the right clothes, have the right boyfriend (or a boyfriend), did I use the right slang? In this way teens of today are the same as back then. But that is where the similarity ends.

Today's youth live in a different world than the one that existed for me. The pressures for them have a different flavor. And the expectations have changed. The language is constantly evolving as is the 'right thing' that gains one's acceptance. And there is always the possibility of being sanctioned against for having participated in one of the great taboos. These are the things that go into creating a culture.

So, if their culture is different than mine, how do I go about learning it? One of the greatest helps is in going to the source. Talking with teens every chance I get. Listening to what they are saying and listening for the things that they pointedly leave unsaid. Offering the respect and acceptance that I would want and honoring their hopes and dreams.

Where does writing come in and figuring out what they want to read? That one's easy. Everything. Just like in any other culture there is no one attribute that can be ascribed to everyone within that group apart from the similarity of age. Thinking about young people in any other way than acknowledging their individuality is slipping into stereotype and I guarantee it will mean a quick painful death of anything you write.

Then what do teens want to read? They want to read about kids just like them, kids different from them, kids with huge problems, and kids with everyday troubles. They want to read about adventures, those that lead them to different borders and those that lead them into their own backyards. They want to read about mystery, romance, fantasy, science fiction. In short, their desire for a good story is no different than our own. With one exception, if you, the author, trivialize their angst or cheapen their struggles, that book will die and so will your hopes of success in that genre.

The bottom line in writing YA is authenticity. Do your research and accept what you find. It will pay off.

What I love about the world is that there are so many different cultures. What a smorgasbord! There are the obvious ones that have to do with race and ethnicity. Then there are those cultures that are specific to families and regions. There are also cultures that are based on gender and sexuality, age, economic status, and profession. I would like to address professional culture with an emphasis on those who write.

There is a definite culture for those individuals who write and there is a subculture for those who write for children. We are a different animal all together. Those outside the writing arena believe that we who write for children do so because we lack the talent to write books for adults. It is as if writing for children is a representation of our intelligence, or the lack of. I had a fellow writer relate an encounter recently that exemplifies this viewpoint. When she told this person that she writes for children, their response was, 'Don't sell yourself short, you're a very bright person, with a little effort you could write for adults.' In the words of Bugs Bunny "What a maroon!" (yeah, I just dated myself)

Then there are those who think we write for children only because we have them and that's all that we can think about at the time. Yes, there are people who write for children that have children, but not all of us, and that is certainly not the reason. I can't speak for everyone who writes in this genre, but I can tell you why I choose it. I write for children because it is more challenging and offers a different kind of freedom.

The challenge is that I must think like those I am writing to, even though I left that age behind, and I won't tell you how long ago. I must come up with believable problems, difficulties, and conflicts. The dialogue must be fresh, but have a quality that is true for age and the time period in which the story takes place. And I must carefully build characters that can be identified with by either gender.

The freedom is that given all of the challenges, I get to write to the impossible and make it probable. I can express what many children wish they could say, but don't have the avenue or liberty. And, most importantly to me, I can create and encourage a respect for children everywhere.

Within the culture of those who write for children is an acceptance that is extended to all participants. Yes, we have particular customs, traditions (though these are very fluid), and social norms, but they are explained readily to any neophyte. Writing and getting published is a very competitive business. Yet, it is extremely rare that when one of us asks a question there aren't more than a few, if not hundreds of responses. There is, without a doubt, a brotherhood within this arena.

Sit with a group of us for very long and it will become quite evident. We speak a common language when talking about children's publishing. We have various unspoken expectations that are specific to children's literature. There is even a set of rules and mores that cannot be violated without careful thought and an understanding of the possible repercussions.

This brings up a question for me. Are the other genres similar in cultural uniqueness?

Thank you for your comments. They were not only interesting, but thought provoking as well. They make me think of all of the books I have read over the years (and believe me that's more than a lot!). Some with characters of color and some that included only characters of the majority culture. What stands out most in my mind is the quality of their writing.

The temptation is then to assume that if the writing is good, then nothing else matters. I don't think that is so. So then what does matter? Do I expect all books to include characters of color? Should books only be about things that address ethnic and racial differences and be a vehicle to social change? The answers to these questions are: quite a bit, no,no, and no.

Of course I can't let it just go at that, I have to tell you what I think. I'll try to be as brief as possible. Let me start with the first question, what really matters in writing.

A good storyline, good writing, and believable characters. That means if the author attempts to include characters of color then that author must be careful to do their research. Nothing irks me more than for any character to be presented in a stereotypical manner. Part of that ire is due to stereotypes being, for the most part, false, or at best a misunderstanding of a half-truth. What it tells me is that the author does not respect the culture that is being portrayed nor does that author respect the readers. In short, I wouldn't read much more of that book and I would be loathe to read anything else written by him or her.

I do not expect all books to include characters of color, however if the setting is metropolitan and the scenes revolve around more than four characters then the likelihood is that in real life someone of color would be involved. Unless of course the story happens to be about a bigoted individual that orchestrates his or her life to take place only around people like themselves. Even then I have to think the author would include someone of color if only to enhance the portrayal of the main character's prejudice. After all ever story needs some conflict (she says, tongue in cheek).

If every book had as its plot the workings of or even the changing of ethnic and racial differences, I have to tell you my reading would slow down considerably. As for using plot line as a vehicle to right social injustices, OMG! give me a break. A story should be just that, a story. It should come from the author's imagination, yet contain enough of a connection with reality to hold the reader's interest.

So I guess the bottom line is we should write what is real to us and at the same time be respectful of those cultures we represent in our writing.

Welcome all who enter here. I've always wanted to say that. I can't believe it's taken me this long to get up and running. And with that said I would like to start with my first topic.

Being a writer of color brings about different ways to think about story, who I am and what I represent. At first blush, one would say that being of color would have little to nothing to do with what and how I write.

Quite the contrary. I must think about my characters in a way that those of the majority culture can take for granted. An example is the description of beauty in most novels and literature. This applies to male and female alike.

Often the most attractive 'people' in these works of art are described as being blond with long, flowing hair, having eyes as blue as the sea, sky, pools of water, straight patrician noses, etc. When I think of beauty, this is not what readily comes to mind. I think of the many shades of brown, for skin, hair, and eyes. I think of curls, whether tight and springy or loose and dangling. And noses are never straight or upturned.

So when I write, should my characters emulate the popular depiction of what is considered beautiful or should they reflect the beauty in my world. And should I choose to represent the beauty from my world view am I relegating myself to a particular audience and genre.

These are questions that I struggle with every time I put pen to paper, or keystroke to laptop. My choice so far has been to represent characters that my grandchildren can identify with. By doing this am I limiting my audience? I don't think so. My plan is to become so good at my craft that whoever picks up one of my books is so taken with the story that they see themselves in it, no matter how I describe the characters.

I would welcome your thoughts on the subject. Let me hear from you.