Anything Goes : How to Wirte Believable (BLACK) Characters OR-and - African American Characters "(?)" by Durand Saint-Hilaire

Who criticises thus? If you have something in which a black character, a Jew, an aboriginal Australian, a Chinaman, an Inuit or whatever fits, then write the part. For goodness sake, you could say there aren't enough white people in the Chris Rock show, or that all the Kenyan athletes are black and that's racism, that is... I've yet to see a white person in "the Lion King". It's hardly something to scream from the rafters. If I was writing a piece about Harlem, or Motown, or Africa, then most of the actors would probably be black. That's not racism, that's just the way the world is. And whilst there is discrimination in the world, seeing it where there is none is not good either. But then if you're writing a part for a blackamoor, what's the difference, essentially, between his part and anyone else's? Unless you're writing about chips on shoulders, that is...

I think they feel left out a little, since I did two big series in Central Florida...

Listen... some will feel left out if you include just one white actor in a whole cast of black actors, and that with a minor part! I am, obviously, sympathetic with those who have faced injustice and so on - but it's not just blacks. Hispanics, Jews, Arabs and yes, white people all face persecution - and you can't say black people's hands have been entirely blameless of that. If we are going to have racial harmony, we should see people as people. The only dividing line should be cultural - will an asian necessarily understand a white culture, will a white person necessarily understand Jewish culture, will a Jew necessarily understand a black person's culture, will a black person necessarily understand a Hispanic's culture? You aren't a black person, you have never lived (at least, I don't believe) as a black person, experienced their joys, their pains, their roots; black people will never understand white people's culture either - because they don't have that heritage imbued in their soul. That's not racist, it's the way of the world. If you want to write parts for black people which are believable, then you need to employ a consultant editor who is black. Otherwise you could be accused of being patronising.

I understand completely what you are saying, and I agree - I guess the point I was trying to make - There's a huge different with African American (LIVING in America) - and Black People from else where... I myself is black, now living in America - And I do believe my characters are believable, not to African American black... Again like you said, its all by the different experience. - Thanks for the insights.

I always try to be color blind when writing and casting, and ask myself can this character be played by any race? usually the answer is yes... not always, but usually.

This question always causes a war of debate when asked. My answer is that it is not up to you. You may write a script with black characters and the casting director hires white ones instead. The problem is stereo types. Not all black people talk using slang, come from the ghetto and kill people. I was told that minorities fill a certain role and that is it. Anything different and audiences won't like it. Not true at all. The other problem is demographic and the history of the minority you are writing about. Everything is separate. It's a chick flick or a black movie or a terrorist movie with Arab actors. It's not fair and it's not right, but until that ignorance leaves the minds of the powers that be, nothing will change. You as a writer have the power to create any kind of character you want. Just write them into your script and keep doing it. Eventually they will get the message. Just avoid stereo types.

Loralie color blind always a good way to go - Thanks love; - and Kristen you are so right ... Casting Directors, got to love them! - Thank you! Starting tomorrow - Creating a new series - and it will be a good one!

And, perhaps...sometimes it's better not to "write" characters but to let the characters write you..!

Here in South Africa we have blacks and what is called 'coconuts' - a nickname given to black people (by black people) who are 'Westernized' and choose to be that way. I've read screenplays by white writers (am a writer myself) and they get the black dialogue wrong sometimes. I've suggested to them to write the characters but then go to a black writer to correct the lingo. And since not all blacks are the same, you need to find a writer who has life experience in what you're writing about. Do you read your screenplays out loud when you're done? I know how difficult it is to write in someone else's voice. I struggle with it too. That's why I like using screenplay editors to help me. They don't need to worry about the writing, they look at the final product and can see clearly where it needs to be adjusted. In my novels it's strangely different. There the characters write themselves through me. I don't know why or how.... Maybe because you can describe your character in the book for the reader and in thus doing the character comes to life in your subconscious. Another reason why I like writing full character sheets before I begin the screenplay. That way I can look up their quirks, fears or funny habits when I'm not sure I'm getting it right. You can base your character sheet on actual people you know and just change their names too.

Thank You Yolanda, great points - I am writing a new web-series, my first all black cast... I am very exciting about it - The goal is to start small and see where it goes... - and staying away from the stereotype and the cliche...

Yes but colourblind isn't always believable. Look at it this way: if you're black, even if you're Black American, you have a certain ancestry. That feeds into what you do - it may be that a person tries to eradicate it but it's still there because it's the way you've been brought up, the stories you learnt on your mother's knee (which I've always thought is a funny place to write them, but still), your mythology. Now you, as a writer, may or may not know that mythology, upbringing etc., but if you don't it's going to be nearly impossible for you to fake it convincingly. Sure, you can research it - research 'til you're blue in the face - but even then you won't understand it because you haven't lived it.

@Andrew, I understand what you're saying and if the characters in the story have cultural backgrounds that need to be considered, well then yes. I'll give you an example of what I'm talking about. I just produced Venus and Adonis by Shakespeare. A story based on Greek Mythology (white) penned by an English author (white) but when it comes right down to it, the race of the actors playing Venus or Adonis really doesn't matter. I cast white actors, because I cast my family and I'm white, but these two characters could have been believably played by actors of any race, in fact it may have been more interesting. A black Venus~ amazing! a black Adonis? Awesome! Because the cultural identity of the characters has nothing to do with the story line. In the comedy I just wrote, also true and race will in no way effect my decision when casting.

I agree with Andrew. Personally my stories come from my own experiences. I feel let black people write screenplays about blacks (or at least co-write), homosexuals about their lives, etc. because if we haven't experienced it, then chances are good that the character will be two dimensional/like a cardboard cut-out. That's why I also didn't say 'research' for dialogue. Best is to get someone in who is close to what the character is like and let them correct it for you. I'm glad if my points help. Good luck in your endeavor! I believe rules are there as guidelines. Take what you can use from our tips and file the rest :) Enjoy your adventure and the journey! It will be tough but I'm sure soon you'll be giving us advice ;)

Loralie is on the dot. It depends on how deep culture is part of the story. There has just been a movie released in SA that was a huge hit, called "Otelo Burning." The name shows already that it's roughly based on Shakespeare's play. But if you don't know the story, the movie is still believable. In this case, the Producer and Director involved a lot of people from the townships who experienced and lived in the era of the characters and had them tell their stories. The movie was based on the collection of those stories combined with the storyline of Othello and the real life of a black surfer. Complicated but deep.

@Andrew & Yolanda - This is awesome... Yes experience is and should be the key - I have no problem writing about homosexuals, friendship, - relationship etc-era. - Black with Major French influence, French speaking - and Growing up, my major issues were school and food to eat - and all that change in America, you know... I'll be over one group of friends - where everything is proper, with strong roots everyone would get together on a Sunday, and have a blast after church - and the next you'll be hanging out with someone else - where its all about "da N" "-" - slang all around - catch up - every other 20 words - And yet, when portray in a film it always look at as Stereotype and Cliche but its there! -

Here is my take on the subject - and before I go any further, let me state, that I see a range Pantone shaded of one single color, from very bright to very dark, with all sorts of tints and contrasts. And I think society is like that too. The differences are theoretically minuscule, but weigh more, if there is nothing to compare. So black ghetto culture is stronger in south central LA then it would be in a quite small town some hundred miles away from a city like LA, where the culture us more based on the countryside kind of things. It is also a question of generations. In a modern day west coast college, the level of racism will be much lower, than in some west coast high rate country club. Times are, luckily, changing. So I tend to write without regard of skin or origin and let my character be who he is. If there are cultural implications, there are two ways I might go and often I use both: 1. Clichés! They are there for a reason and they are a writers best friend, because they are a good quick framework. Especially if it is a more humorous story. And there is nothing particular racist about it. Black movie makers use clichés constantly - watch Spike Lee or Tyler Perry. But if you do, do it fair and use them for all the characters, no matter what origin. If it is for a drama, you can start with clichés and write them out, as you develop your characters more and more. Which brings us to: 2. Research. Depending on what you want to write about, this could mean getting into the ghetto, talk to people, get to understand their lives. Or finding a collaborator to add the level of realism you need with their personal perspective. Being a writer means to me, to be able to enter the perspective of other people. To be able to write stories of others, you need to be those others. Or you do what many other writers do, you just write about the stuff you know and if you need a black character as a friend in your script, find one for yourself first. Last but not least, you could try to enable black people to write those stories, help them being heard for real, from the inside. Altruism is always a good choice anyway.

A-ha! Now I understand where you're coming from Durand! Haha! It sounds like you just need to get to the right Director or Producer... Or go through an actor to get it to the right guys. Someone who knows that what you're writing is truth. Could it be that the market is saturated over there? "We've seen it all" kind of thing? Here in SA we're finally starting to move away from depressing, real-life drama and looking to entertain our audiences :)

Thanks Guys - Lots of great point... Now I can get the ball rolling - and make another great series like Table of Choices and La Fleur de Mai. BTW if anyone interesting you can check out Facebook.com/lafleurdemai and ww.presagenetworks.com - Thanks GUYS!!!

Yay Durand!

I;m avail if your looking or casting for Actors

Def. Keeda, will keep you in mind...

@Loralie - be really , it will be good!

this is interesting. in my opinion, characters are just characters. no matter the race or ethnicity. like someone mentioned previously, let the characters write you. if you push too hard trying to get a character ethnically and/or culturally correct, you may risk authenticity and the character may become too cliche. just my opinion. btw....gr8 discussion. interesting viewpoints.

I find that idiosyncrasies between cultures, races and even regions help give depth to characters that would otherwise be bland. If Southerners didn't have that twang in their voice, or a Canadian is missing that famous "Eh", what would these people be? An educated person of color may have the same tone as the person he grew up with next door that never went on to higher education. Raised in the same neighborhood, but their perspectives would be vastly different now.

As someone before me wrote, when someone speaks about "Black" or "African American" characters, they're probably speaking of cliche`s. What exactly does someone think is the difference between the two? I'm Black but also answer to African American which I think people use to be politically correct. Write the story and leave the race/culture to the casting director. Main reason I say that is there is no particular manner in which ALL people of any race speak. When people speak to me on the phone they swear I'm White. LOL

I have not read all the comments so if I repeat someone I am sorry. :) BUT you seem to be over-thinking things just a little bit. For someone to mention you might not write enough parts for any ethnicity seems less like true criticism and more like button pushing. In getting into the minds of other people, no matter what their ethnicity, they are people and they will act like people. Write a part for a person, an emotional being, with feelings and desires, wants and regrets. If you focus on race, the character you are trying to write will not seem human but a collection of things that you think should fit that race. It might help to build a character and a history for the character before you write the actual script. Take all this with a grain of salt because I'm not a writer, just a person :)

Hi Durant, I wanted to chime in on this thread to help you understand that there is no difference between black and African American. I have to agree with both Melvin Johnson and James Holzichter. There is no distinguishing characters between being black and African American and you seem to be overthinking the thing a bit. Rappers and thugs are not considered 'black' and 'The Cosby's' African American. Ignorance vs Intelligence. As James mentioned, just write characters and find the best actor to play the role. Now, if the story is a black story, then it would be wise to do the homework and research authenticity of the story and hire a consultant familiar with the story you are searching for. If you don't care, then just do it, but expect criticism from some people. If you're looking for a black stereotype then you will get some conflict. The only way to write about a black character is to know the people you write about or find someone who is more familiar than yourself...

I think the problem is trying to lump any experience as that of only a certain race. ALL blacks do not act the same or like the same things as I am sure you would agree ALL whites do not share the of same interests or mannerisms either. When you are writing any project you are unfamiliar with, it would make sense to do your research and consult with someone who knows about the topic. I do not agree that you only need to stick to what you know because beautiful characters have been created by writers who were from a different race than the character in their story.

hi all, ive read each one of your comments and each had interesting views on how to write characters for "black" people or African Americans. and what im going to state could you please take it as constructive critism, tje first I would like to explain why i placed the inverted commas when saying black...the reason is that I'm "black" but im not as my ethnicicity is actually being coloured, my neighbours ethnicity is also not "black" as she is Xhosa. you see i will agree with the others when they say that when you use the umbrella body word "black" you are falling victim to stereotypes and all other cliches put before you long time ago by how we think this certain group acts, and we know from the past from what each country carries it's dangerous to place judgement. because my culture differs from other "black" people such as Zulus, Xhosas, Shonas(zimbabwe), Vendas, Indians etc. @ Yolanda, i would like to disagree on what you said in which you stated that black people should write about black people, the thing is im "Black" and just because of that i cant write about other black people. - I'm Coloured as I stated above, im born and was raised in KwaZulu- Natal, i can't write a script on Coloureds in the Cape Flats just because I am one, I will have the most bias view to date, as I dont know their story and their struggles. Though if you are Coloured/ White/ "Black" and you have come across the Cape Flats many times even if you are from that neighbourhood, it don't mean you can still write about it, the only thing you'll have is Stereotypes and bias views. One has to do research before writing anything or doing anything e.g. Dance. Research would have to include you going out to the field of research and actively invovling yourself in it as well as literature to get an understanding of how their system works. So even if im from the same ethical group as them i dont have enough to write about what they go through each and everyday, its about experiencing their culture first hand. @ Exla Bennett I fully support you when you say that research is vital, but the illustration you used of same tone, i tend to disagree with that one, in a neighbourhood that i once visited for research purposes for a script I had to write for my stage production im working on at the end of the dayits not about them having the same tone its more about their upbringing because Ican come from a well off family and you can come from a not so well off family but i can be smug about the wealth i have but you can be humble and understant that your day will come. @Tonya McCornell, i totally agree with you as sometimes our interpretations of the characters, through research, is how we view them and what we gained from their understanding. At the end of it all we should do research on people and not just accept one group like i decide to write on Coloureds, i must nor just explore the one side of them - Cape Town- no you must go further to Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal. and find similarities and difference that will aid your script. And as I can add to a personal encounter I had this year, when i was given a script for Nothing But The Truth I was told that the role I was playing,Mandisa, is from England and has an ignorant view towards her African roots -Xhosa- , you know how I got into that charactor, being "black" but not sharing the same background , I had to do research by look at old plays, movies , reading on how to get her charactor embodied in my physicality and performance. That is why i always stand behind research, because all "blacks" and "whites" are NOT all the same.

Firstly, what is a "believable Black character?" Either your character is authentic or not. If you are writing a character with a violent criminal history who speaks in Olde English, then the character will probably not work out (depending on the storyline). Or if you write a female character born and raised in Beverly Hills who speaks with a deep mid-Western accent, the audience may not like that (again, depends on your story). Stay focused on WHO the character is in their totality before trying to break it down by race or anything else...you'll fail every time, if you do that and wreck your story.

While the best writers are able to create authentic voices for their characters whatever their own background there is also no substitute for life experience. It requires more than watching BET or downloading Kanye.

Interesting topic . I dont write scripts but I read a lot and I love movies so I hope you don't mind if I comment . Surely the main thing about your writing should be that its a believable human being . As the reader orviewer ,will we believe in them ,will we care about them enough to love them or dislike them ?Is there enough depth that we are given a rounded character. Would the actor reading the script "get" the character and his or her behaviour in the context of the part,would it make sense?. In real life when I hang out with my family and friends who are from all over the world and all different nationalities Im not thinking about their origins or expecting them to be a certain way because of their skin colour. They are just my friends and family ,we like movies,hanging out ,listening to music and all the stuff that humans tend to do whatever colour they are . The danger with thinking I have to write a believable black character is that you start building a stereotype that ends up 1or 2 dimensional and might actually be insulting to many people

...as we may as well ignore you, Markus. Don't ever accuse me, either directly or indirectly, of racism - I will not wear it. Listen - can you write my biography? What are you going to do, guess? Good grief, you don't even know me - you don't know my upbringing, you don't know my circumstances, you don't know how I came to be who I am. So what makes you think you can write anything about me? It's not something you can mug up in an afternoon, either. How is it, then, that you can expect a white person to write a black part convincingly - or a latino a Chinese, an Inuit an Australian? They have scant knowledge - I mean, real knowledge, as in living in the culture since birth knowledge - of the other culture, and that in-depth knowledge is, I would have thought, vital to be convincing. You can't go around thinking all you've got to do is start throwing hip-hop shapes and speaking in a west Indian accent and everything will be fine. Now that is patronising and, dare I say it, racist. Mr Pot, meet Mr Kettle...

@Andrew Don't take the posts as directly responding to you. Unless you are tagged in it. But it is definitely tricky writing for a specific cultural character. If you are Chris Rock you can write pretty much whatever you want. If you are an aspiring writer? Well, that's a bigger challenge. But maybe we need to ask the original poster this question... is this for TV or film and what is the genre? Broad TV Comedy expects you to write out-sized characters. But if you are writing a dramatic film unless the character absolutely must be a specific ethnicity (due to story line of some kind) then some of the advice above about allowing the actor to bring his/her own voicing is probably good advice.

@Bill - I am working on an Online Drama Series... Web Soap! - Pure Drama!

@bill I did include indirectly. Supposing you read something which says that black people are thieves. You happen to be black. Wouldn't you feel aggrieved, even if that thing you read wasn't referring to you specifically? In terms of logical fallacy, the term "poisoning the well" is apt here, because what Markus is in effect saying is that because he doesn't agree with an opinion (which he's perfectly entitled to do - I disagree with what he said, but I'll defend to the death his right to be wrong), he is calling me and everyone who would have the temerity to agree with me somehow deficient. Incidentally, there is a legal principle which states that if you don't refute something, then you are deemed to have accepted it as fact. Obviously, life would more-or-less grind to a halt if we took such care over the minutiae of day-to-day living; nevertheless, in defence of my reputation I am bound to my actions, just on the offchance that Markus was referring to my remarks.

@loralie Sorry to dredge up ancient history, but I'm ashamed to say I've not seen your contribution to this post 'til now. Obviously Shakespeare was writing for an audience which was not overly stuffed with Greek critics. Besides, he was writing on the basis of the classical education he'd got at the grammar school he attended on account of his father's high office. But the point is - neither Venus nor Adonis, nor really any of the characters Shakespeare created, as opposed to them being historical figures like Henry V, is the part of a white person, to be played by a white person; neither is it specifically for black people. The original question did, after all, specify that it was a black character that was to be written for, rather than a part which could be played by a person of any colour.

yes, that's true, but then the conversation went a little off track and I followed it there :p

@Richard, thank you - that's exactly what I am doing... and i have to say, its coming along pretty good!!! Loving every aspect of it!!! - "Autumn"