Writing about characters that are vastly different from you 🤫(Updated)

Different ethnicities, the opposite sex, and even vampires; is it difficult to write about characters when they are nothing like you?

The truth is that we're usually writing about characters that aren't necessarily like ourselves. Even if you write about characters of the same sex, age, or even from the same part of the world as you, they still are not you. If the character is the same as you in every way, then your book is autobiographical, not fiction. 

In my first book, Fire, I wrote about a young, blonde, white woman named Tarah. Many people seemed to draw a parallel between her and me because we had a similar physical description. However, that's where the similarities ended. Her story was vastly different from mine, meaning I had to dive deep into my imagination to connect with this protagonist. She was a musician turned rock star and had experiences I knew nothing about. Her life was vastly different from my own at that age. 

I then wrote A Spark before the Fire, which followed a teenage male character.  I feared that this was way out of my comfort zone. After all, how could I write from the voice of a male teenager? Where would I even start? When I began to write, I was surprised when the inner dialogue of a young male flowed naturally. It was very instinctual, and that's been my process as I continue to write about characters vastly different from me. 

I've since written about vampires, narcos, assassins, children, and people of various ethnicities, ages, and sexual preferences. The key is to listen for the character's voice, and it will tell you everything you have to know. 

I'd recommend anyone struggling with this to find a quiet place and time to do their writing and focus on their inner voice. Stay calm, stay centered, and start writing. If your instinct is to write about a specific character, chances are they're ready to come out and play.