Thesis 1

Thesis 1 (of 98).

Doctor Martin Luther King: “I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.”

Mission accomplished, but these days, not without much pain and suffering.

For many romance writers it goes: black men and women hold hands with white men and women. Yes, they do more than hold hands. I have an interracial marriage and can attest to that. There’s never a moment I don’t appreciate the diversity, her looks, her culture, the joy she brings me.

On to writing. Holding hands shows mutual support. It implies offering safety, to the point of saving each other’s lives. You hold hands, cross the street and you watch the cars and trucks coming for two, right? That is, I’ll protect you and you’ll protect me. Many cute meets go this far.

ANY WELL WRITTEN ROMANCE brings together two people who both have something to offer the other whether interracial or not. Two people join body, mind, and spirit for mutual benefit. I believe a well-written romance should maintain a balance of give and take, of offerings from both. This should be shown in the story. They should more or less equally have something to give that elevates both from their lesser selves. The lesser selves of the lonely or those without the special love offered by a person who might offer a hand.

So on the eve of Martin’s holiday may I suggest that you throw away any preconceptions or possibly prejudices that an interracial romance is different from any other, no matter how the cute meet takes place. To do otherwise makes you part of the problem rather than the solution.

In my novel, tentatively named Cinnamon & Sugar, they both save each other on multiple occasions. This balance gives the story charm and meaning. With two strong points of view, I bring to life the dream Martin spoke of.

Thesis 2 (of 98)

If you hear from a critic that it has been done before, the answer is simple. Everything has been done before. We enjoyed Romeo and Juliet, but haven’t we also enjoyed West Side Story? And why is that? The characters are compelling. We identify and empathize with them, our hearts go out to them for their struggle. Not because Tony and Marie are interracial, but because the author brought us to a better place. The author held our hands and took us to the promise land.