There are stereotypical plots and characters that give a story a greater chance of being successful. In horror/suspense it usually begins with a nice somewhat self-centered person (male or female) who is financially well off. This person suffers one or a series of personal setbacks (health, death of friend/family member) that causes them to question many things about their life or the life of someone close to them. As they search for answers several illogical things happen which grow in intensity to eventually threaten their life and their personal belief system. A soft spoken person with knowledge (child, elderly, or black) secretly comes to them offering advice that suggests the source of the problem lies in the paranormal. Unable to believe that advice they continue to put their life at risk by repeating prior behaviors (staying in the home, investigating the incident, going to the same location in the woods/run down part of town at night). Shortly before the otherworldly being takes their life a person with knowledge of how to banish the being (old girlfriend, elderly professor or doctor) takes control and together they two of them save the nice somewhat self centered person from a fate worse than death. This stereotype is very, very effective when the main person is white. This stereotype is one that everyone accepts as valid. Has any BSFS members written a story with this stereotype using black characters?
You need to be a member of Blacksciencefictionsociety to add comments!
Replies