Hey whats a good descriptor for white or pale japanese skin thats not porcelin?
Im trying to avoid describing this character with anything really doll-like or fragile terms, as they definitely arent fragile nor weak and I dont like the idea of implying that they're like porcelin.
2021-01-16T23:44:10Z
Its not that I think japanese skin is different than anyone else's skin, its that I dont know how to describe the tone that well. I know it varies from what Im used to in real life, but I live in one of, if not the, least diverse states in america. I dont exactly see much variation other than pale white northerner or slightly less pale white northerner irl
MsBittner2021-01-16T22:09:29Z
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One important question to ask yourself, Randi, is whether there's any point to waxing poetic about a Japanese character whose skin is pale. Does the plot change if the reader doesn't imagine her the way you see her? You'd probably be fine with the word pale.
I do like that you're avoiding terms likening her(?) to a doll or that imply fragility.
Hey, that gave me an idea. Whatever term you settle on, see if you could apply it to a male Japanese character you're describing. That's going to be a decent litmus test.
Anyway, the many people who speak knowledgeably on describing skin tone while avoiding racism recommend writers avoid food items other than spices, whether it's chocolate syrup or vanilla ice cream. Minerals (alabaster, marble), gems (opal, pearl), weather phenomena (snowy, moonlit), and similar terms seem to get the job done well enough without risking racist undertones.
There is nothing about a pale skin that suggests its owner would be delicate or fragile. You can have white, black, brown or yellow skin, that's fine, delicate, rough, wrinkled, spotty, whatever. The colour of a skin has no connection with its other qualities. It's just a COLOUR. EDIT to add: you say in your Update that you don't think Japanese skin is different from any other skin. Correct. So why bring "Japanese" into the question at all? Why not just ask for descriptors for "pale skin"?