BtS: The challenges of writing Chapter 9

Note:  This post is a serious, longform discussion about some of the thought that has gone into including BIPOC characters in BBN, particularly Nick and the tensions in the United States between race, policing and incarceration. As with most Behind the Scenes posts, this one sheds some light on the development process, and it can be read (or skipped) with no impact on your experience in playing the game. WARNING:  There are minor spoilers ahead for Chapter Nine.

When I was sketching out ideas for what would become BBN, one of the things I decided early on was I wanted a meaningful inclusion of a gay Black man who was not in the story purely for comic relief or some other trope that all too often befalls characters of color. I also made the decision (somewhat controversial, apparently) to write the story from two perspectives, and decided Nick's experience could make an interesting counterpoint to Alex's naivete. 

But there have been challenges with this. As I wrote in March, an erotic story such as BBN necessarily requires the objectification of the characters within it, but I also don't want the inclusion of any characters to be seen as part of a fetish that has racist or dehumanizing aspects to it. And that tension really came forward in Chapter 9 when Nick is beaten by cops and imprisoned. 

I tried to stay on the right side of the line between acknowledging the brutality both in the real world and with Mayhew versus using Black trauma as narrative currency.

I considered taking a completely different approach to Chapter 9 but ultimately decided to stick with this one because it was very purposefully linked to the plot and designed to show that Mayhew, despite his pretty words, wasn't to be trusted. I also wanted an acknowledgment in the game that while Nick and Connor might be "good cops," there are others that abuse their authority. Finally, I needed a scene where Nick and Ronan's backstory could be told without Nick being able to just walk away from Ronan and short circuit the entire endeavor.

And so Chapter 9 had me writing Nick in a situation that I was very anxious could be triggering or seen as racially insensitive. From there, I purposefully wrote Nick as taking as much control over his situation as possible and refusing to submit to Ronan, while also giving the reader an opportunity to understand what was going on between them (and beyond them, i.e., Mayhew). This involved multiple drafts and then some rewrites of certain scenes or pieces of dialogue.

In the end, I hope what I wrote was a scene that was compelling and helped develop the characters while also being sensitive to the different perspectives and life experiences of the audience. If you feel differently, please let me know either here in the comments or via PM (via Patreon, Discord or Twitter). 

Best,

BBN