I've been doing some mulatto meditation, mainly in the identity I want for Jack. I've known since before I even had a name that Jack was mlm romance for men. It began as bxb back in 2012. Even as I work through my aspirations and goals now, that goal has always stayed the same.
It's everything else that's confusing to me.

Do I write Black romance? Do I make my brand Black men in love and exclusively tell those stories?

Or do I write IR romance as a brand?
We need more Black romance, and queer romances for men is so painfully underrepresented. But am I the one to tell these stories? The mixed kid that grew up with no racial identity until I graduated high school and opened my eyes? Is that REALLY the person to write Black romance?
There are men writing romance that aren't racially ambiguous, that are Blackity Black Black, and I don't want to sit in a spot that isn't mine or build a brand on an identity that I just recently came to understand.
This has been part of the reason I've slowed down my writing. I needed to think about who I wanted to be in this community and what I wanted to be known for, aside from just mlm romances.

I'm absolutely writing Black romance. There are multiple pairings in my head right now.
But I also want to write IR romance. Black and biracial men with other MOC. Truth be told, there are too many fine ass men of all colors, and all that inspiration has to go somewhere. Sometimes a face is so beautiful I just gotta write about him.
I felt guilty for a long time about that. Like I was letting Black readers down, or I wasn't fully embracing my Blackness like I should have. But Black people are always going to exist in my work. In my verbiage, in the culture, and as main characters.
I cannot imagine not putting us in there and writing about our love stories. And I think that's my brand? It may not always be Black love, but my Black characters will always get loved on, and treated well, and feel safe and cared for.
You can follow @JackHarbon.
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