What Color Are They?

In writing, you should describe the things that matter.  If the color of your characters' skin doesn't matter, then it won't come up.  And yet, this seems an odd thing not to know.  In a movie or graphic novel, it is an issue that must be addressed, even if it doesn't matter.  But in text, it can be ignored.

I largely don't care about race.  Though there are interesting parts to it, I have found that the aspects that are most intriguing have been well-covered.  I find it far more interesting to look at people as people and cultures as a whole, ignoring whatever physical characteristics may coincide with them.  As such, I rarely mention the color of my characters' skin.

I'm not sure i this is a good thing or a bad thing.  On the one hand, it allows the reader to make that character look the way they want (in their minds).  On the other hand, it does show that my writing is lacking in its concreteness.  I suppose the only way I will know for sure is when my readers let me know how they feel about it themselves.