The Accidental Writer: Make Foreign Cultures Come to Life in Your Fiction
I like books that teach me stuff along the way. It doesn’t really matter if the stuff is an environmental issue or historical events or a foreign culture. Novels that enlighten as well as entertain are total home runs, and I try to do this in all my stories. Memoirs of a Geisha is a great example of a novel that weaves Japanese culture into the fabric of the story. I’m still astonished a man wrote it!
So what’s the trick? How do authors weave those issues into their stories without detracting from the characters and the plot?
First, authors have to do research—lots of research, if they want to intelligently include a foreign culture into their books. In Wind Catcher, the young adult Native American fantasy I co-authored with my daughter, we did plenty of research. We went to Arizona to get a feel for the location and the culture. We did copious online work, attended Native American festivals, and went to museums with Native American exhibits. Online research is just not enough to understand the texture of a foreign culture.
Second, the “Show Don’t Tell” rule is always in effect. Wherever possible, show the culture by what the characters are doing. Dialogue might come in handy to explain the why behind a certain ceremony or prayer, but keep it natural and breezy. Fiction always has to be about characters and plot, so don’t overdo the exposition or you’ve created a history book, which is probably not your intent.
Third, find an expert. Even with plenty of research, foreign cultures are tricky. Nuances cans easily escape your notice. For Wind Catcher we were lucky to have Ruby Standing Deer, a Native American historic fiction writer, beta read the manuscript. The process was lots of fun, mostly because Ruby is an outstanding person, but also extremely fruitful. We deepened and authenticated some of our cultural issues, both spiritual and contemporary, in ways that we would never have been able to do without her.
My favorite reviews for Wind Catcher are those from Native Americans who love the spirituality in the book. American Indian culture fascinates me, so to be able to bring it to life for others in a contemporary young adult book is rewarding. Give it a try. Writing should be about pushing boundaries, whether they are personal or literary.
If you want to read more about the award-winning young adult novel, Wind Catcher, you can visit my website at www.jeffaltabef.com. You can also follow my mostly incoherent ramblings on twitter @jeffaltabef.
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