Our editors often get asked for advice on writing cross-culturally, so we have rounded up some of the best links on the subject. Writing cross-culturally means writing about a culture that isn’t your own (and in this definition of culture, we include race, ethnicity, sexual identity, disabilities, and other identity markers). We have published many books by writers who have written outside their cultures and believe that it can be done well.
That being said, writing cross-culturally must be done thoughtfully and carefully. It requires research. Changing a core piece of a character’s identity is not the same as changing a character’s name or hair style. Different cultures provide a unique point of view to a character and provide the reader with a different lens through which we can view the world.
Here are some good places to start if you are an author writing cross-culturally or thinking about writing cross-culturally:
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Nisi Shawl tells us in “Diversity Plus: Diverse Story Forms and Themes, Not Just Diverse Faces“ that when writing cross-culturally, we need to remember that diversity in storytelling “can and should also include different story forms and themes drawn from diverse traditions.“
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Also, Nisi Shawl’s “Transracial Writing for the Sincere“ provides resources for those who want to get it right with tips on how to do the research.
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Chimamanda Adichie’s TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,“ shows us the detrimental effects to our society when writers focus on only one kind of story and how hearing stories from a multitude of voices can prevent that.
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Here is N.K. Jemisin describing in three parts characters of color in writing. Click through to part one, two, and three.
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Here are notes from Stacy Whitman’s SCBWI talk on writing multicultural books.
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Check out this terrific blog: Disability in KidLit. It’s run by three YA authors and offers great guest posts that explore the intricacies of daily life with a wide range of disabilities.
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And finally, check out Tu Books Publisher Stacy Whitman’s full list of recommended resources.
