This week: Seeing Through Different Lenses Edited by: Warped Sanity  
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| When writing fiction with a religious element or religious character, it is imperative to be accurate, so that you don't alienate your audience. The purpose of this newsletter is to tackle the importance of proper research and respect when writing about religion outside of our own belief system. |
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Several years ago, while in college, working towards a degree in education, we had a project in a Multicultural Education course, where we were to teach the class for ten minutes. Topics were to be based on cultures among students in a classroom, whether it was religion, views on gender, LGBTQ, ethnicity, and any other cultural aspects in modern American society. One student chose religion. After watching her presentation, I assume she chose it because she thought it would be easy, require very little research, and she could present on her gained knowledge. Instead, she performed poorly, offending many in the classroom because she presented ten minutes of stereotypes and false information.
This is a mistake many of us can do as writers. We think we know the basics of various belief systems because we have read about it somewhere or learned through hearsay, yet unknowingly, we are quite ignorant. Like the student I mentioned above, without proper research, we may offend our readers, or in the least, we will get an eye-roll from those who are knowledgeable about the faith. At this point, in either circumstance, despite any great plot we have developed, the story is a fail among readers.
Fiction writers often wear different lenses in an attempt to see the world through another person's eyes. If they are not already knowledgeable in the subject, which is part of their character or plot, they must research, but can we trust the internet for that research? Not always. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet, especially by those who are biased against particular faiths.
If possible, ask someone who is part of the belief system to direct you toward the best websites to visit as a reference. WdC is a diverse canvas, with members all over the world, many of which would be more than happy to direct you in the right direction. Although, If you don't feel comfortable asking and are doing research independently, it is best to utilize websites by individuals of that faith to really understand the people within it and how they feel about and celebrate their path.
Dive into the culture within the belief system. Culture can include but is not limited to clothing or headdress. When learning many of these aspects, try and discover why they do them. For example, a Muslim woman in America is not likely forced to wear a hijab. Instead, she would wear it as a symbol of modesty and womanhood. A few years ago, in a Sociology course, I read a study on the racism American Muslim women face and the assumption of being suppressed into wearing a headdress was the number one misconception listed.
Slang is another cultural aspect. For example, a Jew might speak some Yiddish among fellow Jewish friends. Not too long ago, I wrote a story that included a Jewish family. After asking a Jewish writing friend to look it over, I learned my character used a word for brother that would only be used by an old man in the early 1800's. In the process, I learned that bruder was more modern and common.
No matter your personal faith, taking the time to learn about another religion and add it to your characters, not only gives you the opportunity to develop more rounded characters, but it also gives you the opportunity to be enlightened in other ways of thought. In many cases, you will realize there are a lot of similarities within various belief systems. If you are devout to a particular belief, or if it conflicts with your own religion in some way, it does not mean you can't appreciate the beauty and unique qualities within another belief. In the very least, it will make you more informed.
Personally, I call myself Pagan as a general term, but unlike other Pagans, I am less of a polytheist because I take a holistic spiritual approach. Yet, I am always curious about other traditions, expanding my knowledge on a regular basis. One would be quite confused about what I actually believe by looking at my library of religious texts because I have a wide variety, including Kabbalistic texts, Zohar literature, the Quran, the Christian Bible, the Satanic Bible, and many more. Do I believe in everything that is in these books? No, but I am fascinated with learning. Besides, the best way to know whether I actually agree with something is to study it.
If you have not tried to yet, I encourage you to create a fictional story with a character who follows a religion other than your own, being respectful to that religion. If you do so before January 30th, which is when my next Spiritual newsletter is due, share it as a response to this newsletter, and I will highlight it in the next edition that I edit.
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| |  | The Bus Ride (13+)
fictional look at forgiveness- left openended because it was used for a discussion group
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Spiritual: January 02, 2019 Issue [#9302]
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