Grump's Ground Rules for Mortals and other Non-Aggregates
Dear Grump:
I write a lot of fiction and enjoy putting mythological beings into ordinary circumstances. While few people baulk at a Roman deity crossing their page, there can be a bit of a hesitation with more modern or still living mythologies. Do you have any advice for threading the needle through this potential minefield? No worries, I think everyone still loves gargoyles!
Signed Culturally Concerned
Dear C.C.
By the Holy Chisel, how did this piece of gravel make its way into my inbox? Are they implying that Gargoyle’s and ME in particular are nothing but creatures of myth, nothing but figments of someone’s imagination? They must have a lump of sandstone for a brain! Someone, get my barrister on the phone.
Fine, fine. I’ll calm down.
I’m not sure how much MY opinion on the matter will make, since you seem to be asking an imaginary being for advice. I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in, but some of my readers might be interested in my thoughts.
Ok, everyone but C.C. pay attention, you can continue playing in the gravel pit with your imaginary friends.
The way I see it is that ‘mythical creatures’ serve two purposes. One, to set an example for mortals, and sometimes that example is what NOT to do. And two, the desire to explain things outside our experience, but are an important part of our social fabric.
If you insert such beings into the modern-day it can still work, but they need to be relatable and honor your audience. So, what do I mean by that? If I were reading a thrilling noir detective story and Zeus appeared as a swan and started chasing the femme fatale around, I’d probably block that author on social media and toss the book away. But if a powerful person disguised themselves to seduce/trick that character, the message would still get across to the reader, won’t it?
And there we also have the biggest problem with inserting contemporary myths into a setting. ‘Knowing’ the message. More than once I’ve heard my author talk about cultural appreciation vs. appropriation, and how some insert a culture that’s not their own into their work. I’ve heard that some authors won’t do it for fear of backlash, or just admit they don’t know enough to do it service, some who will throw in any popular culture or cliché idea into their work with no consideration for the harm it may do, and then there are the others.
Minefield is an interesting description, let’s play with that analogy. If there was something in a minefield you wanted, would you rush right in with your size nines stomping your feet? Likely not. You’d use every tool at your disposal to identify, avoid, and defuse any mines you came across. And one of the best tools out there for this? My author calls them Sensitivity readers. They are knowledgeable readers, usually from the culture you’re writing about, who can spot cultural inaccuracies, bias, problematic language, and stereotypes.
Will every author use a sensitivity reader? Is my butt free of lichen? But the authors who use a sensitivity reader have a greater likelihood of creating something they can be proud of and will be received favorably in the marketplace.
Still not convinced? Ask yourself this. If someone outside your culture told a tale about your beliefs, language, and customs and got it all wrong, you’d be annoyed, right? Now think about how marginalized people have felt for hundreds of years, not nice is it?
Ok, talk time is over, someone tell C.C. his imaginary friends have had enough of him today.
If YOU have a question for Grump, email peterjohnfoote@gmail.com with "Dear Grump" in the subject line.
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