is it insensitive to write characters in other cultures/mythology?
i'm a very big fan of mythos and folktales and all sorts of fantasy stuff like that, and i add inspiration and influence from that in my fics a lot with AU's and just general deviations from the cannon. i like doing this because i'm not good at creating my own characters so being able to play around with characters and ships i know is mainly to help me learn how to show character traits through action and storytelling.
i do a lot of research into where im throwing my favs next because i want to both make sure it's more-or-less reasonable to assume it's set there and not just a random magical place with a bunch of cultures blended together for convenience, and i've made sure to get input from people if i do things wrong or perpetuate characters or stereotypes but i've started to worry if placing these characters in different places and cultures to begin with in inherently wrong.
for instance; i'm basing a fic by following the story of tsuki no waltz, which is sung in japanese but the song talks of 'chandra mahal', a moon palace where 'the prince' comes from. the fandom i write for is japanese but i was thinking of writing them fully in and from india (adjusting their appearances a little for this) because i haven't explored that mythology and culture yet and i'd like to see what it holds since it's rich in stories i could take inspiration from.
please be as blunt as you need to be, the last thing i want to do is be rude to anyone in any way. this is eating me alive and i have no idea where to ask this
Posted Apr 15, 2025, 7:29 PM UTC