Can a white writer write a (i.e.) Vodou practitioner?

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JetFueledCar

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In one of my classes we're studying syncretic religions and it's gotten my head spinning with possibilities. But I'm incurably white. Is it at all okay for me to write about a religion like Vodou, or Santería, or Native American traditions? Obviously there would be an immense responsibility to do the research and write respectfully, but if I did that would it be okay? And what would be an acceptable source for syncretic religions, if I did (assuming it would be okay)? I'm asking because I've been in spaces where white people practicing those religions is severely discouraged, so I don't know if me writing it would be overstepping my bounds.
 

Jack McManus

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In my opinion, no subject is off-limits to a fiction writer. That said, I would tread very lightly on religious topics unfamiliar to me, particularly if I was a member of a group that has been severely discouraged from participating.
 

NateSean

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Religions aren't usually race specific. That doesn't mean there aren't going to be people who tell you, "You're *insert race/creed/nationality/species* and you shouldn't be doing this*", so your only concern here is how well you research your subject and what creative liberties you're planning to take within the context of your story.

As a part of your research, you might try to find the more sociable members of those groups where you've heard of this discouragement, and press them for details about why they feel white people shouldn't practice this religion. It might be uncomfortable trying to find people to interview, but what you learn may help develop some of the details of your story.
 

kuwisdelu

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Religions aren't usually race specific.

I think this is wrong. I don't have any numbers on me, but I wouldn't be surprised if the number of ethnic religions far outnumbered non-ethnic religions. Though non-ethnic religions such as Christianity probably have far more adherents worldwide today, in no small part because non-ethnic religions tend to evangelize while ethnic religions don't, and in many parts of the world they have supplanted the traditional ethnic religions.

But the point is many, many religions are specific to ethnic groups.

So I would say the opposite. If you consider all of world history, I would say that religions are usually specific to ethnic groups.

As a part of your research, you might try to find the more sociable members of those groups where you've heard of this discouragement, and press them for details about why they feel white people shouldn't practice this religion. It might be uncomfortable trying to find people to interview, but what you learn may help develop some of the details of your story.

If you're a citizen of an ethnoreligious group (which I am), then an outsider practicing your religion is akin to that person pretending to be a member of that ethnicity. It's appropriation, essentially. And it would apply to all outsiders, not just white people.

Edit: However, we're quite happy to invite you to our dances and most other religious events if you ask nicely, as long as you're respectful and follow the rules.
 
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kuwisdelu

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To answer the OP, write whatever you want. But be responsible, and do your research. That means talking to people who are actually from the groups you want to write about. Don't just read books or the internet. Write accurately and respectfully. If you are criticized, be mature about it and accept the criticism, and do a better job next time.
 

Osulagh

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I see it as absolutely fine, as long as you are knowledgeable about the subject and can provide neutral/favorable light on the subject--all of this depending on how much you wish to write on it, of course.

This can be hard, and requires a considerable amount of knowledge and experience on the subject. If you're going to write an in-depth work on it, I highly suggest interviewing experts and even participating with them on their practices.
 

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I'm black, but I wouldn't tackle such a subject without doing extensive research. Even though I'm not Catholic, I grew up in a Catholic neighborhood and feel that I'd be more comfortable writing about Catholicism than Vodou … but even so, I would still need to do the research.
 

Ravioli

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Adults write children. Humans write elves. If we were to limit ourselves to writing our own people, the world of entertainment would be a very boring place missing its own point. Do your homework. Write respectfully and accurately. You own your mind and your ideas and nobody gets to silence them.
 

The Weaver

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Yes its ok to write about people who have a different experience than you despite what some people think. Do the research, Talk to people of the groups that you are doing, dispel all the stereotypes you hear in media, and write with sensitivity and empathy. As long as you do those your in good shape. Even if you do screw up apologize and promise that you'll do better.
 

danatcsimpson

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Can you? Yes.

Should you? Only with great care.

Vodou (and Santería and Candomblé) is one of those things that has been hammered to death by its portrayal in media. To. Death. Before embarking on this project, please ask yourself honestly why another white voice should be added to the conversation. If your answer is something like 'because it's ~*exotic*~ and ~*shiny*~', please consider taking a step back. If it's closer to 'because Vodou is a living religious tradition whose practitioners deserve better than being cast as the villain in every damn story', consider that step forward.

If you chose to dive in, gird yourself for criticism from members of this group, as other posters have said. Do also note that, by and large, these critics can't actually silence you. They can tell you you are doing something wrong, and may do it unkindly if they've been burned too many times or you catch them after a rough day. Our culture is structured in such a way that members of marginalized groups generally cannot prevent the writing or publication of problematic stories. It is your responsibility as a white writer to thoughtfully and respectfully consider the help an insider gives you. Do not disregard it even if it makes you feel kind of bad. Sit with your discomfort for a bit and see what happens. And thank them! They are taking time out of their lives to help you.

writingwithcolor.tumblr.com is a great resource for this sort of issue. So is Writing the Other by Nisi Shawl. Please forgive the terrible cover; the inside bits are good, I swear.
 

miss marisa

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Vodou (and Santería and Candomblé) is one of those things that has been hammered to death by its portrayal in media. To. Death. Before embarking on this project, please ask yourself honestly why another white voice should be added to the conversation. If your answer is something like 'because it's ~*exotic*~ and ~*shiny*~', please consider taking a step back. If it's closer to 'because Vodou is a living religious tradition whose practitioners deserve better than being cast as the villain in every damn story', consider that step forward.

This is an important post. As a reader, I'm already hypercritical of anything that portrays Vodou right off the bat, and I'm sure others feel the same way. It's more or less treated as this super scary magical cult and that's Very Gross.

And even if you do a ton of research (which I highly suggest because the religion is so much more than what it's portrayed as) you're going to have to be careful. Also, if someone of the group you're writing about is telling you something is offensive, listen to them. Do not shut them down. I have seen so many white authors do that and it's incredibly disrespectful. Not saying you'd do that, but some authors are of the mind they're doing a Great Justice when they write outside of their race/religion/gender, and react poorly when they're told that they aren't.
 

J.S.F.

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To me--a straight white cisgender dude and bear with me for a moment--writing about Vodou or Santeria or any other religion--involves research and asking questions and being respectful. I recently wrote a novel involving a transgender character (see avi) and had to do a significant amount of research for it and even THEN I was hesitant about writing it as I'm not of the LGBT set. But I thought it important enough to do and approached the material/concept/topic with respect. After having written about it, I have an even greater respect for, and empathy with, transgender individuals as well as those in the LGBT set. (You--general you and not a specific you--can choose to believe that or not).

I know very little about Santeria or Vodou, but I'd still write about it only after having done the requisite research and then some. Even after doing what needs to be done, there will always be someone who doesn't like what you've written because...they don't like it. Just the way it goes, but that shouldn't stop you. As has been said, approach the topic with care, respect, and research; this is how it goes. JMO...
 

TereLiz

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I don't think you should be discouraged because it seems like you already know that it's a topic that needs to be treated with respect.

Everyone upthread has given amazing advice. Do you have access to a library with inter-library loan and/or a digital journal subscription service like JSTOR? Find recent scholarly articles and immerse yourself. Read the articles they cite. For Vodou/Voudun (FYI, most of my research has been on Louisiana, not Haiti), there are white practitioners as well, so don't be afraid that you're too white, lol. Read anything you can find by any practitioner, but remember that some people on the internet are in it for the money, not spirituality. Read articles and books by 19th century writers and do the opposite. I apologize now for all the crappy dialect you're going to be subjected to. ;)

Once you've done your research, how do you write the characters? Have you immersed yourself enough feel comfortable in first person? Or would it feel more natural in third? Does third feel too distant because you don't know enough? I've wrestled with these questions myself, and it's hard to know without feedback. Maybe your professor can help you find someone who knows the culture/religion in question who you can have a serious discussion with about the ways it has been misrepresented in the past.

Learn more, travel if you can afford it, talk to people who know and research more vastly than the internet, which is dumb and biased.

Good luck!
 

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What have you read and researched so far? Have you started researching yet?
 

MurderOfCrows

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Vodou (and Santería and Candomblé) is one of those things that has been hammered to death by its portrayal in media. To. Death. Before embarking on this project, please ask yourself honestly why another white voice should be added to the conversation. If your answer is something like 'because it's ~*exotic*~ and ~*shiny*~', please consider taking a step back. If it's closer to 'because Vodou is a living religious tradition whose practitioners deserve better than being cast as the villain in every damn story', consider that step forward.

Yeah, this is definitely why I chose to use Vodou in Skinhorse - because I wanted positive reflection of of both it's practitioners and the people of the time I'm working with it in. Mostly because the current portrayal has been almost universally awful and it straight up deserves better. (Also it works within the context of both the time frame, subject, and systems I needed.)

If it's just 'I want zombies and spooky black people being spooky' then... yeah, maybe not do that.
 

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I think I'm a bit late to the conversation, but this feels like essentially the same question I used to ask myself a lot, so I thought I'd chime in.

When I was writing a screenplay a few years back back, I asked one of my friends--who is a person of color--to go over it for me. The feedback I got was that none of the characters were, in any way, other.

I told her that, because I was white, I didn't feel comfortable trying to write about people in other groups.

And her answer was that I was being absurd and worrying about an absurd thing. I think what she specifically told me was, "Yeah, yeah, write what you know. But know more." I think that's a good, default answer to this question.

Yeah, this is definitely why I chose to use Vodou in Skinhorse - because I wanted positive reflection of of both it's practitioners and the people of the time I'm working with it in. Mostly because the current portrayal has been almost universally awful and it straight up deserves better. (Also it works within the context of both the time frame, subject, and systems I needed.)

This feels like a pretty good reason to try to write about a group that isn't yours. I'd be really interested in this if I came across it in the wild.
 
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Write whatever you want. What's the worst that can happen? Someone doesn't like your story? Controversy spices up fiction. Samuel R. Delany's novel Hogg features a pedophile protagonist, for instance (among other things).
 

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I think Bart's got good friends. Write what you know -- but you gotta know more than yourself.

Or, employ empathy. That's a very important tool for any writer. If you can't empathize with your characters, can't relate to them at all, how do you expect your reader to do so?

This feels like a pretty good reason to try to write about a group that isn't yours. I'd be really interested in this if I came across it in the wild.

Well, if Skinhorse makes it to Book 2, hopefully I'll get the chance to bring in Dr. Mercier and his wife, and let my characters romp around Louisiana.
 

SamGlass

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I don't think there's anything wrong with it. What I would suggest is making sure that you have all your bases covered, so that you don't end up making some sort of caricature of what is really a very complex religion that's often bastardized in fiction. Google, in this case, might not be your friend. Try to branch out, see if you can find any firsthand resources that can answer your questions specifically.

If we all limited ourselves to writing only what we're already familiar with, then I think it would take a lot of the fun and the purpose out of writing. It'll be a learning experience, and you might get some negativity along the way, but I say go for it. Just do your due diligence!
 

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Hi, I'm new and I'm West-Indian. The country my family is from practices 'Obeah' which is similar to Vodou. Don't write about it.

I've never seen a positive portrayal in the several decades I have been alive. It's not something you read about in a book, it's something that you are raised in that even people who practice it don't often speak about it in a way meant 'to teach' it's only something that is lived. Even among POC who practice various forms of witchcraft we feel it's a privilege to reconnect to our spiritual roots and the exploitation and misinformation is so widespread that it makes this journey even more difficult. Your writing will only add to that.

If you write about it - you WILL screw it up. Put the pen down, please.
 
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Snitchcat

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Hi, I'm new and I'm West-Indian. The country my family is from practices 'Obeah' which is similar to Vodou. Don't write about it.

I've never seen a positive portrayal in the several decades I have been alive. It's not something you read about in a book, it's something that you are raised in that even people who practice it don't often speak about it in a way meant 'to teach' it's only something that is lived. Even among POC who practice various forms of witchcraft we feel it's a privilege to reconnect to our spiritual roots and the exploitation and misinformation is so widespread that it makes this journey even more difficult. Your writing will only add to that.

If you write about it - you WILL screw it up. Put the pen down, please.

While this is your opinion, I have a different question: You can't stop people writing what they want, but instead of issuing an ultimatum for them to desist, how can you help them get it right? At the very least, what is a respectful way to present 'Obeah' in a story, or in any writing?


ETA:

Your post has also been sitting very wrong with me since reading it. You don't get to dictate who writes about what. No one does. One major reason for people screwing up representing "Obeah" and other diverse topics is the attitude presented in your demand: rather than inform, it's shut down the questions.

If the world is to respect topics / cultures / practices it is unfamiliar with, it requires information and education. Shutting down / ignoring these questions exacerbates ignorance and the consequences thereof. Ask those around you who are not in the know how they perceive "Obeah" and voodoo, and any other cultural practices, and you will receive stereotypical answers, and wrong answers. Why? Because no one's ever corrected them, never provided information. Why? Because "outsiders are unwelcome" and "outsiders must remain ignorant". But if they stay uninformed, how do they respect worlds not their own in the way that the natives prefer? Short answer: they can't.

So how do you get people not in the know to respect cultures / practices not your own? You inform and educate. And writers are especially easy to educate. Overall, we are curious, which means we love to learn, and (at least on AW) we know how to respect each other.

Something to think about the next time a non-native writer asks about a particular topic.
 
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Tsu Dho Nimh

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Two writers come to mind with this question:

Tony Hillerman - wrote so well about the Navajo that some people thought he was fronting for a Navajo author, and others were sure he was getting sacred details from rogue healers. In reality, he was a very good newspaper reporter and knew how to assemble facts into a coherent whole.

Carlos Castaneda - wrote so much total crap about the Yaqui that it almost had a Yaqui elder ROFLing. We were chatting at a ceremony, after the obligatory several years of becoming known to the tribe as a respectful non-Yaqui, and I asked him how much of Castaneda's work was reliable. He almost choked on his coffee.
 

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In one of my classes we're studying syncretic religions and it's gotten my head spinning with possibilities. But I'm incurably white. Is it at all okay for me to write about a religion like Vodou, or Santería, or Native American traditions? Obviously there would be an immense responsibility to do the research and write respectfully, but if I did that would it be okay? And what would be an acceptable source for syncretic religions, if I did (assuming it would be okay)? I'm asking because I've been in spaces where white people practicing those religions is severely discouraged, so I don't know if me writing it would be overstepping my bounds.

I don't need to point out King, Crichton, and a billion other whiteys have done this in the past, do I?

Were they all inherently disrespectful?


if you take on something like this, your responsibility should perhaps be greater (an arguable point but one I tend to favor) but there is no absolute that you are disrespecting anything.....was Twain disrespectful for writing anything of African Americans? Octavia Butler, for any male and/or white character in her work?

In many ways, the further you are from what you know, the greater responsibility to get it right....this also holds for gunplay, sex scenes, etc.....plus in this case there is an element of respect for others. But neither precludes you from writing, they just make for a greater need to get it right.
 
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abielle

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Oh dear...

This is a thorny topic. A very thorny one. I wasn't going to comment in this thread until I saw a comment you made OP that I had to respond to.

FIRST, I will start by saying I've written cultures that are not my own, so I get where you are coming from. I'm not white, but anyone is at risk of getting things wrong when it is not "theirs."

I am of two minds.

One is, if it is possible to do the research, do the research. Research everything and go as direct as possible from multiple sources. For instance, I wrote a character who is a Rasta, and made sure that I listened to real Rastas explain their beliefs and values, the way they understand it, "practises" etc. I felt comfortable with tackling this because I know Rastas and have a personal understanding/connection with the culture. However, even then, I didn't make it the primary focus of my story. It is an aspect, or small part of a supporting character's identity. It subtly informs his characterization but I think therein lies the difference.

Is your voodoo practitioner a main character? Is your plot centred around him/her/their beliefs?

If you find yourself saying "how do I not this wrong" you might want to consider whether you are the best person to be broaching the topic. If you do not know what could be considered incorrect or offensive then you do not know enough. You're not ready yet.

I will commend you for asking the question, "should I be doing this" as this is the first step. But you have to realize that the answer you get may not be the one you want to hear. You asked if you should do it. *You* asked:

Is it at all okay for me to write about a religion like Vodou, or Santería, or Native American traditions?

Someone told you no. And your response was basically, "how dare you tell me I can't?"

Now while I won't go as far as saying "never write on it" you have to understand the perspective Maximal is coming from. I've heard this argument before, specifically with regards to Indigenous people (Or Native Americans, as Americans call it).


So how do you get people not in the know to respect cultures / practices not your own? You inform and educate.

While this seems innocent enough, this statement reflects a level of arrogance. I'm *NOT* saying you are arrogant, but it is inherent to a very Western worldview, the kind that informs old-school anthropologists. If you ask someone to teach about their religion/culture so you can do a better job of connecting with them that's great. If they tell you it's none of your business, respect that also. Please be aware of one thing. No one is obligated to educate you. No one is obligated to help you understand. Some spiritual practices, cultural traditions are held as sacred, so sacred that when outsiders become aware of it, it is considered a weakened. And given the history of colonialism, this is not an irrational belief. Respect should not be something a culture gets only if outsiders understand it. You can not understand it, and still decide it is worthy of respect.

This is not just "my" opinion. This is me paraphrasing the thoughts of a Native American woman on a blog blasting JK Rowling for her careless depiction of them in her writing. I suggest you read up the responses to this controversy as well. It was/is a huge deal.

Adults write children. Humans write elves.
NO. This is NOT the perspective to take. Ignore this. Humans write elves?? Elves don't exist! Other cultures are not elements of fantasy. And adults can write children because they were children once and can easily find children to base around--just NOT a good comparison at all!

Ultimately OP, if you decide to write on this topic then know you will likely get things wrong because minority belief systems just do not have a lot of information about it just openly available to everyone. If you are so lucky as to get a sensativity/beta reader to read it over when you're done, and insider who is part of the culture, then that will help reduce the risk. Either way, be prepared to get more responses like Maximals. Not trying to be harsh, but honest. Good luck either way!
 
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