(1/?) regarding the cultural sensitivity, cultural appropriation, race in fandom spaces and in transformative works discussion, i just wanted to reiterate that it is a writer's responsibility to write fiction in a respectful, sensitive manner, ESPECIALLY if said fiction includes

(2/?) characters and cultures that are very different from your own. no one is saying don't write stories. it is important to. but do know that the words you use, the way you use them and how you choose to depict your characters and ideas has both influence and consequence.

(3/?) cultures are, of course, not monoliths, but if you choose to write a story about particular cultures that are not your own and you are not familiar with, then i would say you have an obligation to research and present these cultures as what they are and have been, not as

(4/?) your approximation of what you think they are. culture, and by consequence, history, for most, if not all poc, is a heavy burden to bear. if you do not care to understand this history, then you should ask yourself /why/ you are writing these particular stories.

(5/?) i do not speak for all poc, and nor am i trying to. but do know (esp. if you're white) that it gets exhausting having to explain to people why they should not be saying or writing certain things, and why they should care, whether that be in the fiction that they are writing

(6/?) or in real life.

i spent a long time debating whether or not i should write this, but i thought it was important to have a coherence myself, on my stance. as a writer in this particular fandom, i try my best to understand a culture that is quite different

(7/?) from my own, and i too, have made mistakes. and i do ask that if what i've written has been insensitive to anyone, that you do tell me about it.

endnote is that i think it's important that we reflect on what we write, and how we write it, because what we choose to say and

(8/fin.) how we choose to say it has weight. stay educated, stay informed, and most importantly, listen.