Everyone Has a Culture to Write About

Someone once remarked that I'm lucky to have my ethnic culture to write about in my novels. Being an American of Japanese ancestry, I have written about Japanese and Japanese-American themes, though not exclusively. But doesn't everyone have a culture to write about? "Culture" (whether ethnic, or family, or work) exists and is different for each person. Culture consists of the things we do daily or for special occasions; it defines our relationships with friends, family, co-workers, and strangers. And since everyone has a culture to write about, then I'm no luckier than any other writer.

Fiction writers should be adept at infusing culture into their fiction. It adds layers of complexity and depth to their work. It often takes the story into interesting areas and corners of soul. Culture helps situate the characters and the action, and provides a strong background from which the story unfolds.

This workshop will explore how to infuse culture (real or imagined) into fiction. I will start with some examples from my own work. Participants should bring a short piece of fiction, a page or less, that describes a family tradition (again, real or imagined) from a character's point of view. The piece should be written as if to describe it to someone who has never experienced anything like it before. The workshop will be highly interactive.

Email: todd@shimodaworks.com
Enrollment Limit: 15