Episode 15: Writing Outside of Ourselves

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Casual Misfit Radio

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“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” --Toni Morrison   There's also the quote from Mark Twain: "write what you know."   Western media is experiencing a bit of a much-needed renaissance when it comes to inclusion and diversity, but it still has so far to go. And walking along those lines can lead you into a minefield when it comes to the question about writing outside of your own experiences.   Whether you're yay or nay or in between, writing outside of our own experiences comes with problems, and many writers may not have the right kinds of experiences or nuance to effectively do so. But dig even deeper: why write outside of your own experience? Is diversity and inclusion just another way to earn a quick, sure dollar? Is it pandering? Is writing outside of your own cultural or sexual experiences ever okay?   The Misfit Crew try to unpack a hefty topic, and come to some conclusions about how we can be better supportive of marginalized voices, what diversity means in the face of capitalism, and how writing outside of your own experience may reveal some hard truths about your own actual experience.