How my nationality and culture influences how I write, specifically for these two, hmmm...

The first time I think I actually stopped to think about this kind of thing was when I wanted to write X Men fanfic and found it really difficult to think myself into doing that. Yes, because I don't know New York or Westchester, I don't know how US transport systems work, what brand labels might crop up, I'm not familiar with American-English - all the details that I couldn't just reach out and incorporate when I wanted to, unlike with British based fandoms. But it was more than that too. There's something in the writing, in the tone, that's different between American based and English based creative works, and I can't put my finger on it but I know that it's there. And I didn't feel that I could write it. I still mostly don't.

I actually wonder if one of the reasons that Clint and Natasha were the first Avengers (and still the main Avengers) that I've written for is because of their flexibility when it comes to sense of place. We know hardly anything about movie 'verse Clint, but he's American, if only because the comics and general consensus say so. But to me he's American more as a mirror to Natasha than actually American. (If that makes sense, bare with me.)

Natasha was made in Russia, pretty literally if you consider her to have a Red Room history, but then also if you take into account her Red Room history she's almost a stereotype of Russian-ness imposed on a person. I take my knowledge of Russian history and books like Deathless and the Watch series, then I uproot her. Because fandom and comics say that she's been everywhere. And then somehow ended up at SHIELD. (On top of which I don't think we've had confirmed as being an American or International or something else agency yet in the films?) So I don't feel that being of any particular culture or nationality myself is a barrier to writing Natasha, because she is and/or can be all things to all people, the perfect spy, and herself was arguably given a nationality and culture in the first place rather than growing with one.

Then there's Clint, who in the movie-verse we really know nothing about, but fandom tells me he's from the US, lots of different parts of it, and a circus/carnivale, and foster homes, and the military, and... Clint has become in my head a wanderer, someone in whom many aspects of Americanism can be represented. And is often only American in fics in response or or as a mirror to Natasha being Russian. As in we see Clint being American so that Natasha can learn about the US, or to show something different to Natasha's experience of being Russian. And so he becomes (at least in my head) American in the same way as she is Russian - he's from there, but he's made up of all parts of it, and then he became a spy and part of an organisation not necessarily associated with America.

(One of the reasons I love writing circus/carnival fic, besides the fact that I love circus/canirval fic *grins*, is that the characters in that setting have a flexible sense of place. They're embedded in a subculture rather than a national culture, or on top of or as well as. What's important is the circus part, which is often compromised of many nationalities and backgrounds. I feel more comfortable trying to capture a subculture rather than a national culture I guess.)

On the other hand both Steve and Tony are instrinsically American to me, even if they represent different facets of American and eras and so on. Bruce, again, is a wanderer, but I think not in the same way as Clint and Natasha, since he was almost forced to become one or became one in penance, perhaps is still attached to a culture or identity he no longer has...I think if I were to write more of him I'd need to read about the places I think he's been and how he might have absorbed them. Wereas with Clint and Natasha, especially Natasha, I think they would, as spies, become parts of those places, and then leave those identities behind. Kind of thing.

Thor stumps me. Damn off-worlders lol.

I guess none of which says how I think my nationality and culture influence how I write our Master Assassins, meh. Except that I'm concious when I'm from a different nationality or culture to the characters that I'm trying to write, and I find that more difficult to think my way into than writing for, say, the Harry Potter or Torchwood fandoms.

Except that I'm concious when I'm from a different nationality or culture to the characters that I'm trying to write

This! I always have this in mind. And I'm curious about other cultures, and American isn't all that unfamiliar because we're exposed to ton of american things - food, music, TV, movies, books.... American culture has become part of my culture, so it's not unfamiliar. (Not native, either, but some of my US friends were impressed that husband and I could count all 50 states, or 20th century US presidents or things like that). Cultures themselves are flexible things and almost like living organisms, they adapt and change and adopt bits from other cultures.

I guess I can listen to all Springsteen songs ever but can't write like a native American writer, and that's okay. Writing means learning and changing and exploring and that's why it's so much fun. It's a free ticket to any place or time you can imagine.

I actually think the convergence points of US culture with my own makes it more difficult, because I feel, I know, that the UK and the US are different (when I read things like the Avengers Assemble #15 comic which is written by Americans and is meant to be British, believe you me, I know) but it's often difficult to definitively say how, to pinpoint it. I could use Xaviers and Hogwarts as a example, compare two schools, but I know that Hogwarts is a particular type of mostly outdated school system within the UK that evokes particular images and emotions to Brits, and I don't know how Xaviers is to people in the US but I'm guessing there's something specific there too.

But, as you say, we can immerse ourselves in another culture to a greater or lesser extent. Which I can work with, because I see SHIELD agents as doing that, learning all about a country and culture before they dive in, before they take on a role there, so since they're pretty much doing the same thing as me I feel that I can attempt to write that :)

*nods nods nods* I totally get what you mean!

I try not to get discouraged, you know? :) I mean, I can do ton of research and there will still be things I won't know or be able to know because I'm not from there. So I try to do the best as I can, and when I need some kind of detail, I go ask someone who's from "there" (wherever "there" is) which is so awesome about fandom. :D

Oh, no, I don't mean it as a discouragement kind of thing, just that for me it's more difficult, and that even then not that I shouldn't do it, just that it's different. And therefore fascinating :)

I think...what you say above about never having been pregnant but still writing pregnancy fics? It's the whole putting yourself in someone else's shoes. Empathy. Well and good. For me when it comes to a sense of place, so if we're talking nationality and national culture not collective culture like circus, musicians, sports, but belonging to a place and creating the atmosphere of a place, it's like the place itself is another character I have to empathise with, and I find people either. (That make more sense?)

I...always assumed you were American. So I think that you can write like one? Except maybe better. ;)

I have really really good betas and I'm one of those freaks who learns languages very easily. Thank you, hearing that I could pass for an American based on my language skills is a huge compliment.

I think Natasha goes from being Russian to being European, that's the languages she knows and where a lot of her missions have taken place (in my headcanon). What you were saying about subcultures is pretty interesting, as Clint to me is American, but slightly out of place at S.H.I.E.L.D. because he's from the Midwestern part of the US (with the traveling carnival spending most of it's time there), and S.H.I.E.L.D. is very coastal in attitude.

Two funny (well interesting-funny *grins*) things from that - Russia is in a position geographically and because of how huge the country is that it's been, or can be, part of Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, East Asia, and South-East Asia, all depending on what international relations standpoint you're taking, what part of history you're discussing, and so on. So when you say that Natasha goes from being Russian to being European...well, technically she already was. And in some sense I see her as having been Eastern European because of the whole Red Room being tied in with USSR being part of the Eastern Block and how Europe was in that time period. Which is possibly why all the stories of Natasha effortlessly blending in in any part of Europe feels natual to me.

Then on the different attitudes within the US, that isn't something I'm really aware of, even though on our tiny isle people can be vastly different from one part to another and the US as hugely bigger must have even more variation, heh. So Midwestern vs Coastal or anything else, I think maybe I pick up bits on that in other people's fanfic, but it isn't something I'd ever conciously write into my own.

Oh, I definitely see Russia as part of Europe (though it does occupy an ambiguous space both geographically and conceptually). I see Natasha as moving from Russian to generally European, like you said, blending.

Well-put, I can see this! He seems kinda..cowboyish? Like not literally, but...not as lofty, elite as some of the other characters from SHIELD.

I think this idea of their nationalities and identities being flexible is part of the reason I feel I can write them. I think you're right here. Which is possibly the reason I felt I could write Supernatural fic as well. While Sam and Dean are also very American, they're wanderers, and therefore not fixed and open to interpretation somehow.

Also the identity of "not being American" is also difficult. As in, for me. Because you're right, for two countries that speak the same language we are seriously different. And in a way, that makes it harder than us being completely different to start off with.

Characters that are very much from a place I have trouble writing in particularity of place. Like I can do Rogue interacting with others, for example, but if I was to try a Rogue (X Men) character study thing, or anything that takes a look at where she's from, I'd struggle and never feel like I nailed it. But then give me an intrinsically English character, possibly even Welsh, Irish, or Scottish, and I can give that a go.

Heh, I just wrote something along similar lines to anuna above - I think it's easier to write a completely different culture, that you look at from the outside, where you can pinpoint differences, rather than a culture that has so many convergence points with your (our, heh) own and yet is still so very different.

Yeah. It's like a minor disconnect between the two, and that throws you off more than if it was all totally new.