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.