# Being an American writing about Europe



## skitty (Apr 19, 2014)

I've been working on a number of stories that take place in Europe. (I am a huge Europhile.) Unlike a lot of American books about Europe, these take place in contemporary times. The protagonists are all European. I just have a few questions.

1. Will they mind what English I use - should it be American English or British English? I've heard both used by Europeans speaking English, so I'm a bit confused.

2. Two of my stories (one that takes place in Ukraine and another that takes place in southern France) feature young guys wearing speedos. Some of my conceptual art shows them wearing speedos at the beach. None of my male characters are on a swim team or any water sports-related team. I know that some young guys in Europe (though definitely not all) like wearing shorts at the beach instead of speedos (since unlike pools, beaches don't require them, and shorts are what most Americans and Brits wear to the beach). My interactions with young Europeans online don't even show consistent opinions. Will young European readers get bothered by me showing young guys wearing speedos?

3. What about talking about daily life in Europe? I still live in my parents' house and I don't have a job yet, so booking a flight to Europe is out of the question. How would daily life be for a young person in Europe compared to a young person in the United States. What is going to be the same? What is going to be different?

4. Will religious references turn off European readers? Although most Europeans are Christian, there's also tons of people who don't follow any religion (among them a plethora of atheists).


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## popsprocket (Apr 19, 2014)

This is all rather presumptuous - finish the story, find a publisher, get popular enough to receive international publication, then worry about cultural differences.


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## PiP (Apr 20, 2014)

> 1. Will they mind what English I use - should it be American English or British English? I've heard both used by Europeans speaking English, so I'm a bit confused.



Depends whether they are speaking American or English for example: Pants are knickers(underwear) Trash is rubbish. If your voice is European you would not use either of those terms but depends on how authentic you want your characters to sound.

Speedos were popular in the 70s/80s on the beach but not now. The guys now wear long nylon baggy shorts. Check out a brand called Billabong 
http://eu.billabong.com/shop/mens-clothing-boardshorts.

As for daily life it really depends on the age group and it probably differs from country to country. The UK is very different to France and Portugal.


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## skitty (Apr 20, 2014)

PiP said:


> Depends whether they are speaking American or English for example: Pants are knickers(underwear) Trash is rubbish. If your voice is European you would not use either of those terms but depends on how authentic you want your characters to sound.
> 
> Speedos were popular in the 70s/80s on the beach but not now. The guys now wear long nylon baggy shorts. Check out a brand called Billabong
> http://eu.billabong.com/shop/mens-clothing-boardshorts.
> ...



That stuff from Billabong looks hideous. Board shorts are ugly in general. I've seen pictures (and videos) of younger guys in Europe wearing speedos, and I know that they require them in pools. So would it be illogical for them to own them at all?

Do you know where I can find websites about daily life in Europe?


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## PiP (Apr 20, 2014)

Skitty, when you say "younger", how young? I can ask my French son-in-law, when I'm over in France next week, whether  it be illogical for them to own them.


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## garza (Apr 20, 2014)

The comments I'm about to make will draw angry fire from many directions. All I can say is, I will state my personal belief and leave it go at that.

To truly understand cricket or baseball one must have played it as a child. To be able to write convincingly about people one must have lived among them, at least for a while. I do not hesitate to write about Mississippi, New York City, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, or Belize. I've lived among the people in those places - only four or five months in some, a year or more in others. 

I've never been to Great Britain or continental Europe. I studied European history at University. I've read many reference books about the cultures in all the countries in Europe and the Middle East. I would not dare to write so much as a 500 word flash story set in Europe or in any other part of the world where I've not lived. To write about the people of a place I must go to that place, breathe the air, listen to the people talk, see first hand how they live, experience even for a little while living the way they live. Then, and only then, can I write about them.

I'm sorry. This is just me, and it's what I believe about myself. You may have the ability to do otherwise.


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## skitty (Apr 21, 2014)

garza said:


> The comments I'm about to make will draw angry fire from many directions. All I can say is, I will state my personal belief and leave it go at that.
> 
> To truly understand cricket or baseball one must have played it as a child. To be able to write convincingly about people one must have lived among them, at least for a while. I do not hesitate to write about Mississippi, New York City, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, or Belize. I've lived among the people in those places - only four or five months in some, a year or more in others.
> 
> ...



I don't see anything wrong with what you said. You're way more helpful than that Portuguese guy. I try to talk to people on the Internet since I don't have the money to travel.


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## Greimour (Apr 21, 2014)

skitty said:


> That stuff from Billabong looks hideous. Board shorts are ugly in general. I've seen pictures (and videos) of younger guys in Europe wearing speedos, and I know that they require them in pools. So would it be illogical for them to own them at all?
> 
> Do you know where I can find websites about daily life in Europe?



It depends where in Europe largely.
England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales... can just ask people here, like me... other places vary. 
Not many wear speedos in Britain. It's not forced anywhere except in some specific schools... we generally wear shorts.. from age 4+ at least. Some schools ask that children learning to swim wear speedos as it's safer - and kids under 7 don't often care what they wear anyway. Though, if I remember right... we call them "trunks" not speedos

The largest problem you have is using the correct terms in dialogue. 
Color vs Colour, Flavour vs Flavor etc... as long as you are consistent, it's fine I would imagine... we get many books over here that were not rewritten for English readers and have to suffer Americanized English... but I am sure the reverse occasionally happens over there for you guys. 
Then again, HP Philosophers Stone changed to Sorcerers Stone for you guys didn't it? 

Meh!

You will need to get the dialogue right. 
Certain places are ok with Soccer in Europe, but you would never catch a Brit saying "soccer" it's freakin football! and your football is just rugby with protection. 
British op's aside...

You said sometrhing about characters from Ukraine?
Are you going to have them speak English? Are you going to write them with Ukrainian accent? Did they learn English watching TV? Are they based in Ukraine still?

I think you should at least stick to European countries that has very large English speaking communities as a first language.
France, you might get away with it... Spain you could get away... Places with heavy tourists are fine, like Malta - there are some people in Malta where even though born and raised there, they speak English first, Maltese second and Italian third ... 

You really can't judge Europe as a whole. 
It would be like Including Mexico, Canada, Alaska,Columbia and Brazil etc... all as one because they are connected by land.
Ukrainian, Polish, German, French, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Czech... they are all different. The 2 most similar is England and Wales - for there is actually very little to separate them... but as someone who has lived in multiple parts of both Wales and England... let me say... there is still huge differences with the people themselves.

100 Miles to my East we are still in England - the people aren't much different. A little time warped maybe - farmer types. Not quite caught up with the times as far as technology or dressing is concerned... but political views, drinking tea, sunday roast, english breakfast, fish and chips, general mentality... largely the same... as far south as London I have been too.. and pretty much the same there too... yet 100 miles to my west is North Wales and they are very different. Not just because they speak a different language when they feel like it (Cymraeg - Welsh) but they as a people are different. Sense of Humor, personalities, for welsh born and bred with welsh heritage, they even seem like a larger people.. not sure how - presence maybe... meh, anyway... the 2 most closely relatied countries in Europe in terms of being the same is England and Wales. Same Government, Laws, Queen.. everything... but still a very different people from the English.


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## shadowwalker (Apr 21, 2014)

garza said:


> The comments I'm about to make will draw angry fire from many directions. All I can say is, I will state my personal belief and leave it go at that. ...



I'm not going to get angry (no reason to, after all), just point out how many novels (contemporary and through time) would never have been written had the authors needed to visit, let alone live, in the areas they wrote about. Especially nowadays, with internet access (to sites and people), more than enough knowledge about nearly any place and people can be found to satisfy the needs of a novel.


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## garza (Apr 21, 2014)

Ah, but the people who write such novels have imagination. I must see, hear, touch, smell a place in person. When I described the drug dealer in his loft near Bangkok harbour in 'A Man Called Changsai', the description and the dialogue were based on places and people I'd seen and heard. I don't have the ability of the real fiction writer to create a place and a person from nothing. I am a reporter, after all.


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## brighton_dave (Apr 24, 2014)

skitty said:


> I've been working on a number of stories that take place in Europe. (I am a huge Europhile.) Unlike a lot of American books about Europe, these take place in contemporary times. The protagonists are all European. I just have a few questions.
> 
> 1. Will they mind what English I use - should it be American English or British English? I've heard both used by Europeans speaking English, so I'm a bit confused.
> 
> ...



A Brit here, so I can give you that perspective...

1. Language - In the UK it would be completely wrong to use any Americanism, it just wouldn't happen.  However, outside of the UK, most Europeans who haven't actually lived here, get their English from watching [mostly] American films, so plenty of the differences would be there.

2. Young?  I have a ten-year old who has NEVER worn speedos and would look at me with complete contempt if I even suggested it.  I'd say this is typical of just about every male in the UK who is under 40 years of age.  Depending on your proposed audience audience I'd say you could play to some stereotypical prejudices... Eastern Europe (say from Greece/Turkey eastwards) you could expect speedos to still be "in fashion".  Western, Northern & Southern Europe, definitely not.

3. Again, how old? I would imagine daily life is not that different for pre-adult ages - music, internet, video games, tv all pretty standardised across the "Western World".  Schools are set up slightly differently in each country in Europe so you'd need specific knowledge.  

4. Religion.  Christianity is (in my experience) a completely different thing here in Europe than the US.  Countries like UK/France tend to have a far more relaxed view and any _genuine_ belief in a God is restricted to the minority, the rest either don't believe or just don't think about it.  There are more orthodox countries in Europe (Ireland, Spain and Greece) but these are also completely different to Christianity (as I have seen it) in the US.  To the youth in most of Western Europe, religion is *taught* in mainstream schools but not particularly *practiced*... ie very much as "Christians believe this... Muslims believe this... Jews believe this..." rather than as facts "God did this... Jesus did this..."  [My 10yo can speak knowledgeably about Christians, Jews, Muslims, Budists, Taoists, Sikhs, etc etc but doesn't believe in any God]


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## Bloggsworth (Apr 24, 2014)

You can happily mix it up, some Europeans learn their English through a combination of schooling and watching American films and television programmes; some through school and visiting England, some through osmosis, they just picked it up while working in the UK; so three "voices" could be heard in the same conversation. The continent has been cut off from Britain for so long, they have developed thir own mores...


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