Yes, I would, too. I once wrote an HP story with an American Mary-Sue as the main character and, even though I was actually living in the US at the time, I was conscious at every stage of how wrong I could be getting it. My American beta reader had a lot of fun correcting it for me.
My feeling is that there is no way to get it right as a foreigner (in whichever direction) but by far the best way to do a good job is to have someone of the right nationality read the whole thing. They'll spot the things you never thought to ask about.
When I first read blamebrampton's post and poll, I thought that was what she seemed to be arguing for, but actually in conversation she was clearly not. Did you ever read any of that dreadful Draco/Hermione fic that involved one long tedious description of the woman's research about quaint Oxford traditions after another? I think it may have scarred me for life.
I think I did once see a review on FF.net from an American teenager claiming that it would be better for a British writer to use American terms so that the readers could understand. I think she was pretty firmly squashed.
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Date: 2008-12-18 11:59 am (UTC)My feeling is that there is no way to get it right as a foreigner (in whichever direction) but by far the best way to do a good job is to have someone of the right nationality read the whole thing. They'll spot the things you never thought to ask about.
When I first read
I think I did once see a review on FF.net from an American teenager claiming that it would be better for a British writer to use American terms so that the readers could understand. I think she was pretty firmly squashed.