[VIDEO] Can a gringo write magical realism?
On September 10, 2025, I held my first Ask Me Anything zoom session on Writing Identities Not Your Own. Only 5 people attended, but I didn’t give a damn — the conversation was phenomenal. Like “I got chills on my arms a few times” phenomenal.
There were some great questions about whether a gringo can write magical realism, conversations about dialogue, how to approach satire and stereotypes, whether to be a ventriloquist or an actor when building characters, and so much more. I loved how engaged the attendees were and the mix of general and specific questions. Honestly, I’m usually asked the same questions over and over about writing identities not your own, and so I was ecstatic to receive a few questions that I’ve never been asked. I love being surprised like that — it was thrilling!
Even before the conversation began, I knew that I wantd to share the one-hour session with everyone so I made sure to hit record. Now you can watch it on Youtube — for free, baby!
Before you do, here’s what you need to know:
Skip to 9 minutes and 6 seconds (9:06) as that is where the session officially begins. Otherwise, you can hear me have a fun chat with one of the attendees beforehand.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: at 58 minutes and 20 seconds (58:20), I gave attendees a SNEAK PEEK, behind-the-scenes look at my Writing An Identity Not Your Own course for Speculative Fiction writers. I also explain the difference between the course and my writing craft book. You don’t want to miss that opportunity, especially if you write fantasy, sci-fi, speculative fiction, dystopian, or romantasy!
Give the video a watch and let me know what you think. Should I do more Ask Me Anything sessions on writing identities not your own?
