Writing with a Mask: Language and Authenticity In Literature ‹ CrimeReads

Authenticity is a big issue in literature. Who wants to read a fake? Nadie. Nobody! Now, when discussing English texts, the topic of authenticity tends to focus on how to express in this language events or dialogues that happen in another. My previous piece, "Writing with an Accent," was precisely about how I used a foreign language (Spanish) to preserve authenticity without compromising understanding in my novel Death under the Perseids, which takes place in Havana.

But I have also encountered the opposite problem-how to write realistic-sounding scenes from the point of view of an American character, considering that I am not American myself and English isn't my first language. Here, the catch is that my readers are likely to detect any awkward dialogue and unrealistic situations. After all, they are reading a text in their own language. They know perfectly well what sounds right and what doesn't.