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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45373
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I totally get how you feel, and, I'm sorry to say, there isn't really a quick fix. You're right in that stories in styles very specific to western culture can feel out of place in an Indian setting - you can always tell the story of detective Ram taking down the Bombay mafia after a lady in a red sari came begging for his help, but it isn't the same (bad example, but you get it). I just use unindian names and places for stories like these, and people usually don't say things like "you're Indian, how can you write stuff like this?"

I think the key factor here is that we've been so inundated with western media that we're kind of qualified to write in their cultural contexts **(KIND OF)**. I would never fully trust a non-Indian to deal with Hindu mythology fairly, but I think anyone writing about Greek mythology probably knows how to do it. The colonizers forced their culture on most of us - they don't get to take it back now. If you really feel weird about it, use a pseudonym like some people have already suggested. The good news is that Indian names don't need to mess up your fantasy setting. The universe in Terry Pratchett's famous Discworld series is based off of Indian mythology (A flat world on four elephants' shoulders, the elephants stand on a turtle moving through space). I once wrote a magic style story for a workshop class full of Americans, and they all said that 'Sita' was a good name for my MC because it reinforced the idea that it wasn't the US or a real world we were in (yeah, kind of yikes). Even if you don't want to write about India, you can write about the dusty warm kingdom with monsoons instead of fall and spring and princess and princesses who wear heavy gold jewellery and colourful clothes and ride on elephants etc etc

TLDR; Use American names and places if you think they fit better, there's nothing wrong with that. Use a pseudonym if it helps. Indian culture does have more of a place in fantasy - don't be afraid to use it or mimic it if you want to.

Your stories are valid, no matter what amalgamation of cultures they may come from.

Original score: 2