Staying True to Someone Else's Religion

I wish there was more religious diversity in the books I've read. Granted, they're only a fraction of the infinite-seeming books in the world, but when I read books that do feature religious characters, they're usually Christians (and usually white). There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but I want more.
I want to read about Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, and Sikhs. I want to read about people who grew up in a culture fundamentally different than my own, which was molded by their religion. Faith is obviously a big factor in many people's lives, and I think we, as writers, should do a better job of honoring that. From what I can tell, books are getting slightly more religiously diverse, but not by much. If you're committed to this, it can greatly expand your worldview, and will give readers something new, that I believe publishing still needs today. How does one write about a religion whose beliefs s/he isn't familiar with, without appropriating the character's culture?

1. Do extensive research. Read their sacred scripture(s) if possible, and study the religion's history.

2. Figure out the culture around their religion. Do people dress modestly? What do they talk about? What are their values? What separates them from similar religions or people? What's their daily life like? How much is their faith ingrained in their life?

3. Find blogs written by people actively practicing their faith. See if there's a place of worship anywhere nearby that you could visit for a service, if they're open to guests.

4. Talk to at least one person who is a believer about their religion. Make sure that your biases don't distort the information you get. Also, remember that it's only one person's view, and so that varies highly.

5. If possible, find someone from that religion who would be willing to read the book once it's ready to make sure it's an accurate representation of their faith.

If you have any other tips or suggestions for books with non-Christian main (or even side) characters, I'd love to hear them in the comments. 

7 Tips for Dealing with Rejection

You open up your email to find a form rejection, in simple black font. They thank you for submitting and wish you the best of luck with your writing. You glance at the email, slightly dazed. You'd anticipated this, but you had hope that they might accept it. Your rejections add up, a small pile of electronic apathy and "better luck next time". You wish it didn't sting, but it does. Because art is so often an expression of who we are and how we see the world, these rejections hit harder than others. Especially when you dedicate so much to your art, you feel insecure and overall not good enough. So, what do you do?

1. Delete the email and pretend that you never read it. As they say, ignorance is bliss. Okay, so this isn't the best coping mechanism. It works for a minute, though, until you start crying. (Good thing writers are never dramatic, huh?)
2. Remember that this is just one person's opinion. (Or one group of people's opinion, as it may be.) Just because they rejected it doesn't mean that it's awful and that you will never be a good writer and you are doomed to writing mediocrity all of your days.
3. Eat chocolate. Green tea also works well, although you could eat whatever you want if it makes you feel better. Exercising increases dopamine, which makes you feel happier.
4. Remember that while writing may be a big part of your life, it's not the only part of your life. So, try something different. Paint, or cook, or sleep more. Spend time with friends, or reading.
5. Accept that rejections are a part of a writer's life and hey, you might as well get used to it. Besides, you're one rejection closer to acceptance. Yay!
6. Remember that you are not your writing. You are not your writing. It's awesome that writing plays a part in your life, but it shouldn't determine your self-worth. It's okay to take a break from writing if it doesn't make you happy. You can always come back to it.
7. Read over said rejected work and see if there are any ways you could improve it.

Obviously, this isn't an exhaustive list, just tips I've gleaned from dealing with a glut of rejections in the past few weeks. If you have any other ideas, feel free to tell me in the comments!