I love reading about strong, determined
characters who beat the odds, no matter what it is. But the thing
about writing characters with disability is to write it in a way
that’s respectful. Write the character how you would any other
character, only make sure you stay true to their disability. If you
have a character who is blind, they would most likely take public
transportation to get places or get rides from friends or a taxi
service. I have vision in one eye—though its not perfect—and no
vision in the other—and I tried driving my grandma’s golf cart.
Ran straight into the apple tree. I never drove the golf cart ever
again. I also tried driving a real car and again, will never ever
drive ever! That’s not to say no one who is blind or visually
impaired won’t drive. I just choose not to—for a very good
reason.
Also, I rely a lot on sound. I pay
attention to how someone speaks. I don’t see visual cues nor do I
use facial expressions. Someone with better vision than myself may be
able to see those things. Know your character!
I know this turned into a post about
writing a character who is blind/visually impaired but I wanted to
give examples from my experiences. Everyone has different experiences
and like every writer, I drew inspiration from my own life. They say
write what you know: now that’s not ALWAYS true. If it were I’d
be writing stories about a small southern town. I still may do that
one day haha! But I want to branch out. Writing—and reading—is a
chance to experience other ideas, other cultures, step into the shoes
of someone else for a while. So when you write a character—whether
they have a disability or not—get inside their head. Who knows, you
may learn something while in there. You will come out on the other
side with a different perspective.
I know this blog post was a little
different than you probably expected. But I didn’t set out to write
a how to blog! Why? Well, I may have a character who has a disability
but that doesn’t mean I’m an expert. I don’t have all the
answers. I’m still learning and will continue to learn the craft of
writing for the rest of my life. So write, research, learn, and
strive to write the best book you can!
Bio: RA
Odum grew up and still lives in Georgia. Her love for writing and
stories started in her grandmother's attic and never stopped. Born
sixteen weeks early and loss of vision in one eye, RA faces obstacles
head on. From the time she was very small, she has had a host of
characters in her head, screaming for their stories to be told. When
she is not writing, she loves to spend time with her family, sing and
read. She also enjoys learning and teaching others American Sign
Language. She hopes her novels will inspire and make a difference.
Links:
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author page: https://www.facebook.com/RAOdum
Tumblr:
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Thanks for sharing, RA. I've used characters with disabilities a few times because I love the heightened sense of triumph when they overcome all odds and become the hero or heroine. One hero had brain damage, and the heroine of an upcoming SFR novella had her tongue cut out by space pirates. In each case, I felt, like you, that research was crucial to learn how the disability would affect the character physically--and more important, emotionally.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post, RA. I think another thing to consider when writing characters with disabilities is that they may have other strengths or senses that are exceptional.
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