HEY, Writers!

This was a tough post to write. 

I saw a post about disability rep, and I kept thinking about it, and wanted to share my own takes on the topic. 

I thought about it for days, trying to figure out how to word it. Then after drafting it, I stuck it in a file for a couple of weeks, trying to decide if I could even post it. This is not a topic that can be boiled down to a simple yes/no kind of answer.

Let’s start with two examples.

1 - I have a short story I started writing (it wants to grow up to be longer, so it’s waiting for time) where my original concept was to write about an older woman who is short and has major chronic pain, and I wanted to dig into fantasy reasons why this pain exists, but at the same time, have her be able to kick ass despite being exhausted and dealing with excruciatingly painful issues.

2 - I once drafted a portal fantasy storyline wherein a young man was transported into a fantasy world, and when he was given a horse to ride, he approached it very warily. He was encouraged to mount, did so, and sat there and exclaimed in shock, “My brain isn’t exploding with snot!” because his allergies hadn’t come with him into the body he had in the fantasy world.

Both stories were designed to be fun, a bit light, maybe even cozy.

So.

In one case, the disabled character remains disabled and kicks ass anyway. And in the other case, the character is magically “healed” and no longer has debilitating allergies that had wrecked his way of life.

This is the difficult part to express: I think both storylines are valid.

Bear with me while I dig into this.

First and foremost: I completely agree that we need more representation in all forms of fiction, especially when it comes to disabled people being able to live their lives. Characters with missing limbs, or non-neurotypical brains, or anxiety & depression, or hearing issues, or sight problems, or chronic pain, or… or… you get the idea. We need all of it, and we need it to not need to be magically healed in order for a story to be considered happy and cozy. Disabled people can be happy, too.

I’m all in for this, and I wouldn’t write the stories I do if I weren’t.

However, there are also moments where I am so exhausted by my body and by everything I deal with inside of it where I do wish for that magical ability to forget that my pain exists. Or for the ability to actually process information in a straight line, or make decisions without writing a hundred lists and accomplishing nothing from them. Or to be able to lie down in a field of grass without regretting it for days while I drip snot and fight sinus-pain-induced migraines.

Sometimes I want to imagine that my life is different.

And that is one of the joys of writing. I can choose to write a story where people like me or the people I know are the heroes/heroines exactly as they are, different abilities and all. Or I can choose to write a story where the problems magically resolve.

Both can be cozy, sweet, and adorable. I can give the character with chronic pain the ability to kick ass, take names, and have a sweet reunion with her ex-girlfriend. I can show all the ways that my disabilities may define how I handle my life differently than someone else, but do not define what I can and cannot do.

But I can also daydream about a life where it’s different, the same way I can daydream about having wings, or being able to teleport. For me, imagining a day with no pain is the same as a day where I can walk through walls. It is absolutely a fantasy, and about as likely to happen.

Here’s the thing: It’s okay to be angry to see what looks like disability being erased. It’s okay to wonder why the author did that, why they magically healed someone instead of letting them be who they were. But at the same time, maybe ask why, and what point of view it’s coming from. Or look a little deeper into the story and how the resolution occurs, and the effect it does have on the character (I suspect that were I to suddenly have a day of no pain, I’d be intensely reckless, given what an idiot I am while IN pain, y’know? And WOW would I regret that later…).

And for authors, think about what you’re writing. WHY is this particular event (keeping disability, erasing it, whichever or both) happening, because the reader will take note of it. They may see things that weren’t intended, but are there as unintentional biases.

Make conscious decisions for why things happen.

I also write a lot of fantasy with the room there to wave away someone’s impairment or heal them for pretty cheap, if I so desired.

I could go on and on about a bunch of different disabilities and how you can rep them but I’ll keep this narrowed to physical injuries.

For me, my one rule in deciding whether or not to “cure” a character—I will give a character a mobility aid, but if they had this disability before the plot, they will have it their entire time in the story in some form. If they got it during the plot, they may get it healed.

Examples:

I have a character who’s a double amputee, war wound in his past in WIP 1. He has prosthetics so he can still walk, but heavy (nonromanticized) burn scarring all over his body. In that very same universe exists medicinal magic that can regrow entire limbs. This character will never get the chance to have his legs gifted back or his skin healed, as I think it would be disrespectful to real veterans to do so.

Also in WIP 1, I have another character who, at one point, was in the same combat situation as the above character, different unit, different role, who constantly got their body healed and thrown back out into war, and they happened to make it home in one piece (with some massive survivor guilt). Any damage that this character sustains is healed, but the memory and trauma remains.

In Eternal Night, I have a cast of vampires who regularly get shot, stabbed, and suffer broken bones, broken necks, etc. They, of course, heal perfectly. I also have some mortals who aren’t so lucky, even with a minor assistance from vampire healing powers. Thing is, though, that my vampires are frozen in the state the die, with very visible and distinct scars for how they died, forever on their bodies. If you die from an arrow through the eye, and you have vamp blood in your body when it happens, you’ll forever be missing that eye, for example. Turning only heals what kills you, it gives nothing back that you already lost. So I have a character who loses a couple fingers to frostbite and takes an arrow to the kidney. They manage to have the arrow wound healed, but those fingers are gone and lost forever.

I have yet to write a character born with a physical disability, but I do have plenty with neurodivergence and/or mental health.

—

For me, at least, I think there’s something to keep in mind when writing and magically removing disabilities (specifically for this post, physical impairments):

Loss of a part of yourself can be devastating, not just internally but in a society that isn’t built for people who aren’t able-bodied and that discriminates every chance it gets, even in unintentional or ignorant ways.

So if you’re going to “heal” somebody, they will still have the memory of that loss, and will probably have some difficultly adjusting to this new normal (perhaps even a little guilt that they got healed and someone else did not). I’m not against giving limbs back, but to erase the memory, too, kind of begs the question of “why did you make them disabled if it suddenly doesn’t matter at all to their character?”

For me, personally, I just don’t think I have the right to tell a story like that, as someone without that lived experience. I don’t think you should profit off of suffering you did not endure, if that suffering is the entire point of a character’s existence (which many stories unfortunately boil disabilities down to).

They do not offer paperbacks or hardbacks at this time.

But their digital market has the same e-book and audio market reach as D2D/Ingram and allows for library lending. So if you are an indie author who was mostly using D2D for that library access, and for whom the maintenance fees would be prohibitive against your earnings, you can use Kobo for free.

I haven't used it, because I'm not affected by the D2D fees and I didn't want to mess up my market listings by having duplicates, but when I heard about the D2D fees, I started researching so I could hopefully find a free alternative with comparable market reach. And good old Kobo was there.

It allows for the same subscription model as KU, but doesn't enforce an exclusivity clause, so you can still mass sell through the global market and also be hosted in libraries.

I know it seems risky when KU is so established, but Kobo+ subscriptions are increasing quite a bit as even the most stalwart of Kindle fans get sick of Amazon, and my Kobo+ numbers are starting to eclipse Kindle, which is delightful.

The more we as authors push readers to Kobo+, the more freedom we'll have, so I think it's a worthwhile endeavor, for us and them.

You see this?

That's not a river. That's the South Canal in Mesa, Arizona (Phoenix metro area).

This is a view of the East and South canals. At least half of all the Phoenix metro canals were originally built by the Hohokam (from roughly 200-1400 CE), and are still in use (restored) today.

Phoenix, Arizona actually has more miles (kilometers) of Canals total than both Venice and Amsterdam. No, really. Phoenix has about 180 miles of canals, many of which are built on ancient canal foundations.

below is an aerial view photo taken in the late 1930's of one branch of Phoenix's canal systems:

Also have the "Montezuma Castle," if you need a castle:

There are many tour guides on the internet that give you lists on what the best options for a trip through the desert are.

What to wear in a desert

long sleeves and long pant legs - even if it's hot, direct sunlight is never the best option, cover your shoulders and neck at all times

loose fitting clothes to allow air circulation

lightweight layers - it can get cold in the desert, so a lightweight jacket and more than one layer can come in handy

breathable fabrics - linen, cotton, merino wool

headpieces - sunstrokes are no joke, don't forget your neck

fabrics that shield you from UV light

light colours - easier with the sun, even though washing the sand out of it, is a bitch

sunglasses to shield your eyes

good walking shoes, like sneakers that are breathable, but protect your feet from the hot sand and rocks and keep you warm at night

actual hiking boots if you intend to walk around a lot

scarves to protect yourself from the sand

Other important items:

drinks

food

sunscreen

lip balms and cremes (dry desert air)

wet wipes, because everything is full of dust

(and things to save yourself of course)

And from experience, it really does get chilly as soon as the sun goes down. And the sand goes absolutely everywhere and it stains. I have a pair of shoes that is still tainted red from a trip to the desert from four years ago.

so i wanted to throw in some suggestions that, whenever I’m trying to find a character reference or otherwise draw very interesting-looking yet regular-looking people, which i usually have to do for bit characters in @ikroah​ or something, I tend to look for references in the following places. these are far from the only reliable way to get inspiration, this is just a non-exhaustive list of places i’ve looked before for visual inspiration when needing to create a character, whether starring characters or background ones:

pre-2000s television (The Sopranos and Twin Peaks especially having incredible character design)

extras in comedy sketch shows

esports players

real photos (not staged stock photos) of line cooks

70s baseball players

athletes from more obscure olympic sports like the javelin toss or greco-roman wrestling, especially if you’re looking for a specific body type

ska, jazz, and blues musicians

firefighters

improv troupes

for teenagers, searching “high school english class project” on youtube and sorting by Upload Date

state senators, small-town mayors, and generally obscure local government positions like comptroller or treasurer (yes i know politicians can be bad sometimes but smaller elections especially don’t really depend on looks)

people who walk by your window (if you live in a city like I do)

I am a social worker. I have worked in community mental health and in home-based healthcare. And it is much, much easier for me to help you when the situation you're in is not yet a full-blown crisis.

"I'm out of money and have been for a while and now I haven't eaten for three days." This is a crisis. A crisis where I'm likely going to have to put you in the car and take you to the nearest food bank--except food banks require appointments now, and the next opening is in four days, so you're staring down the barrel of a week with no food. That's obviously not going to work, so, let's call eight different food banks until we've found one that has an appointment the next day...except it's in the neighboring county and you can't drive. So now I'm calling your doctor to try and brow beat an emergency plan of care update out of him so I can come back the next day and drive you to the food bank. And we haven't even started on the "constantly broke" part of the problem.

"I don't think I have enough food to make it to my next paycheck. I have (xyz) in my house and that will only last until (date)." This is bad, but not a crisis. We have a few days. We make you an appointment at the food bank and contact your brother to make sure you have a ride there. Now we can spend our visit talking about what bills are causing you the most problems and make a jump on a long-term solution, like looping in a community action agency to cover your utilities and getting you an OTC card from Medicaid to cover some of your groceries every month.

"I'm ten months behind on rent, and my landlord said I have a week to get out, or the cops will throw me out. I don't have the money, and if I get evicted, I have nowhere to go." This is a crisis. Every single thing we do here is going to be some version of a Hail Mary. In Michigan, we have the state emergency relief fund for rent issues, but process time is well over one week. There are community action agencies that we can call to assist you with payment, but they are unlikely to have sufficient funds to cover nearly a year of back rent. We can contact legal aid clinics to try and prevent your landlord from evicting you, but they may look at your case and determine that too much "fault" lies with you. Most likely, I'm going to have to put you in touch with homeless shelters and the public housing office.

"I'm two months behind on rent and I don't think I'll be able to pay next month either." This is bad, but not a crisis. This is solvable. We have time to apply for SER, or put you in contact with community action agencies. We have time to review your finances and see if you qualify for a public housing wait list or other forms of ongoing rental assistance. We have time to talk about a million possible adjustments to try and ease the burden of your rent.

"I am the sole caregiver for my elderly parent who has dementia and is emotionally volatile and fully dependent on me. I have not slept through the night in weeks and I have not had an actual break for over a year. I am having screaming meltdowns multiple times a week and I am threatening self-harm unless someone comes to collect my parent and take over all caregiver duties." This is a crisis. This is a crisis where the ethical code of my profession demands that I call 911 and report the conversation to them. They will likely come to the house and interview you. If they determine your threats were serious, they will have you forcibly committed to a psych ward. Your parent will either be dumped into a random hospital or rehab center, or left in the house on their own. Upon release from your psych hold, you will be expected to resume caregiving duties as though nothing happened. Except, now, adult protective services is actively investigating you, because it was determined you may be an ongoing danger to your parent.

"I am the sole caregiver for my demented parent, and I have not had a break in a couple of weeks, and I feel angry and weepy most of the time." This is bad, but not a crisis. We can get you in touch with volunteer groups for respite, and apply for state funded programs to get more day-to-day help, and talk about long-term planning for when the dementia symptoms get worse. We can get you the phone numbers for crisis lines and enroll you in a support group.

Writing a character who remains composed when everything around them is falling apart is a hard thing to do, especially since I’m sure a lot of us don’t feel that way when we’re in tricky situations. My significant other is cool as a cucumber when something is genuinely stressful, and I’m in constant awe of his ability to just be calm and take charge.

When it comes to writing a calm character in an overwhelming situation, the balancing act comes when you want them to feel grounded and in control, but not so detached that they seem robotic or unfeeling. The trick is understanding that being calm isn’t an absence of emotion; it’s managing those emotions in a way that serves the situation they’re in.

Understand where their calm comes from

Before you can write a calm character convincingly, you need to understand why they’re calm. Their composure ought to have a source. Does their calm come from:

Training or experience? Military personnel, emergency responders, or anyone who has faced repeated crises may have learned to compartmentalise and therefore find it easier to remain calm in situations outside of their normal experiences.

Personality? Some people are naturally less reactive and process their emotions internally rather than externally.

A coping mechanism? Their calm might be a learned defence against trauma or chaos in their past.

Responsibility? They may stay calm for others because someone has to, and they’ve taken on that role.

Neurodivergence? Many neurodivergent people may panic or stress at the little things in their lives, but when something genuinely big and dramatic happens, they’re suddenly calm and collected as adrenaline and dopamine flood their systems.

Understanding the root of why they are calm will help you write it authentically because those reasons will feed into their entire characterisation. It will feel genuine in the moment because you really know your characters.

Separate internal experiences from external behaviour

What a character shows and what they feel are not always the same thing. Even the most composed person experiences physiological stress responses that might not be visible to others. Their bodies react even if their behaviour doesn’t.

You can show this through:

Physical sensations like a racing heart, a tight chest, or icy hands.

Controlled breathing to ensure they have a strong and calm voice when they speak.

Micro-reactions like a brief pause, tightening their jaw, or a moment where their eyes flicker before they respond.

An internal monologue that lets readers into their head where the storm is happening, even as they appear calm externally.

Duality helps to create tension and makes characters feel three-dimensional rather than emotionless. Just because other characters can’t see the emotions doesn’t mean that someone doesn’t experience them. It can also make a good revelation later on down the line if someone misinterprets a calm character as cold and distant.

Use their actions to show competence

Calm characters often show their composure by doing rather than feeling. When chaos erupts, they act. They do things deliberately and with calculation. You can show them:

Assessing the situation methodically.

Prioritising what needs to happen first.

Giving clear, steady instructions to others.

Focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on the problem.

Stepping up to take charge, whether it is reluctantly or unasked.

Use strategic cracks in their facade

To make your composed character feel real, build in moments where their control slips, even just a little. This might look like:

A sharp edge to their voice that they quickly smooth over.

Hands that stay calm but finally start to tremble when the crisis is over.

A private moment where they come close to a breakdown.

Delayed emotional reactions that surface later.