#1001 problems

Imagine your world where we exist, without being a tragedy, a burden, or (functionally) erased.

Back in 2019, I came up with my own metric for Disability Representation in stories, inspired by the Bechdel-Wallace Test.

I named it the "1,001 Problems Template"

There's a disabled character,

Who wants something,

Beyond Revenge, Cure, or Death,

And personally takes action to achieve it.

I decided to call it a "Template," rather than "test," because I hope that it's a useful tool, and not something to Pass or Fail. 1,001 Problems, because, Yeah. Disability can be a bitch, but characters can have 1,000 other things they're dealing with, too. And you can write a story about any one of them.

The point being: If you can imagine us as part of your make-believe future, and fairy tale past, then it's easier to include us in your real world present.

*With the understanding, of course, that not all readers want the same thing [/standard "Your mileage may vary" disclaimer]

Well, I am the person who used to go by "Aegipan-omnicorn" here (I'm not on twitter).

And that's close to an earlier attempt of what I was aiming for with that test. But it reads like a paraphrase of what I eventually decided on. I never called the "antinormal test," though.

Here's the version I eventually settled on (And I call it the "1,001 Problems Template"):

There's a Disabled Character

Who wants something

Besides Revenge, Cure, or Death

And tries to get it.