Wonderweasley - If I Am A Sword, I Am Made Of Glass

masterlist of resources for writing disabled/chronically ill/neurodiverse characters

Disclaimer: I do not have every condition listed here (though I do have quite a few). I have verified as much as I could that each resource is a good source of information. If any of these is misleading or wrong in any way PLEASE let me know. I will fix it accordingly.

Wanting to branch into writing more diverse characters? Wanting to include representation for those who are neurodivergent, disabled, or chronically ill? The first step to branching out is to research the various conditions/diseases/disorders your character could have. You also need to research what day to day life would be like for them. These links should provide a starting base of information in writing and portraying these characters:

Resources for writing/handling a chronically ill character:

4 tips for writing a chronically ill character

Writing about a chronically ill character

Spoon Theory

Writing about chronic illness (many different chapters about it)

Writing a character with Chronic Pain

Treating disabled people like humans

Trauma and chronic illness

Talking to disabled people about their disabilities

Spoon Theory Graphic

Executive Dysfunction

Chronic Pain First Aid Kit

How Hogwarts A Mystery can be used to describe spoon theory

Why you should never say “but you don’t look sick!”

Writing disabled characters

Writing a neurodiverse character

What it means to be neurodiverse

An interview about a neurodiverse character and author

Resources for learning more about various chronic illnesses/neurodiversity:

Mental illnesses/Neurological Disorders:

depression

anxiety

post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

bipolar disorder

ADHD

obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

boderline personality disorder (BPD) / more resources

eating disorders / more resources

Cushings

autism

Tourettes

Epilepsy

Autoimmune Diseases:

rheumatoid arthritis

type 1 diabetes

lupus / more references

inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Guillain-Barre syndrome

Graves’ disease

Hormonal/Reproductive Disorders *these disorders are not only women’s health issues. trans men and non-binary indiviudals can suffer from them as well. please do not refer to them as solely women’s health issues*:

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) / more information /

Adenomyosis

Endometriosis

Gastrointestinal Conditions:

gastroesophageal reflux disease

Barrett’s esophagus

Celiac Disease

Skin Conditions:

Rosacea / more resources

Eczema / more resources

Psoriasis / more resources

Various other illnesses/conditions:

Ehler-Danlos Syndrome

B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia

Type 2 Diabetes

Iron deficiency anemia

Chronic migraines

Arthritis

Fibromyalgia

Recommended places to look for more information on your own:

The Mighty

PBS list of resources

PCOS awareness association

Right here on tumblr. there are tons of posts under tags related to the topics as well as the “#chronically ill” tag and “#spoonie” tag

Try and find either government websites or websites that belong to the specific research groups for those conditions

Psychiatry journals/texts

Reach out to those you know with a chronic illness (but ALWAYS be sure to ask if it is okay. for some people talking about their illnesses is traumatizing and personal. others (like me) are okay with it!

If there are illnesses not here that you would like represented, let me know! I plan on keeping this updated and continuing adding to it. Every link should take you directly to the source/post.

Remember, a lot of these are more common than you think. there will always be someone out there who feels represented by a character with one of these conditions/disorders/diseases. this kind of representation helps normalize the idea that it is okay to exist as a neurodivergent, chronically ill, or disabled person. you are allowed to have adventures and live a happy life.

Sometimes it’s really lonely being an author. Because when you’re writing, you’re doing it alone, and there’s no one there to gush over silly feelings with you.

And I suppose that’s why reader comments are important to authors. It’s not about the compliments. It’s that we’ve been alone with our thoughts this whole time. It’s an awesome feeling when a friend shows up to share them with you.

Reblog if it’s ok for your mutuals to just send you posts they think you’d like or talk to you about random parts of their day

I’ve been writing on tumblr for maybe close to a month or just a bit over? I’m not sure how long, but can I just say that I haven’t had much trouble on here. I’ve had great feedback and responses to my work and I really appreciate it. So what I’m about to say isn’t about me at all, just about fic writers in general, as clearly some people need to read this.

The thing about fic writers is, we do this completely willingly. We don’t get paid to sit for maybe hours at a time composing a fic that might only get 100 notes, most of which being likes which doesn’t give it much reach. We don’t stress over if a piece is good or not before posting to get a good grade that might help us in the future. At first, we do it for ourselves, then later on we start doing it for other people once we get reach and attention. It is fun, fic writing is so fun because you get to create ideas of your own with characters you and many other people may love.

But fic writing doesn’t become fun when it’s forced. Writers shouldn’t have to decide on whether to complete an important assignment or complete a fic to satisfy many angry followers mad that there hasn’t been a fic update recently. Writers shouldn’t have to deal with angry complaints about being denied a fic requests because they aren’t comfortable with writing a certain idea or because they just don’t want to. Writers shouldn’t be criticised on their writing when so much effort went into it, and they did it for themselves. Writers shouldn’t feel obliged to write a request because they’ll get backlash if they don’t. We write for free, and we write for us, so why do so many people believe it is acceptable to demand new fics from writers or be rude to them?

Writers are people. Just like you. We have our own lives outside of writing, we have our own feelings outside of it too. And you never know what somebody is going through. So your snide comment about how a writer didn’t take your request might be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

That’s why feedback on posts means so much to us. We spend so much of our free time writing these complex fics on our own accord, so the least someone could do is give it some feedback. Tell the writer what you enjoyed about it, reblog it so other people reach the fic instead of just liking it and not doing anything to help the writer from that point onwards.

What I’m trying to say is, if you haven’t grasped the idea yet, please be nice to fic writers. Instead of demanding a new fic, ask a writer if they’re okay. Instead of being rude, try being nice, and if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all. We are still people, just like you.

If you’ve gotten this far, thank you and I hope you have a good day. 💜

9 Quotes That Really Should’ve Been In The Movies

the fake scenarios in my head keep me going

Me, not talking: Ah fuck, I am being weird

Me, talking: Ah fuck, I am being weird

Look...

Something I just learned today:

Plan B has a shelf life of 4 years. That means if you purchase it, you know, sometime before the new year- it will be good for 4 years.

a relationship should be fifty-fifty. She lays me gently in the cold dark earth and I crawl home to her.