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| Photo and Rabbit painting by Jenni Enzor |
Do you have a food allergy, an autoimmune condition, or a limitation of some kind?
I have several foods I can’t eat, which can make life tricky at times. I also have family members with invisible disabilities. When I write characters, I want them to feel like people first, not a box to check.
If you don’t already know, I am a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, a community of authors who gather monthly to share about the creative life. It’s a place to be honest about our hurdles and celebrate small victories together.
I decided to skip this month's official prompt, which touches on ghostwriting and AI, because my heart was tugging me in a different direction:
How do we create a character with a real-life limitation without letting that single detail overshadow the heart of their story?
Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:
- Let characters introduce themselves. When I first created Jo, my sidekick character, I only knew she was meant to be the grounded counterpoint to my main character, Charlotte. I was genuinely surprised when Charlotte offered her a plate of homemade treats, and Jo quietly declined. Through exploring her world—and reflecting on my own dietary journey and the daily lives of dear friends with celiac disease—Jo’s diagnosis emerged naturally.
