ISWG: Character First, Diagnosis Second: Writing Limitations with Heart

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:

1. 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. 
2. Navigating the lived experience. While my own kitchen is managed much like a celiac household, I am only gluten-intolerant. My ongoing concern is: Have I portrayed her with enough sensitivity and truth that someone living this reality will feel understood? I took heart when an early reader mentioned how refreshing it was to see Jo navigate her life with quiet, matter-of-fact confidence.
3. Leading with her passions, not her diagnosis. Long before Jo’s dietary needs came up, I knew she had a wry sense of humor, was shy but not quiet, and loved animals and sci-fi. Although celiac affects her life in a big way, she probably wouldn’t introduce herself by saying, “Hi, I have celiac.” She’d say, “Hi, I love rabbits, Watership Down, and writing stories.”
4.  Remembering why children open books. As a former special education teacher and homeschool mom, I’ve noticed it is rare for a child to ask for a book about an "issue." They want a tale that is courageous, tender, funny, or adventurous. Our first calling as storytellers is to give them a world to love. When a young reader (or a grown-up) catches a glimpse of their own quiet hurdles along the way, that connection becomes a gift of grace.

While I set aside the official question on ghostwriting, there is a sense in which all storytelling is a form of ghostwriting. We are quiet listeners, recording someone else’s journey and sharing it with the world.

Max, the Reading Dog

 

 

 

 

 

Max’s take 

Let characters introduce their favorite books and pets before their hurdles. By the way, I love walkies, squirrels, cuddles, and cookies!

 

  

Notes from the Front Porch:

 

Fellow writers: Do you ever navigate how to portray illness, limitations, or invisible differences in a way that honors a character’s inner strength?

Homeschoolers & Readers: What is a beloved story you’ve read that wove a character’s limitations into the journey without losing the wonder of the adventure?

This will be my final post here on Blogger! Next Monday, I’m moving my writing home over to jenniferenzor.com.

If you already follow along through follow.it, you don't need to do a thing—I will update the feed so new posts continue arriving just as they always have. And if you’ve been following right here through Blogger, I’m working on a way for you to subscribe and read from the new site. I’d love for you to come along for the next chapter.

Tea and Tails

Let’s stay in touch.

If you enjoy our bookish chats, I’d love to have you join me for Tea and Tails, a monthly letter from my reading nook filled with bookish heart and quiet courage.

I'm so grateful to be part of the Insecure Writer's Support Group community. 

A special thank you to this month's wonderful co-hosts: 

Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Liza at Middle Passages, JH Moncrieff, and Jemima Pett!

You can join us here.