Writing Autistic Characters: 50 Posts From Scriptautistic

Writing Autistic Characters: 50 posts from scriptautistic

Happy Nanowrimo! In honour of national novel writing month 2017 we have put together this list of 50 of the most useful questions and answers from our blog this year. We hope you find them useful - happy writing!

-the scriptautistic mods

Meta

Our masterpost list

Finding an autistic sensitivity reader or beta-reader for your story

How to research autism without falling for tropes

How do I incorporate a character being autistic into the plot without making it be about them being autistic?

Autism resources

Representation

What sorts of characters would you like to see more of?

What are common stereotypes about autistic characters?

Do you have any advice to keep from infantilizing an autistic character?

Is it ok to write ASD characters that are not loved and accepted straight away?

Would it be bad if I make a non-human character autistic?

How do y'all feel about a story about an autistic guy who grows to dislike his autism?

Comorbidities

Similarities and differences between OCD and ASD

What is the difference between down syndrome and autism?

Encouraging abused children to stim again (effects of child abuse)

Are autistic people more likely to get migraines?

Tips for writing an autistic character in a psychiatric hospital?

The effect of a mental breakdown on a character’s routines

Emotions and empathy

What does hyperempathy feel like?

What would a low-empathy character feel and do when trying to comfort someone?

Showing love without saying “I love you”

How would my character use facial expressions?

Sensory sensitivities

What does understimulation feel like?

How might a person with sensory sensitivities cope with living in an unpleasant environment?

Can a character’s autistic traits change as they get older?

How does it feel to have auditory processing disorder?

Why would an autistic person might hit their head when overloaded?

Stimming

How can I write stims?

What does stimming feel like?

What unobtrusive stims could my character use?

Would a character stim differently depending on their emotions?

What is the effect of repressing their stims?

Education

Does autism give disadvantages for certain subjects at school?

Is it realistic to send someone with autism to a special needs school?

Ableism

Well-intentioned but rude neurotypical people

Bad therapy

Might a police officer consider an autistic person a threat if they were having a meltdown?

Communication

What might cause my character to be temporarily nonverbal?

What are some causes for an autistic person being nonverbal?

Might my character use filler words like “um” and “er”?

Could an autistic character pick up on sarcasm?

Could you use signing to communicate with an autistic toddler?

Other

Is it possible for a character’s family/friends to not suspect that the character is autistic until adulthood?

A character’s friends asking them to stop infodumping

How to write a sex scene with an autistic character

What problems might my character have around keeping a pet?

What could be some difficulties with being an autistic cop?

Flying and being at the airport while autistic

Fun posts

Stim toys in a post-apocalyptic setting

Accommodations for an autistic crewmember on a space station

What might an autistic society look like?

Writing x Characters When You Aren’t x, A Masterlist

x: a variable used to represent something unknown.

We’ve seen an influx of questions about how to write stories based around characters of color, disability, non-binary, etc. when the author does not fall into these categories. Rather than have these posts take over the site, we’ve decided to compile a list of resources to help our fellow writers become more educated about writing what they do not immediately know. However, this list is not the end-all-be-all of knowledge; one should always try to learn from someone with first hand experience in any topic. The world is constantly growing and changing, and because of that, there will always be more to learn. The admins at Plotline Hotline want to help writers form respectful, informed, and realistic characters that broaden the narrow range we see in literature today. 

*Be wary that some of the topics listed below contain sensitive material. Reader discretion is advised.* 

As always, the links I found to be especially apt will be in bold. Topics are listed alphabetically, excepting the “other” section.

Culture

Appropriate Cultural Appropriation

What is Cultural Appropriation? [1,2,3]

Cultural Appropriation Is, In Fact, Indefensible

Voice Appropriation & Writing About Other Cultures

Diversity, Appropriation, and Writing the Other [List]

Disability

Writing Disibilities [1,2,3,4,5]

Guides to Writing Deaf or Hard of Hearding People

National Association of the Deaf - Resources [List]

World Federation of the Deaf

Using a Prosthetic Device

Prostehtic Limbs (Character Guide)

How NOT to Write Disabled Characters

A Guide to Disibility Rights Law (United States)

Timeline of Disibility Rights in the United States

Social Security Disability: List of Impairments, Medical Conditions, and Problems [List] (United States)

How to Write Disabled Characters: An Opinion Piece

Artificial Eye Resources [List][Various]

Adapting to the Loss of an Eye

Misconceptions and Myths About Blindness

Blind Characters: A Process of Awareness

Writing Blind Characters [List]

Types of Learning Disabilities [List]

Diversity

A Guide to Spotting and Growing Past Stereotypes

How to Prepare to Write a Diverse Book

The Diversity of Writing

Why Diversity Matters for Everyone

Writing a Driverse Book [1,2,3,4,5]

Diversity, Political Correctness and The Power of Language

Diversity Book List [List][Books]

Basic Tips To Write Subcultures & Minority Religions Better 

Basic Tips to Avoid Tokenism

Gender

GLAAD Media Reference Guide - Transgender

Creating Well-Written Trans Characters

A Few Things Writers Need To Know About Sexuality & Gender Expression

Trans (Character Guide & Bio Building)

A Non-Binary Person’s Guide to Invented Pronouns

Gender Neutral Writing [List]

Keeping a Trans* Person a Person  

Suggestions for Reducing Gendered Terms in Language [Photo]

How to Review a Trans Book as a Cis Person

Writing Characters of Different Genders [List]

Understanding Gender

Gender Spectrum Resources [List]

Gender History

Illness 

Writing Chronic Illness [1,2]

The Spoon Theory - Also pertains to disibility

About HIV/AIDS

Sexually Transmitted Diseases [List]

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sex and Gender Differences in Health [Study]

All Chronic Illness Topics [List]

Coping with Chronic Illness

All Cancer Types

A Day in the Life of a Home Health Aide/Health Coach

Fiction Books With Chronically Ill Main Characters- Not Cancer [List][Books]

Neurotype (Including Mental Health)

Writing an Autistic Character When You Don’t Have Autism

Depression Resources [List]

What to Consider When Writing Mental Illness

Stanford Psychiatric Patient Care

Inpatient Psychiatric Questions and Tips

Don’t Call Me Crazy [Documentary]

(Avoid) Romanticizing Mental Illness [1,2]

A Day in the Life of a Mental Hospital Patient

State-run vs. Private Mental Hospitals

Mental Disorders

Mental Hospital Non-Fiction [List][Books]

National Institute of Mental Health - Mental Health Information [List]

Writing Autistic

What Causes PTSD?

Remember, Remember: The Basics of Writing Amnesia

ADHD Basic Information

What is a Learning Disability?

What is Neurotypical?

Race

Writing Race: A Checklist for Authors

Transracial Writing for the Sincere

Is my character “black enough”

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Challenge, Counter, Controvert: Subverting Expectations

Writing With Color: Blogs - Recs - Resources [List]

Writing People of Color (If you happen to be a person of another color)

7 Offensive Mistakes Well-Intentioned Writers Make

Description Guide - Words for Skin Tone

Religion

Religion in Novels: Terrific or Taboo?

How to Write a Fantasy Novel that Sells: The Religion

Writing About Faith And Religion

From Aladdin to Homeland: How Hollywood Can Reinforce Racial and Religious Stereotypes 

Sexuality

Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity [List]

Writing Gay Characters [1,2,3]

American Civil Liberties Union - LGBT+ Rights

LGBT+ Rights by Country or Territory

History of Gay Rights

Gay Rights Movement

LGBT+ Culture

Gay Myths and Stereotypes

LGBT+ Studies Web Sites [List]

LGBTQ Youth Issues

LGBTData.com

Overview of Gay and Lesbian Parenting, Adoption and Foster Care (United States)

Other

How Doctors’ Offices—and Queer Culture—Are Failing Autistic LGBTQ People

Five Traps and Tips for Character Development

Developing Realistic Characters

I hope that this list will provide topics a writer may not initially think to research when writing. If there are any resources that you think would be fitting for this list, please let us know! We want to have as many helpful sources as possible to maximize learning opportunities. 

Stay educated,

xx Sarah

6 Writing Tips From John Steinbeck

1. Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish. Lose track of the 400 pages and write just one page for each day, it helps. Then when it gets finished, you are always surprised.

2. Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on. It also interferes with flow and rhythm which can only come from a kind of unconscious association with the material.

3. Forget your generalized audience. In the first place, the nameless, faceless audience will scare you to death and in the second place, unlike the theater, it doesn’t exist. In writing, your audience is one single reader. I have found that sometimes it helps to pick out one person—a real person you know, or an imagined person and write to that one.

4. If a scene or a section gets the better of you and you still think you want it—bypass it and go on. When you have finished the whole you can come back to it and then you may find that the reason it gave trouble is because it didn’t belong there.

5. Beware of a scene that becomes too dear to you, dearer than the rest. It will usually be found that it is out of drawing.

6. If you are using dialogue—say it aloud as you write it. Only then will it have the sound of speech.

Ways For Your Characters to Realize They’re In Love

Marathoning favorite shows/movies of their partner even though they don’t really like it

Watching their partner study for an exam

Seeing their partner sorting candy by color

Hearing the way their partner talks to kids

Looking into their eyes and really looking at their eye color

Noticing small details about them (physically)

When they remember details about their partner

Going on a road trip with their partner and having a good time singing and talking for hours with minimal awkwardness

Seeing how their partner treats another human being/animal

The way their partner looks when they fall asleep/wake up 

Seeing their partner make them a meal

Smelling their cologne/perfume in a crowd

Hearing their laugh

Having their partner reach for them without looking because they know they’re there.

Giving their partner a nickname/having their partner give them a nickname

Hearing a song that reminds them of their partner

Standing up for their partner/Protecting them

Catching their eye when they’re in a crowd

When they’re crying

When they pick them up/get picked up by them from work, school, etc.

Seeing how much confidence they have when they talk about something they love

Warning to writers

While you are worrying about whether beta readers will steal your ideas, there is a more genuine threat on the horizon.

When offered a publishing contract, please do all your research before you sign. There are a number of fakes and scammers out there, as well as good-intentioned amateurs that don’t know how to get your work to a wide audience. I won’t tell the heartbreaking stories here - there are too many.

Being published badly is worse than being never published.

It can destroy your career and your dreams.

The quick check is to google the publishing house name + scam or warning.

But, to be sure, check with these places first. They aren’t infallible (nothing is) but they can help you protect yourself. They are written and maintained by expereinced writers, editors, publishers and legal folks.

Absolute Write: Bewares and Background Checks

Preditors and editors

Writer Beware

and the WRITER BEWARE blog

Keep yourself and your work safe.

This is really important, so if you are a writer or have writer friends, or you are a writing blog, please reblog it.

Things to Keep Out of Your Healthy Relationships!

(Alternately: how to identify problematic YA romances.)

Written by yours truly, contributions from @jltillary, @theinkrepository, @time-to-write-and-suffer, and @sakrebleu.

Non-consensual physical intimacy, especially in situations where it’s portrayed as being done for the benefit of the victim or situations where the victim forgives the forced intimacy because they decide they like it after it’s already been forced on them. Examples:

Forcing a partner to accept physical comfort when they don’t want it.

Kissing a partner in the middle of an argument.

Framing consent as unnecessary simply because one person is attracted to the other.

Stalking the other person, even for their own safety.

Forcing the other person into some form of physical intimacy because they “liked it last time.”

Implying that it’s normal for a certain physically intimate act to hurt and/or their partner should grin and bear it.

Skipping over their partner’s preferred forms of intimacy in favor of what they want to do with/to their partner.

When in doubt: Consent should be explicitly given!!

Non-consensual communication. Examples:

Physically stopping a partner from leaving in order to continue talking with them.

Bringing up a topic the other person has made clear they don’t wish to discuss yet.

Forcing the other person into conversations with people they previously showed they did not wish to talk with.

Manipulating the conversation so that the other person shares a secret, especially one that doesn’t affect their partner.

Emotional manipulation. Examples:

Telling the other person to do something (i.e. ‘go away’) as a test, where the person is at fault if they follow through and do as their partner asked.

Blaming the other person for things beyond their control, especially “I wouldn’t be like this if not for you/your interests/your goals.”

Claiming they’ll die (or kill themselves) if the other person leaves.

Not wanting the other person to have friends of the same gender as their partner (i.e. a man not wanting his girlfriend to have any male friends).

“If you really loved me you would do x, y, and z.”

Demanding to be the most important part of their partner’s life, above and beyond their partner’s other responsibilities.

Cheating on their partner as a form of punishment.

Acting as though physical intimacy (or any other sort of intimacy) isn’t important, but then blaming the other person for not supplying it.

Acting distant or cruel until the other person does what they want, or because the other person didn’t do what they wanted.

Demeaning actions and words, especially in instances where they blame the actions and words on internalized sexism, racism, etc as a shield, in instances outside of high-stress arguments, and whenever the character isn’t sincerely sorry for what they did or makes no point to change. Examples:

Stating the other person’s interests or hobbies are inferior or a waste of time.

Telling them they were look better if they did x, y and z.

Demanding they stop doing something or start doing something else based on their gender, race, etc.

Placing the other person in a subordinate role without their partner’s explicit consent.

Not sharing certain pieces of information because they believe they know what’s best for their partner and don’t need the other person’s consent to act upon it.

Bonus: Glorification of a partner simply for not demeaning the other person, (i.e. for acting like  an average, decent human being,) especially when the partner in question boasts how amazing they are for loving their “curvy”/non-white/bisexual/not-like-other-girls/etc partner.

Please add more, if you feel so inclined!