Its Come To Our Attention That Theres A Message Stream Going Round Aboutcertain Girls Of The School.

It’s come to our attention that there’s a message stream going round about certain girls of the school.

Black Character: ...[coughs]

Literally Any Fandom: See, that's the reason why I don't like that character. Look at the way they cough. They're so arrogant and obnoxious and, like, loud. They clearly felt the need to cough louder than everybody else. And this is why I don't like them. I'm not racist. Not everything is a race thing. I just don't like THAT character. They're worse than the villain because at least the villain has a reason to be obnoxious.

Black Female Character: [Dates Non-Black Character for 5 Seconds]

Fandom: Idk why the writers put them together. They have no chemistry, they don't look right together. They just don't click. She's a strong independent woman and a love interest will just ruin her story. Why can't he be with that random white girl that looked at him that one time 2 seasons ago? Or the cis straight white dude? They had a lot of chemistry in that one scene, that one time. I ship him with literally every character on the show EXCEPT her. Even ones he's never met.

Fandom: I know she's the only black character, but it's not a race thing. Not everybody who hates your ship is a racist, and it's offensive to assume so.

How to Write Non-binary Characters: a three part guide.

Disclaimer: While this guide is written by a non-binary person in collaboration with many other non-binary writers and readers, it does not necessarily cover the views of all people within the non-binary community.

PART ONE: the basics.

First off, what is this thing you call non-binary?

Non-binary genders are any gender identity that isn’t covered in the Western idea of woman (girl) and man (boy). This identity has nothing to do with which chromosomes or sexual organs a person has. Some non-binary people also identify as being trans (which is technically an umbrella term containing non-binary), while others only identify as being non-binary. Some commonly use the slang term enbie (which comes from the pronunciation of the initials for non-binary, aka N.B.) while others don’t. Some break down their gender further than simply non-binary, while others choose not to.

Some terms for common non-binary genders:

Agender: having no gender.

Bigender: having both binary genders, or aspects of two different genders, usually simultaneously. (Much like the bi in bisexual, non-binary people may also claim this term if they have any number of genders, especially if they can’t quite tell where one ends and the other begins, or they may claim the term pangender instead.)

Demi-(boy/girl/man/woman): being partially (but not wholly) binary.

Gender-fluid: transitioning between genders, which may include both binary and non-binary genders.

Gender-queer (or just queer): not of a binary gender. May be used when someone does not feel that any other terms fit them quite right, when they’re still trying to determine their gender and don’t yet wish to choose a term, or simply because the person finds it to fit them best.

There are also genders similar to what Western cultures call non-binary in many non-Western cultures, which are wonderfully diverse and all incerdibly valid, but as someone from an exclusively Western cultural heratage, I don’t feel I have the right or the knoweldge to talk about them.

So then, who are these non-binary people in real life?

The only thing that differentiates a non-binary person from a binary person is that they don’t identify as having a binary gender.

Their non-binary-ness could influence their lives in an infinite number of ways:

It could be subtle or life changing.

They could use fashion and vocal training and actions to present themselves in ways outside their society’s binary gender norms, or they could never even mention they’re non-binary to another living soul. 

They could change their pronouns, or their name, or keep one or both the same.

They could spend years re-figuring out who they are and what it means to be non-binary or they could realize it once and never feel the need to dwell on it again.

They could identity as one of the numerous non-binary labels, or they could decide they’re just not binary and don’t care to dig further than that. 

They could accept all gendered terms, or certain gendered terms, or no gendered terms at all.

People assuming they’re binary could frustrate them or sadden them or anger them, or they could not care in the slightest. 

They may feel they exhibit (or wish to exhibit) many of the traits their society designates to a certain binary gender, or they many not.

They could feel the same way about their identity all the time, or differently every day.

Each non-binary person (and character) is unique, and their non-binary-ness is just one tiny part of who they are.

The basic do’s and don’ts for writing non-binary characters respectfully if you’re a binary person…

Keep reading

Let’s talk about autistic Keith and Pidge

Because I am trash and it took me all of three episodes to be 1000% convinced that they’re both autistic. And now I’ve watched this show straight through three times (plus bits and pieces like eight full episodes of a fourth run for Research!) and I want to ramble about it.

Under the cut: a look at canonical evidence for autistic Keith and autistic Pidge, plus a few of my own headcanons.

Minor spoilers, mostly for the first four episodes.

Keep reading

Character: Wirt

From: Over the Garden Wall

Gender: Nonbinary

Why: When the tavern keeper asks who Wirt is, he says “I’m a guy, I guess…” and when he is asked a second time, he says “I don’t know. I don’t really like labels. I’m just sort of, like, myself, you know?”

Hey so do you have any tips on writing mute or characters with difficulty speaking

I present to you three key points to keep in mind when writing mute characters. Not all of these points need to be explicitly laid out in the writing, but are still important to keep in mind for the sake of continuity/realism/ease/etc. 

Determine a reason for your character’s muteness. This is one of those points that does not necessarily need to be explained in the writing, but defining a cause will add a layer of realism to your story. There is a difference between become mute because of malformed vocal cords and having one’s tongue cut out. Both instances prohibit speech, but one is more traumatic than the other and may have a larger impact on the character’s development. Additionally, remember that being mute by physical means does not mean the character will be stricken with complete silence. They may still be able to make sounds, just unable to speak.

Think about how they will communicate. Please refer to this post if you plan on having your characters communicate through sign language. This area is the most broad and where one can take the most liberties. Telepathy seems to be the most common solution in fiction, altough not necessarily the best solution. And, whatever you choose, be respectful and do your research. 

Remember that your character is still a living being. I work/have worked with a lot of d/Deaf people in my life, and I myself am hard of hearing. There are too many writers who treat people who are d/Deaf/HoH/mute as exotic or romanticize their struggles. Please, do not make your character an object of pity, or romanticize their difference. Treat them like you would treat any other character. For more information, see the above link to “How to Write x Characters When You Aren’t x.” 

xx Sarah