LONG LIVE THE CAPTAIN

Hey did you know I keep a google drive folder with linguistics and language books  that I try to update regularly 

i think major mcyt stans need to come together for a public debate as to why their content creator and the creator's character is the Most unhinged. we have powerpoint presentations making our case. each group has 1-2 spokesmen and a team of 1-5 people working to make it like a group project.

please imagine a two hour discord call on shared screens where we plead our cases for why our youtuber and blorbo are the most unhinged. do i need to make this a thing. i dont know how i would but i want too

Writing a Blind or Visually Impaired Character

A Multi-Step Guide Written by a Visually Impaired Writer and Blogger

I’m hoping this blog will over time develop its own following, and when it does people will inevitably see my bio and notice what I included: I’m visually impaired.

Yes, a visually impaired writer, and I’ve written with two blind characters before so I have some practice in the field.

So, inevitably, someone is going to ask how to write a blind character.

Or, at least, I hope you’ll ask someone who’s actually blind or visually impaired about writing a blind character before you get too involved with your new WIP.

All parts will be tagged #blindcharacter in my blog, and I will add links to every post as I finish each part. Follow my blog for more writing advice.

Note, this post updates fairly often and old versions are still floating around out there. The most current version of this post is pinned to my blog with any new guides or links you might of missed.

As of 29 June 2022, this is the most extensive and screen reader friendly version of this post.

Part One: Crafting the Blind Character

In which I tell you how to begin making a blind character who is more than a cardboard cutout

Part Two: Narrative Choice, Visual Description, Verbal Description, Social Interaction

In which I give you a basic rundown on how to write from the perspective of a character who can’t see and still make the narration descriptive

Part Three: Tropes and Clichés to Avoid

Your blind readers will thank you for not being the 5000th person to do this and manage to actually finish your story. (Do you have any idea how many stories I’ve noped out of within two chapters because of these clichés? A Lot.)

Part Four: Canes, Guide Dogs, and O&M

Everything I can tell you about 1) how to learn how to use a cane 2) how a cane works 3) how to describe what your character experiences with their cane 4) everything I know on guide dogs

-New- Additional Advice for Writing Sighted Guides–another legitimate form of O&M

Part Five: Small Aspects of being Blind You Never Thought Of

5 January 2021 Edit: This link has been fixed to correspond with the correct post

Or, really, very normal everyday things for blind people, the inclusion of which will make your characters more real and authentic. It’s the tiny details.

Part Six: Should You Cure Your Character’s Blindness? (Short Answer: No)

There’s no way to write a cure for your blind character that doesn’t make blind readers hate you. Sorry. We came here to finally experience a relatable character who experiences the world like us, but none of us are getting cured so seeing this character we learned to love become something alien from us in the end feels like a slap in the face

-New- What about a Temporary Cure to Show the Character is Happy being Blind?

Why I’m Blind and What I See -NEW-

I thought I’d finally make a post explaining the complicated situation about my vision. Includes an explanation of visual snow and exotropia, two of the three causes for my vision issues.

Writing Blind Characters Falling in Love, an Advice Post:

Someone asked what being blind and falling in love have to do with each other. Honestly, blindness changes your perspective on everything and it makes an impact on every relationship you have. This includes some things that you definitely do not want your character’s love interest to be/do.

Writing Blind Jokes (Should You Do It?)

You know those flow charts of “should you do x?” going around? It’s like that, but screen reader friendly. Should you write blind jokes. It’s pretty complicated and there are a lot of possible scenarios and details to consider.

Advice for Writing Toph Beifong -NEW-

In this I discuss what I would like to see done in fanfiction with Toph’s character after ten years of reading Avatar the Last Airbender fanfiction

-New- Some Informal Thoughts About Toph and ATLA World Building based on a Throw-Away Line

A small essay addressing the frequently asked question on giving your blind character a superpower to help them “see.”

It’s became a popular question, so to make the answer easier/faster for everyone to access, I wrote what will usually be my initial answer. Below there are a few links to some notable past questions on this subject.

Mourning My Vision, it’s More than Depression. 

A small personal essay addressing the nuances of the mourning period you experience with a new disability. The mourning period is mentioned in other guides, but this is more detailed.

Dealing with Heightened Senses, a video by Molly Burke with additional commentary by me

While Molly talks about the myths and truths about heightened senses, I talk about the correlation with blindness and neuro-divergency and how co-morbid disorders/disabilities might affect sensory processing.

Satirical Commentary on the phrase “that blank look in their eyes” used too often in fiction to identify a blind character

a:tla, I’m looking at you (and my eyes aren’t blank)

I Found a Lost Piece of Blindness History

My grandmother told me about her blind aunt and how she sent letters. It led me to speculate about all the O&M things people develop on their own but never get a chance to pass onto other blind people. Technology and techniques are lost in history and reinvented, including the white cane ad guide dogs.

Includes a little history on the introduction of guide dogs into the 20th century

The Following are Answered Anon Questions

Making Your Blog More Accessible

Making Links Accessible to Screen Readers

Reblogging to Add an Image Description to Someone Else’s Image

Why I Write Image Descriptions

Terms, Definitions, and Practical Advice

-New- What is the difference between Light Perception and Shadow Perception

Writing Blind Characters

Advice for a Character Who was Born Blind

-New- A More Recent Post about Characters Born Blind 

Over-Protective Parents of a Blind Character, Why They’re Over-Protective and How to Avoid Crossing a Line

A Blind Character in Victorian Era Historical Fiction

Is It Bad Not to Have Guide Dogs in a Fantasy/Historical Setting Without Guide Dogs (short answer: it’s not bad)

Someone Asked About My Thoughts on a Medusa-like Character Blinding Herself to Avoid Hurting Anyone

-New- Someone Asked For Advice Writing a Character whose Eyes were Gouged Out–and Why Blindfolds are Not a Good Idea + Medical Alternatives

Characters Who Have Recently Gone Blind and Avoiding Inspiration Porn

-New- Inclusive Language in Dialogue: Is it appropriate for a blind character to use visual verbs like “I saw” and “I watched”

-New- Thoughts on If Characters Would Drink and Go to Bars

(In one of my original guides I said I was sure most blind people would not go to bars. A few years later, I’ve now realized that sentiment is influenced by my gender, not my disability.)

-New- Researching Blind Historical Figures

I took a disability studies class focusing on Helen Keller’s complicated legacy. My professor gave us the option to get creative with our final projects, so I gathered all the research I had for three blog posts.

How did Helen Keller Navigate her World

My extensive historical research on the accessibility tools Keller had in her lifetime

Who was Helen Keller: Her Passions and Interests

I talk about her writing, her politics as a socialist and suffragette, her love for animals and nature, her brief history as a performer on stage, and how she became the face for Blind Advocacy. This includes lots of photos of Keller with image descriptions I wrote.

The Controversies Surrounding Helen Keller

-This includes:

Her family history as the daughter of a Confederate Captain

Growing up on a plantation that formerly held slaves

How she met Alexander Graham Bell and the negative influence both had on the Deaf community

Her sexuality and falling in love (and why that was so controversial)

Her stance on eugenics and her internalized ableism

The Miracle Worker (1963) movie- how it became the most popular depiction of Keller, why it’s problematic, and how it damaged her legacy

The 2020 TikTok Controversy and #HelenKellerwasfake

Talking about Popular Blind Characters In Media

Does Daredevil’s Echolocation Negate His Blindness

-New- Is it Worth it to Watch All of Daredevil for the Research (It’s Not)

Someone Else was Asked How to Write Daredevil Fanfiction

Blind Characters with Superpowers/Fighting Styles

World Setting where the General Population has a Superpower

Superpowers that don’t involve sight, Five questions to ask yourself if this superpower is a bad idea or a good one

-New- Your character would not use a cane as a weapon, it’s a bad idea

D&D/Roleplaying Blind Characters

-New- Animal Familiars Acting as Service Animals and Advice for Communicating with Your DM

-New- Portraying Older Blind Characters + Causes for Vision Loss with Old Age

Scar/Hotguy Character exploration

Anyone that likes naibeli and little nightmares here ? ...

Anon asked for some tips on how I draw expressions??? I did my best but I struggle to really explain my process skfjslkjdf

Grian/Cuteguy Character exploration

I swear, Dottore was written by a former STEM graduate. People don't normally write mad scientists this way.

Whenever I try to dig into deep lore, his research repeatedly turns out to be among the most useful data I have.

I know a good study when I see one. I've been on both sides of the academic hiring process, I've written grant proposals and I've reviewed them and I've seen better scientists than me discuss them, so please understand how much weight I put into this: these are very good studies.

(except for, you know, ethics)

His research topics seem random but he actually pokes at the most fundamental questions of Teyvat with each one.

His Eleazar studies dig at the relationship between forbidden knowledge and dead gods (surprise: these are different things. I might have lumped them together if not for his notes).

Cloning himself pokes at the difference between machine and man, and also it's the technology of Eclipse Dynasty, Teyvat's main historical enigma. Have you ever wondered whether all ruin guards were men once? Or why did they switch from alchemy to ruin machines so abruptly? Or why they were cursed.

(I have a suspicion it also pokes at the nature of time and stories, the way he talks about a need for an ideal observer, and also the way Khaenri'ahn history went)

Delusions answer the question of why does Teyvat need Archons for Visions to appear and for humans to be able to use elemental magic. We don't know the answer but Dottore does.

I'm eyeing his artificial god because I don't think that what we saw in Sumeru was the final project. He seemed so nonchalant when it failed.

This is theoretical science at its finest. As a cherry on top, every project also yields practically applicable results.

He's a dream of every grant commitee.

Whole-heartedly BEGGING writers to unlearn everything schools taught you about how long a paragraph is. If theres a new subject, INCLUDING ACTIONS, theres a new paragraph. A paragraph can be a single word too btw stop making things unreadable

served my duty as an autistic artist and made a bunch of autism creature reaction images