Seriously, you're thinking about it, so you're doing better than 90% of people already. In a lot of ways I wish people were thinking about it less - it's like everyone wants to justify why they're writing a character as trans and it's like, honestly, who gives a shit. No one's ever felt the need to justify all the cis assumptions. I suppose this is one way the whole diversity awareness mindset (while useful in a lot of ways, obviously) might sometimes hold even the well-meaning people back because they think they haven't done enough due diligence. And then, to show that they did expose themselves to something, they plop in the stupid "born in the wrong body" trope and it's worse rather than better.
Anyway, I'd totally trust you to write a trans character and there's really not that much to it. Just give them individuality which is the #1 rule of writing anything, right?
The problem with the trailblazing concept, to me, is that it doesn't seem to really work. If the effects I've seen in fandom are anything to go by in larger society, it's more like the people who are already interested will read it - the ones who aren't, won't. I can't magically make a cis-centric, sexist society be interested in something other than cis men. So it all feels a little, not pointless exactly, but like it's an inner circle type of endeavour and no social change will be happening no matter what I write or don't.
It was rhetorical, but you just had to go and turn it useful! XD The thing is I don't really have a genre in mind. The closest I've come to pinning it down is "speculative fiction". I think that's what appeals to me about fandom too - the loose ends, the behind the scenes, the what ifs.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2016-10-11 11:10 pm (UTC)Anyway, I'd totally trust you to write a trans character and there's really not that much to it. Just give them individuality which is the #1 rule of writing anything, right?
The problem with the trailblazing concept, to me, is that it doesn't seem to really work. If the effects I've seen in fandom are anything to go by in larger society, it's more like the people who are already interested will read it - the ones who aren't, won't. I can't magically make a cis-centric, sexist society be interested in something other than cis men. So it all feels a little, not pointless exactly, but like it's an inner circle type of endeavour and no social change will be happening no matter what I write or don't.
It was rhetorical, but you just had to go and turn it useful! XD The thing is I don't really have a genre in mind. The closest I've come to pinning it down is "speculative fiction". I think that's what appeals to me about fandom too - the loose ends, the behind the scenes, the what ifs.