Heya /lgbt/. I am an amateur writer, and I am thinking about

>>8784668
My advice:
-make sure that being trans makes sense for her character, and not just to have a trans character in your story
-trans people are as varied as cis people are, it's a trope that trans women are hyper feminine but it's not really true
-don't kill her, it's a horrible trope

>>8784668
>I am thinking about placing one trans character in the book I am currently writing
Why did you make that specific character trans?

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>>8784695
Yeah, I've been avoiding that like the plague, I have seem many forms of media that just put trans characters as token characters, It's so fucking vapid, like, the intention is nice and all, but the execution ends terrible.

The book is mainly about differences and making the best out of shitty situations, pretty much every single one of the characters had to deal with some shitty things in the past, some more than others.

The current cast is composed of

>one asshole protagonist who tries to act normal but was a recluse for 5 years and has no idea how to actually deal with it
>less edgy female Tyler Durden with the emotional instability of a bipolar person
>street urchin that was eventually "adopted" by gangs and ended up running away from it after one of the leaders tried to make
>dude that always tries to look tough to make up for the characteristics that he lacks, kinda of an asshole
>artsy kid with little to no friends
>loner chick that I am still developing

>>8784746
Well, one of my best friends is a trans chick - I knew of her struggle for acceptance both from her parents and from society, and since this book is mainly being written as my way of thanking people for helping me find myself when I was lost, she helped me a fuckload - It was even her that said for me to try to write the book (I mainly wrote short stories in the past).

>>8784772
>street urchin that was eventually "adopted" by gangs and ended up running away from it after one of the leaders tried to make him kill a person

>>8784668
No rape, sexual assault or melodramatic death, it's tacky

Treat them like a character who has a chronic medical condition and is making changes to manage their health, rather than a "beautiful butterfly breaking out of its cocoon" or other unscientific, idealistic metaphors; gender dysphoria is a medical condition- though that does make our feelings less valid. Think less like anorexia or a physical deformity and more like autism, a developmental disorder where the aim of care or treatment is to minimise distress and maximise quality of life rather than a 'cure'

Having said that, due to compounding traumas many trans people have co-morbid mental health conditions such as PTSD and eating disorders (which don't always involve throwing up, btw), growing up in the wrong social role and wrong body and getting beat up for being faggy etc. fucks with you forever, often it feels like you have no childhood or memories as you were living under a facade at the time

Gender dysphoria can be defined as a feeling triggered- without fail- by being reminded of one's gendered physical and social traits, allieviated by changing those traits to the opposite configuration. This feeling is of intense wrongness, disgust and unfamiliarity.

>>8784811
Oh and specifically gender dysphoria feels like
-A deep sense of betrayal by one's own self, like if you found out a childhood friend had ghosted you
-Disgust like you've fallen in mud on a hot day and have a long walk to get home while it dries off and crusts and you can't do anything about it
-Warped unfamiliarity like when you lose a tooth and feel the gap with your tongue, and it feels all lumpy and distorted and big and wrong except it's every gendered physical trait in your body that feels like this
Imagine all of this, at once, and it happens any time you look in the mirror, hear your own voice, or even feel the breeze against the contours of your face; and it is only alleviated bit by bit as you make more and more of those traits change to an opposite sex configuration; and any traits you can't change, you're stuck with that feeling whenever you're reminded of them

>>8784811
*though that does NOT make our feelings less valid
was what I meant to say

>>8784772
>Well, one of my best friends is a trans chick - I knew of her struggle for acceptance both from her parents and from society
So Anna is inspired by her.
Are the other characters inspired by people you know as well?
Is there a character that you slightly modelled after yourself?

>>8784668
Hey guys, its me OP. I am a cis-het woman and I write things that no one reads. I am fascinated by the new trendy transgender freak shows, so I want to force one into my story for no other reason but to show how inclusive I am. What is the best way to tokenize someones identity without me catching heat from my highly aggressive and scrutinizing feminist progressive friends?

>this is you OP, you should feel bad.

>>8784880
Criticise, don't bitch
It's a lot better to have someone with good intentions ask actual trans people how best to represent them than to shoo them away and have them write from guesswork and do a poorer job of it

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>>8784856
Well, two of them are, Anna and Cíntia (the artsy chick with no friends).

Yes, pretty much the street urchin.
I grew up in pretty much what someone would call a nazi household, my father was a skinhead, one time he wanted me to go out and beat people up with him and his friends, I was not much into that.
The similarities end there, tho.

>>8784880
And that's not even close, friend, but I can see why you would think that.

>>8784880
My books plot is about nothing. It has no overarching theme or substance.

>The current cast is composed of
>>one asshole protagonist who tries to act normal but was a recluse for 5 years and has no idea how to actually deal with it
this character is really me guys ^_^
>>less edgy female Tyler Durden with the emotional instability of a bipolar person
This is the cool chick I want to be but I can't because I am uninteresting.
>>street urchin that was eventually "adopted" by gangs and ended up running away from it after one of the leaders tried to make
This is a made up character I thought of who doesn't fit the story but I like oliver twist.
>>dude that always tries to look tough to make up for the characteristics that he lacks, kinda of an asshole
This is my ex Kyle. I still have feelings for the way he walked all over me.
>>artsy kid with little to no friends
This is also me ^_^
>>loner chick that I am still developing
Hey guys, me again ^_^

Do you think people will be upset that I self inserted myself into the story three times? I am sure they won't make it far enough into the story to notice.

No, dislike it. Not that it isn't realistic, despite the death feeling forced. But my problem is the backstory doesn't fuel the character.

Here's one of mine
>Lived in a favella as a boy
>At early age, is lured away by a rich cartel head and raped
>joins millitia when older,can't overcome her own grief. Does not feel like a man no matter how hard she tries.
>Chimps out when partners want to rape a 15 year old girl
>Takes money from dead parters. Looks over to girl. "That is... a beautiful dress."
>gets transition finally, not only as a means of quelling her inner self, but completely disappearing to those who want her dead
>finally confronts the cartel head who had taken everything from her. Doesn't recognize her. She throws him the wad of cash she's kept from the incident for so long
>Cuts his fking balls off

Sure, I'm leaving out critical character building and intricate detais. But it all builds up to that final moment where the character finally overcomes her grief with revenge.

You need this pattern of writing.
>Character backstory
>Their relationship to the overall antagonist of the story. Whether that antagonist is an actual person or an idea/inner struggle is up to you.
>Character development
>Character faces problem
>Problem is resolved (note, I do not say 'character overcomes the problem.' It's poor writing to make everyone always win.)

>>8784880
>>8784937
Chill out m8 repgen is that way

>>8784880
I'm proud of you anon.

>>8784944
Yeah, I was thinking about the same.
I was trying to figure out a way of making it impactful without actually having to create a supporting character with the whole purpose of being killed.
I think I am gonna re-write at least that part.

And your character sounds pretty fucking cool, actually.

And well, I am aware of the whole problem with characters overcoming everything, it just feels... forced - Life does not work that way - People carry trauma, pain and hurt, many may try to overcome it, but most people just deal with it.
I remember playing this game lately - Injustice II, there's a scene with Harley Quinn in which she inhales the fear gas from Scarecrow and relives her abusive relationship with the joker, the battle is pretty much her dealing with her trauma, but she does not overcome it, she learns to control it, and when she does that, her trauma is diminished at least - It's still there, but she has the tools to deal with it. I was actually surprised by the deciption of trauma and the way it was handled, it's even weirder that it was handled this tastefully in a fightning game.

And by the way, if my english sounds weird, it's because it's my third language and I am still learning it.

>>8785006
it's good that you can recognize good and bad writing in the mediums you see. It's a great first step. Just make sure you don't get ideas from capcom style writing.

It's very important to be able to know every detail about your character. To the point you know them perhaps even more than yourself.
If you asked me 'what would my character do in X or Y situation' I could answer in a heartbeat.

It is very important you learn this.
>and ty for the complement famm

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>>8785048
Yeah, Capcom writing is pretty shit most of the time.

But well, thanks for the tips, friend.

>>8785070
What's the bottom puppy standing on?

>>8785072
I think it's just the angle of the photo.

My head hurts now that I look at it in other way.

>>8784668
>do you people know of any pitfalls I should avoid to make a good trans character?
Decide her etiology and don't give her stereotypes from or write her transition like the other etiology.

>>8785078
>etiology
kek

>>8785077
>I think it's just the angle of the photo.
Such clever trickery.
They glued these puppies to the ceiling and then make it look like they're leaning against the wall.

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>>8785096
Alright, you made me laugh. ;)

Have an otter with a guitar.