DDW - S3 Ep7 - Writing Trans Characters

Doing Diversity in Writing

In this episode of Doing Diversity in Writing, Bethany and Mariëlle talk about how to write transgender characters.

Here’s what we discussed:

• Who gets to write trans characters
• Which stereotypes and tropes to avoid
• Other things to avoid when writing trans characters
• The things we SHOULD be writing about when writing trans characters

And here are the (re)sources we mentioned on the show:

• “The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Transgender Characters” by Alice Thomas: https://properz.medium.com/the-dos-and-don-ts-of-writing-transgender-characters-15ae8fbfab6b

• “How to Write About Trans People” by Eli Cugini: https://electricliterature.com/how-to-write-about-trans-people/
• Quora forum: https://www.quora.com/What-should-a-cisgender-author-remember-to-take-into-account-when-writing-transgender-characters
• “Writing Better Trans Characters” by Cheryl Morgan: http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/writing-better-trans-characters/
• “Writing Trans Characters” by Alex DiFrancesco: https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2016/11/08/writing-trans-characters/
• “How to Write Transgender Characters” by Michael Brewer-Berres: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/write-transgender-characters
• “Before you write about a transgender character, read this” by Casey Plett: https://www.cbc.ca/arts/before-you-write-about-a-transgender-character-read-this-1.3919848
• “Transgender People” in the GLAAD Media Reference Guide 11th Edition: https://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender
• “Glossary of Terms: Transgender” in the GLAAD Media Reference Guide 11th Edition: https://www.glaad.org/reference/trans-terms
• “Trans 101: glossary of trans words and how to use them” by Gender Minorities Aotearoa: https://genderminorities.com/glossary-transgender/
• Disclosure: https://www.disclosurethemovie.com/about
• Sense8: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2431438/
• Dreadnought by April Daniels: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30279514-dreadnought
• Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52339313-cemetery-boys
• Silence of the Lambs: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926
• Tootsie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084805
• Mrs. Doubtfire: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107614
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: https://www.caseymcquiston.com/red-white-royal-blue

This week’s episode page can be found here:

representationmatters.art/2023/02/08/s3e7

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