blog Writing Neurodivergent Characters in Fantasy

[Finchbearer]

I think fantasy as a genre attracts many of those who are neurodivergent. It satisfies a lot of schemas that divergent brains simply like.

I’ll go out on a limb here and say that I think many fantasy authors are probably ND, Tolkien likely being one. Going one further I think *most* people are ND rather than the fabled NT.

But, one problem with ‘we want more representation’ specifically in literature becomes a question of who is willing to go there. Some people don’t want that stigma attached to their ND and some people will want to shout it from the rooftops.

And the issue of a genre further marginalising those with various ND conditions might end up alienating those who were attracted to it in the first place. That shouldn’t be a reason to not write about a character with autism or ADHD, (whether that’s explicit in the text or not) but it could be.

 

[Queshire]

But, one problem with ‘we want more representation’ specifically in literature becomes a question of who is willing to go there. Some people don’t want that stigma attached to their ND and some people will want to shout it from the rooftops.

Huh? Stigma attached to it?

EDIT: That was a legitimate question. =<

 

[LittleOwlbear]

Huh? Stigma attached to it?

EDIT: That was a legitimate question. =<

I really understand it. If people learn you are writing nd characters because you are relating to them, you are automatically "outing" yourself.
I already experienced it that someone talked to me like they would talk to a 5 yo autistic child, although we had a normal conversation before, as soon as they learned I'm nd. Uhm, never doing that again in real aside from my close environment.

 

[Finchbearer]

Oh, sorry Queshire.

Maybe it’s just a personal thing where some who are ND feel that there is a stigma attached to it and others do not.

As above, perhaps a writer with dyslexia or a writer with autism wants to keep that part of their lives private because they feel they might be stigmatised further for it, or it might affect their careers. Maybe someone with ND does not want that to be the thing they are defined by. Others want their ND to define their career and talk about it, as a call to action or to get others more aware of it.

 

[Queshire]

Ah, I see.

Hmmm.... I suppose I can see how talk about representation might cause some ND peeps to feel pressured to specifically write ND characters, but there's nothing saying they have to if they don't want to.

 

[Finchbearer]

I think it’s generally a good thing that more people are talking about neurodivergence and normalising it, but with anything like that there is always going to be a problematic side to it as well.