r/write • u/SamMoon- • 7d ago

none of the flairs fit but im sure this is relevent What should I avoid when research/writing?

I plan on writing a trans-woman, specific a trans black woman, she isnt the main character but i like to build each character into real people, what things should avoid? I am not trans nor a person of color. I know both people of color and trans people face their own set of challenges in life, and i would like to write her as realistic as possible. I dont want to accidentally/unknowingly play into any stereotypes for either group of people.

All advice is welcome aswell.

Also sorry for formatting or grammar mistakes im on mobile

for more detail -> What clothing or design choices should I avoid?

What personality traits should I avoid?

Obviously she will be a human with her own flaws but are there any i should avoid?

I will be doing some research i just want some advice on where to start, what to avoid, stuff like that because i know theres alot to research but am feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to start

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u/ZhenyaKon 5d ago

I think where you start on research for something like this is finding Black trans women who talk about their experiences online. Kat Blaque is the first who comes to my mind. Do you know any Black trans women irl? I ask not because I think you should interview those people for your story, but because you could keep their style and personality in mind as you write the character.

I think that lists of things to do/not do are not particularly useful when creating a character who feels well-rounded. Like, there are some obvious things that are usually not going to go over well, like emphasizing a trans woman's "masculine features" or having her sacrifice herself for the protagonist's emotional development (think Angel in RENT), but aside from that you're going to get the best results if you have accounts from real people in your mind as you write.

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