anordinarywriter - Tumblr blog

anordinarywriter · 8 months

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would someone w/ one prosthetic leg (and one not) keep a cane/crutch by their bed? like if they need to get up for something during the night but don’t want to put their leg back on

Nah every single leg amp I know just hops unless they're brand new to being an amputee. Afew do use wheelchairs but most folks I know just hop

#disability #disabled #leg amputee #amputee #writing disability #disability representation #writeblr #writing

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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How would you feel about a story where magic heals someone’s stump without reversing the amputation? By healing the stump I basically mean speeding up the healing process that real amputees already go through

Yeah that's totally fine! That's the approach I usually take with healing magic in most of my own works: it just speeds up/aids the body's natural processes.

#disability #disabled #writing #writing disability #disability representation #writeblr #authors of tumblr #disability in fantasy #magic and disability #disabilities #healing magic

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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Another Art Fight Attack, this time against Betheii-Stars of their character Kit! Kit was briefly part of a D&D party I played in, so when I saw them on Betheii's Art Fight page I couldn't resist! I just love their little spots!!

Date Created: 6th of July 2023

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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What might lead an amputee to only use their prosthetic in very specific circumstances? Preference? Also what circumstances would call for a prosthetic for a person that typically doesn’t use one?

For some it's preference, others find them painful or uncomfortable but can put up with it for a short time, some people are just more comfortable with other mobikity aids like wheelchairs (or none at all for arm amputees) and just dont feel a need to use their prosthetics often. Me personally, I don't use my prosthetics much anymore due to chronic illness: they're very energetically taxing because the muscles needed to use them have atrophied, and I just don't have the endurance right now to build them back up due being sick. There's lots of reasons!

As for why someone who doesn't use them often might use them on occation, that depends on the person, the type of amputation etc. Some folks find certain activities easier to do with a prosthetic: for example I will occasionally still put my prosthetics on if I'm home alone and need to reach something up high that I can't reach from my wheelchair. I also used to occasionally put my prosthetics on if I know a place I'm going to isn't wheelchair accessible. I don't have the leg strength to walk, but I do still have enough to carry my wheelchair up a small flight of stairs if I really have to. Others might not use their prosthetic in day to day life but they might still use them for sports or certain activities. I have a friend with an arm amputation who almost never uses a prosthetic, except for when he goes fishing or lifts weights at the gym.

#disability #disabled #writing #writing disability #disability representation #writeblr #authors of tumblr #amputee representation #prosthetics #amputee #prosthetic #writing community #writing advice #on writing #creative writing

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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What is the importance of grammar in writing, and how do individuals with various challenges can still pursue their passion for writing?

grammar is important to ensure meaning and tone come across like the author wants, and having a standardised set of rules ("proper" grammar) helps with that, but there's more than one way to get both meaning and tone, just look at how different groups of people on the internet speak. For example, in Neurodivergent circles, grammar is very flexible. Some autistic folks for example, will use "perfect" formal language, others, like some AAC users, follow the rules much, much more loosely and both are perfectly fine, we can understand both. Likewise, some people use emoji's to help ensure our tone comes across right, others use tone tags (which are things like "/j" to signify a joke, "/lh" to indicate light-heartedness, "/srs" to indicate seriousness, etc), others just use an obscene amount of commers (me lol). "Propper" grammar has it's place, but I think people get too caught up on it. As long as you can be understood, that's all you need to tell a story. This isn't to say you shouldn't edit or shouldn't care about grammar at all if you're trying to publish something, just that your job is to tell the story. Your editor's job is to help you make it clearer.

As for how individuals with difficulties understanding grammar go about dealing with issues with grammar, well me and my partner are both in that category due to disability. Personally, I deal with it by working in primarily visual mediums (comics, animation etc) but when I do do something in written form, I just make sure to do a lot of editing passes. A lot of my stuff here on Tumblr I re-read half a dozen times before I post and stuff still slips through (that's mostly due to ADHD lol). My partner though is working on getting his book series, A Dragon's Reign, published right now, which is a novel trilogy and he has a lot more difficulties with grammar than I do. For him, he's approached it by adding a lot more stages to the process of creating the story and getting help from others. He went through a lot more alpha and beta readers than most authors do, and at much earlier stages than most, and has had A LOT more editing done. Alpha/Beta readers are not editors obviously, they don't check for grammar, but they can tell you if your point/meaning/tone is coming across and warn you about potential misunderstandings or misinterpretations, which can stem from having issues understanding grammar.

If you want to know more about his process, he's here on Tumblr as @jessequinones and @anordinarywriter, I'd highly recommend asking him more about the topic.

#disability #disabled #writing #writeblr #authors of tumblr #disabled author #author #writing community #creative writing #on writing #writer #writers of tumblr

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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Hi! Can you draw Spike The Dragon of the episode titled The Last Problem from My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic? Please.

I'm sorry, while I'm totally fine with doing fanart requests in, mlp was just never really my thing and I really only want to accept requests from fandoms I'm personally involved in.

#disabled artist #queer artist #fandom #fandoms #fantasy #adhd #hyperfixation #autism #special interest

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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This is just a reminder that you don't need to have perfect or even good grammar to be a writer.

There are authors with learning/intellectual disabilities out there who's disabilities stop them from fully understanding even "basic" grammar.

There are authors who write in languages other than their own who aren't quite fluent yet that find English grammar strange and hard to understand.

There are authors, yes even today, who didn't have access to even a good education.

There are authors for whom some grammar rules just never clicked, for no clear reason.

Grammar (and spelling) isn't the be-all-end-all most important skill when writing. It does help, but you can still tell the story you want to tell, it might just mean you need some extra help and need to take more time to get there, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Tell the stories you want to tell. Worry about the grammar later.

#let your drafts be bad #writing community #disability #disabled #disabled author #writeblr #writing

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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I Have Gay Dragons!

A question came up about the presence of LGBTQIA+ dragons in my book, and the answer is yes! Within the pages of my stories, you'll encounter dragons who identify as gay and those who are part of loving polyamorous relationships. While the first installment may focus primarily on these aspects, rest assured that my upcoming books will introduce a diverse array of dragon characters, including lesbians, asexuals, bisexuals, and many more from the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. So, get ready for an abundance of LGBTQIA+ dragon representation in my tales!

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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Writing and drawing amputee characters: Not every amputee wears prosthetics (and that's ok)

Not every amputee wears prosthetics, and not doing so is not a sign that they've "given up".

It's a bit of a trope that I've noticed that when an amputee, leg amputees in particular, don't wear prosthetics in media its often used as a sign that they've given up hope/stopped trying/ are depressed etc. If/when they start feeling better, they'll start wearing their prosthetics again, usually accompanied by triumphant or inspiring music (if it's a movie). The most famous example of this is in Forest Gump, Where Dan spends most of the movie after loosing his legs wishing he'd died instead. He does eventually come around, and him finally moving from his wheelchair to prosthetics is meant to highlight this.

The thing is, it's not that it's unrealistic - in fact my last major mental health spiral was started because one of my prosthetics was being a shit and wouldn't go on properly, despite fitting perfectly at the prosthetist's the day before. I'm not going to use my legs when I'm not in a good headspace, but the problem is, this is the only time non-prosthetic using amputees ever get representation: to show how sad they are. Even if that's not what the creator/writer necessarily intended, audiences will often make that assumption on their own unless you're very careful and intentional about how you frame it, because it's what existing media has taught them to expect.

But there are lots of reasons why someone might not use prosthetics:

they might not need them: this is more common in arm amputees because of how difficult it can be to use arm prosthetic, especially above-elbow prosthetics. Most folks learn how to get on without them pretty well. In fact, most of the arm amputees I know don't have prosthetics, or only have them for specific tasks (e.g. I knew a girl who had a prosthetic hand made specifically for rowing, but that's all she used it for).

Other mobility aids just work better for them: for me, I'm faster, more manoeuvrable and can be out for longer when I'm in my wheelchair than I ever could on my prosthetics. Youtube/tik tok creator Josh Sundquist has said the same thing about his crutches, he just feels better using them than his prosthetic. This isn't the case for everyone of course, but it is for some of us. Especially people with above-knee prosthetics, in my experience.

Other disabilities make them harder to use: Some people are unable to use prosthetics due to other disabilities, or even other amputations. Yeah, as it turns out, a lot of prosthetics are only really designed for single-limb amputees. While they're usable for multi-limb amps, they're much harder to use or they might not be able to access every feature. For example, the prosthetic knee I have has the ability to monitor the walk cycle of the other leg and match it as close as possible - but that only works if you have a full leg on the other side. Likewise, my nan didn't like using her prosthetic, as she had limited movement in her shoulders that meant she physically couldn't move her arms in the right way to get her leg on without help.

Prosthetics are expensive in some parts of the world: not everyone can afford a prosthetic. My left prosthetic costs around $5,000 Australian dollars, but my right one (the above knee) cost $125,000AUD. It's the most expensive thing I own that I only got because my country pays for medical equipment for disabled folks. Some places subsidise the cost, but paying 10% of $125,000 is still $12,500. Then in some places, if you don't have insurance, you have to pay for that all by yourself. Even with insurance you still have to pay some of it depending on your cover. Arm prosthetics are even more expensive. Sure, both arms and legs do have cheaper options available, but they're often extremely difficult to use. You get what you pay for.

they aren't suitable for every type of environment: Prosthetics can be finicky and modern ones can be kind of sensitive to the elements. My home town was in a coastal lowland - this means lots of beaches and lots of swamp filled with salty/brackish water. The metals used in prosthetics don't hold up well in those conditions, and so they would rust quicker, I needed to clean them more, I needed to empty sand out of my foot ALL THE TIME (there always seemed to be more. It was like a bag of holding but it was just sand). Some prosthetics can't get wet at all. There were a few amputees who moved to the area when I was older who just didn't bother lol. It wasn't worth the extra effort needed for the maintenance.

People have allergies to the prosthetic material: This is less of a problem in the modern day, but some people are allergic to the materials their prosthetics are made from. You can usually find an alternative but depending on the type of allergy, some people are allergic to the replacements too.

Some people just don't like them.

There's nothing wrong with choosing to go without a prosthetic. There's nothing wrong with deciding they aren't for you. It doesn't make you a failure or sad or anything else. Using or not using prosthetics is a completely morally neutral thing.

Please, if you're writing amputees, consider if a prosthetic really is the best mobility aid for your character and consider having your characters go without, or at least mix it up a bit.

For example, Xari, one of the main characters in my comic, uses prosthetics unsupported and with crutches, and uses a wheelchair. They alternate between them throughout the story.

#disability #disabled #id in alt text #writing #writing disability #disability representation #authors of tumblr #writeblr #write #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #writer #creative writing #writing tips #writing resources #writing help #writing advice

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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I really don't like the way people talk about snakes, especially here in Australia. I know a lot of folks are afraid of them and phobias are real and valid but the sheer hatred some folks have for them just makes me sad.

Like I just saw a tik tok of a beautiful wild carpet python climbing off someone's roof into a tree and in the video the person filming is going on about how feral and gross it was, and telling her kid (off screen) how they're so gross and ucky. Based off his voice the kid seemed to be having a good time watching it but the person filming just kept reiterating how ucky it was until he started repeating it back. I get teaching your kids to stay away but you can do that without demonising an important part of our ecosystem.

And my god, the comments. "The only good snake is a dead snake" "it needs a good shovel to the head" etc

I had a bunch of similar comments filtered from when I posted videos of my snake (an albino carpet python named nugget) when he was unwell too. I was posting in hopes someone would know a way to make his vet treatment less stressful on him. I even put content warnings on some of the videos of him because I respect that some people just really don't like them and I wanted to give those folks the chance to just scroll away. You don't have to like them, but why do so many people feel the need to be so mean to them/about them.

Nugget is doing fine now btw.

#snakes #reptiles #snake #nature #reptile #animals #australian animals #aussie animals

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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Limb difference vs amputee

I've been seeing a rise in people using the term limb difference and also rise in (what I think are well meaning) folks shouting "Amputee is not a dirty word, stop talking over disabled people, just say amputee" and while I love the energy, that's not what's going on here lol.

Amputee refers to anyone who has lost a limb or was born without one/multiple of their limbs.

Limb difference is a broader umbrella term to refer to anyone with a physical disability the effects the person's limbs specifically, usually (but not always) in ways that are visible to others to some degree. It can refer to amputees, but also people with single-limb paralysis, people who's limbs didn't develop properly (even if it's not severe enough to be considered an amputation) and more!

All amputees have a type of limb difference, but not everyone with a limb difference is an amputee.

As far as I'm aware, the term actually started in congenital amputee circles (people who were born without a limb) because they felt the word amputee didn't really fit them properly. amputee implies they had the limb but it was removed, but they never had it to begin with. It eventually spread to become an umbrella term, but it was created by and for disabled people.

I do understand some people's hesitation with the word, it does sound kind of similar to "differently abled" but I promise, it's not.

#disability #disabled #disabled stuff #visible disability #amputee #limb difference #amputee life #physical disability #physically disabled #actually disabled #disabled community #listen to disabled people #nothing about us without us

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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My first Art Fight Revenge! This is for Londonbot2003 of their spinosaurus character Sailina! It's been too long since I've drawn any dinosaurs, so this was a lot of fun!

Date Created: 5th of July 2023

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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A lot of folks seemed to like the chibi Nix I did, so here's another! Honestly, it's been a...very long week, and drawing sleepy little Nix Chibies has been surprisingly cathartic lol.

Created on: 7th of August 2023

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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It's kind of funny to me how amputees occupy two opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to bad disability representation at the exact same time.

You'll have some stories treating it like its just some minor aesthetic alteration and that's it, just slap a robot arm on it, no big of a deal! Then others talking about how being an amputee is the be-all-end-all worst thing that could have ever happened to this character, portraying it as a fate worse than death, especially if its a double leg amputation or god forbid, a quadruple amputation in particular.

Sometimes these two extremes are in the same story! like you'll have one character saying how he would have prefered death to loosing a part of his hand and now his life is over because how can they possibly do anything with such a terrible disability, meanwhile someone else is flying around with jet-pack legs and a prosthetic arm that can punch through walls, all while calling them "biotic/cybernetic enhancements". Like if you're going to write bad disability rep, make up your mind, it can't be a fate worse than death and an upgrade lol.

#id in alt text #disability #disabled #writing #writing disability #disability representation #amputee #amputee representation #prosthetics #disability in media #writing community #writeblr #authors of tumblr #creative writing #writer #on writing #authors on tumblr #author

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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Hello! Non-disabled person(??) here; I've reblogged your post about the c-slur on both of my accounts that have some kind of audience, but I did have a question (one that I didn't see/was unsure about, though I do have an idea as to what the answer may be, I just want to be sure) And I do apologize ahead of time as this could be offensive, but it comes from me wanting to cover my bases before I use offensive terms in my own writing in an attempt to be inclusive without realizing it

Is there any consensus on a character, one who is disabled in some way, using 'crippling' as an adjective to describe how their own disability affects them/their everyday life- be it in desperation to have abled-bodied characters understand, or in general? Would it still be something a sensitivity reader would need to read over to see if it is portrayed correctly?

Again, I do apologize if this is uncomfortable/offensive. The last thing I want is to cultivate a space safe for ableism to flourish, and by extension an unsafe space for those who have disabilities, unknowingly

Thank you, and thanks for double checking!

personally, if you aren't disabled yourself, I'd still recommend against it or at the very least get a few rounds of sensitivity reading from different sensitivity readers within the community.

I will also just point out, because I don't think I said it directly in that post: "cripple" specifically is a slur for physical disabilities/physically disabled people. So just be sure if you are going to use it in that context with help from sensitivity readers, your disabled character is physically disabled - meaning the primary impact of their disability is on their physical body. There were a few folks talking about it in the reblogs I was getting on that post, so I figured I mention it here!

#disability #disabled #writing disability #writeblr #authors of tumblr #disability representation #physically disabled #physical disability #c slur #writing community #writing #creative writing #writer #on writing #authors on tumblr #author

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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This attack is for Rush_The_Cat on Artfight.net of their adorable protogen character Zale!

Date Created: 3rd of July 2023

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anordinarywriter · 8 months

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Question for my techy folks:

I found my old wacom companion tablet (running windows 10) from when I was in uni and I'd love to just see if it's still usable or at least get some of my stuff off it.

The problem is, the account on it is linked to a Gmail address that doesn't exist (it appears to be a typo of my actual email address). No big deal, but I can't for the life of me figure out the password or pin is. That's where the problem starts, if I click "forgot password" it just sends a code to the Gmail account that doesn't exist. So I can't do password retrieval. Tried to tell Microsoft to send it to a different address, but because the email was only ever used for this purpose and I dont know the password, I can't prove that I'm the account owner.

Does anyone have any idea on how I can get through the lock screen?

#tech #tech help #windows 10 #assistance please #drawing tablet

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