Why We Need Diabetic Characters in Fiction

I'm Type 1 Diabetic, and would love to see my condition represented in fiction.. but shocker, it's really not.

I've searched before. And I was hoping I'd find something I missed before, but I didn't. I can't find a good book out there with a diabetic main character. Basically all the fiction with diabetic characters is for children to help with their diagnosis. But what about books for teens/young adults that want to see a bad ass character WITH Diabetes going on the same adventures as other characters?

As a famous quote tells me, that means I should write such a book. I don't even know where to start.

So I did the writerly thing, I searched for blog posts on how to write diabetic characters to see if there's even anything out there. Aannd nothing. Nothing that isn't 7 to 10 years old. So back to square one.

Looks like I am going to have to write it myself, someday.

But for now, let's talk about why we need Diabetes, and other under represented diseases and disabilities, represented in fiction.

1) This also begs the question, why is NO ONE writing Diabetic, and more specifically, Type 1 Diabetic characters? and why should you write Diabetic characters?

People have been talking about representation for a while now. And I think that goes not only for writing characters with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, but also for disabled characters. And people write blind and deaf characters constantly, people write characters who need to use canes (Kaz Brekker, Six of Crows) and people who have cancer. Why not branch out and use a disease or disability less represented?

As Susan Nussbaum says on her article on the Huffington post "Disabled characters are written into stories for one reason: the disability. Do most people actually believe real disabled people spend our days obsessing about being cured? Or rhapsodizing about killing ourselves? Here is the truth: Disabled people barely ever even think about our disabilities. When we do think about them, it’s usually because we are dealing with an oppressive, systemic problem, such as employment discrimination. Can’t there ever be a disabled character in a book or film just because? Where the topic doesn’t ever come up? All sorts of interesting stories can be written about a disabled character, without the disability ever being mentioned. You know, just like real people."

Another reason lesser represented conditions need to be is exactly why people want representation in other ways, so that people can see themselves reflected in a character, a hero. There are children's books with diabetic characters, because they are about being diagnosed and being okay with it. And that's great and all, but what about when those little kids grow up into teenagers and young adults and no longer see themselves accurately represented in books or movies, or represented at all?

Another huge reason we need diabetic characters in fiction is because a lot of people don't know the difference between Type 1 and 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes, and pre diabetes. And through books, we could educate people on the differences between these two very severe, very common diseases. Because chances are, you know a diabetic.

(For the sake of me, I'm going to be talking about Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) for the rest of the post.)

2) What could a Diabetic bring to the story?

Maybe they are living in a world that has cured T1D and your character has just been cured. But at a cost? Or it's not all they thought it would be? Or it's a lie?

Maybe there is advanced technology that totally changes the management for this disease and your character is able to do things they weren't able to before, like go on long adventures.

Maybe they are just a normal Type 1 Diabetic struggling with their disease and goes and saves the world anyways and the story isn't about their diabetes and IS about them going on a journey like every other character in every other story.

Maybe they have turned to using crime to be able to pay for their medical devices and supplies, and are trying to overthrow the evil corporations that have caused insulin prices to skyrocket. (This could be pretty awesome)

Maybe they fall in love with a diabetic, or are un-diagnosed in the story, or break their insulin pump while away on their epic adventure. There are any number of plot lines you could use. And almost any way you do it, you get to have blood, needles, have your character pass out, or stumble a lot, or go into a coma if you'd like. Use the symptoms that diabetics go through to raise the stakes, to add some drama, to tell a good story.

3) How do you write Type 1 Diabetic characters if you don't have T1D?

This it's the tricky part. Even as a diabetic for 10 years, I'm unsure how exactly one would go about writing a diabetic character. I'd have to try. Which is why after Nanowrimo is over, I'm going to write a short story featuring a Type 1 Diabetic. Which will be hard for that reason, and because I've only written 2 short stories, and neither one was very good at all.

But what tips can I give you now?

Don't let it define the character. Yes, diabetes effects every area of our life, and it's 24/7 care, but we are people who don't want our disease to be us.

Don't make them talk about it all the time, or it consume every thought. That's not what it's like. Yes, I have to think about counting carbohydrates when I eat, giving myself insulin, testing my blood sugar, if I have my blood sugar meter when I leave the house, if my pump has enough Insulin in it for the day, ect ect ECT. But, I don't really think about it, its almost subconscious at this point.

There's lingo. Things that diabetics call their medical supplies or what they are doing that only a diabetic, or family member/close friend would get. It differs from diabetic to diabetic but much of it is the same. And if you get that lingo wrong, it would be a tell tale sign that you don't know what your talking about.

Don't be afraid to get it wrong and have a diabetic read it and help you. Or ask questions online.

Talk to a Type 1 Diabetic. Honestly. If that's me you want to talk to, shoot me a message with all of your awkward writer questions. If that's a friend or family member, do that. You can search through diabetic memes (they are pretty funny) and look up symptoms and facts, but in the end, you need information that isn't on the internet.

I hope you'll think about other conditions you haven't seen represented in fiction, or think more about friends and family you have that live with conditions you can't understand and set out to understand better, or write awesome fiction for them to enjoy.

Thanks for reading,

Thane

P.S.

Happy Thanksgiving!