Welcome back writers! If you didn’t know, this is the second half of the previous post under the same name. In the first part I explained my methods for and distinctions between character traits and strengths/weaknesses. While I may not extensively mention these methods in this part, it might be helpful to read the previous post if you haven’t. This half will mainly focus on how a character having a queer identity can affect how you approach creating your characters. Either way, I hope you all enjoy reading this!
A Character’s Past
In the first part of this series, I mainly focused on a character’s present and future. Mainly viewing them through the lens of the story’s plot and how they will act according to the plot. However that is only one part of the many shifting pieces that make up a well-rounded character. A writer should also heavily consider their character’s past and how that informs their personality and decisions.
I find this to be an extremely important subject of consideration for all characters, but especially queer characters. Queer people, like many other marginalized groups, can have unkind or monumental moments in their past that heavily influence who they become. They often experience such moments at a young/younger age, making it relevant no matter how old your character is. A writer should always keep their character’s past, before the story even begins, in mind. Especially as they start to fully flesh out what kind of person their character is and how they will be perceived by other characters.
When you don’t consider such elements during your character development, you are more likely to create inauthentic and one dimensional queer characters. A sexuality or gender identity isn’t simply a tag to slap on a character. Instead, it is one lens of many that your character will use to view the setting you put them in. Make sure it is as well-thought out and integrated as any other character trait.
Time and Place
Queer people often experience a different upbringing compared to their cis/hetero counterparts. Both in a positive light and negative light. I’d heavily recommend looking into the upbringing of real life people before attempting to write a queer character. Preferably one that has had similar experiences and shares the same sexuality/gender as your character. A writer should also consider the setting of the general plot and world. After all, the experience of a gay man in the 1800’s will vary greatly to a gay man in 2025. Or perhaps your story takes place in the far, far future where being trans isn’t as foreign of an idea as the concept of alien sex/gender.
Either way, time and place can change what your character experiences as they grow up. Consider the culture your character will grow up around versus the one they will be entering as the plot continues. Maybe your character grows up in a small, narrow-minded town where they’ve learned to hide their queerness and any other traits that could label them as “different.” Only to enter a new world with more accepting people who push your character to act as their “authentic” self. Think about how that upbringing could shape your character and what sort of feelings being in a new environment could bring. And think about how these more accepting characters would react to and interact with this character.
Imagine the opposite scenario, where a queer character was brought up with open-mindedness and kindness. Only to enter a harsh reality where an essential part of themself is scorned or mocked. How would that character react? What emotions would they feel? How/would they change in response? What sort of cultural factors and people make such a world possible to exist?
If you don’t have much experience with queer people and their experiences, google and other search engines can be a helpful tool. As long as you put in the time and effort to gather enough information to sort out true experiences and gain a general consensus. I’d also encourage you to read books and biographies. Find the real life stories of queer people and see what you can learn from their experiences. There is also plenty of queer media to check out if you need inspiration from fiction.
Common Queer Experiences
One common misconception that people outside the queer community have is that all queer people understand each other. That since we are queer, we all have the same exact experiences and view the world in the same way. Which isn’t true. Every queer person has a completely different experience. What a gay man experiences will be entirely different from what a lesbian experiences. And the experience of a trans man will differ from the experience of a trans woman. Even people with the same sexuality and/or gender identity will live wildly different lives.
Still, saying that, the following section will talk about some basic common experiences that many (not all) queer people have. This is meant to be a starting place and I will only be giving a basic description. Once again, I heavily recommend doing more research if any of these experiences pique your interest or are one’s that fit your character.
Otherness
One common experience that would apply to queer characters would be a feeling of otherness. Oftentimes queer people will grow intuitively knowing that they are different from their peers. Or will display behaviors/interest that make that difference apparent to their peers, leading to ostracization or exclusion. Whether they know exactly what makes them different depends on the situation and person. For example, some trans people suspect that they are trans from a young age and try to express that. Such as purposely engaging in activities that the other sex would traditionally participate in or dressing like the opposite sex.
On the other hand, many trans people don’t realize that they are trans until they are older. Which can lead to feelings of discomfort or confusion when they can’t relate to other people of their birth sex. The same can go for those with a different sexuality than their friend group/peers. As they feel like they can’t relate or share their true opinions on different conversation topics. Such as crushes or opinions on what they find attractive in a person.
This feeling of otherness or of being “strange” and “different,” can lead to someone struggling to make friends. Or trying too hard to be seen as normal, causing them to hide their “true self.”
Many queer people relate with nonhuman characters, due to the feeling of constantly being seen and treated as an outsider. Such as an alien coming down to Earth and being scorned for not understanding what other humans view as correct behavior. Or a robot being treated differently/poorly because they aren’t “human” enough.
This experience is one that can be applied to a queer character in many ways. Maybe your character is a social pariah because their peers see them as different, leading to them becoming even more rebellious or acting out. Maybe your shy, quiet character is that way because they struggle to relate to other characters within the plot or have a history of rejection. Or your excitable, eccentric character is only seen that way because they don’t care to hide their differences, embracing their feelings of “otherness” proudly.
Internalized Queerphobia
Another common queer experience is unfortunately internalized queerphobia. To elaborate on queerphobia, I refer to experiences such as internalized homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, etc. But I will refer to them as queerphobia to encompass them all, despite their differences, as this will be a basic explanation. Be sure to do more research into which one(s) would impact your queer character if this is part of their character building.
Internalized queerphobia to be explained in a simplified way is the feelings of discomfort, bias, or even disgust at your own orientation. Despite the fact that it applies to themself. Such as a character holding the idea that all bisexual people are confused despite actually being bisexual themself. Or a character being transphobic even though they are trans.
This can happen for a couple different reasons. One of the biggest being exposed to certain ideas or expectations repeatedly from a young age. After all, it makes sense that someone who is trans would struggle to realize it if they are exposed to strict gender roles since birth. Different societies often hold discriminatory views and practices against queer people. Whether that be constructs like gender roles or marriage expectations or outright having laws prohibiting queer sex/expression. When queer people see this and see the punishment (exclusion, violence, jail time…) that is associated with queerness, they reject it. To keep themself safe, loved, and “good.” This leads to a lower quality of life, living in a state of fear/confusion, and constantly monitoring their own natural thoughts/feelings.
Both people who haven’t and have realized they are queer experience internalized queerphobia. And often those with internalized queerphobia have to fight an internal battle to change the mindset that has ingrained in them. Both of these groups will have different experiences.
Those who haven’t realized they are queer may treat other queer people poorly. Bullying them, acting violent or disgusted, or joining others in doing so. They might not fully understand why they have such a vehemence and struggle to look deeper within themself. Meanwhile, those who have realized they are queer can struggle with self hatred/disgust. They must unlearn the biases they have been taught in order to accept themselves and others. It is no simple task and can take up to years of struggle before they feel confident in themself and their identity.
If this is an experience that could apply to your character, it’s important to keep that in mind. One good experience will not change them overnight. It, instead, will be an uphill climb to fully accept themself and others. They will struggle with their self esteem, they may relapse and spiral into self hatred, they will also lash out at others without proper cause. Change is natural but to force change is no easy task.
So, your main character with internalized homophobia will not suddenly wake up, realize they were wrong, and get a boyfriend on the same day. That would be entirely unrealistic. Instead, give your character the time needed to do some self searching. Have them realize how they are hurting themself and others, have them try to make amends. That is much more realistic than suddenly changing their entire worldview/belief system.
Conclusion
Creating realistic and well-rounded queer characters takes time and effort. But I find it is time and effort well spent. Representation is one way that we as writers can help create a better world. If one young, queer person can look out and see someone they can relate to, they will feel less alone. If they can pick up a book and find a queer character that is kind, strong, brave, smart, funny, or whatever else they want to be, they will have hope. Hope that will push them to not only live but thrive. When you realize that, the work doesn’t seem like much effort at all.
I hope you found this series to be helpful! If there’s any questions you have or any other topics you want me to cover, let me know and I’ll do my best!
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