- Invitation Status
- Looking for partners
- Posting Speed
- One post per day
- Multiple posts per week
- 1-3 posts per week
- Online Availability
- Sporadic.
- Writing Levels
- Intermediate
- Adept
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
- Transgender
- Genres
- Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction and Modern.
— SO you want to write a trans man, but you're not a trans man yourself? Well, here's a short guide on where to start on creating your character's backstory and what to avoid.
— WHERE TO START
I don't recommend writing the transition or their coming out story, but that doesn't mean those things shouldn't be a part of their backstory. These are life-changing events that can effect anything from their relationship with their family to the relationship with themselves. Their reactions and the direction of these things can also say a lot about your character. Below are sets of questions to ask yourself.
• How old were they when they came out? Had they been questioning for awhile? Had they been afraid to say anything?
• How did they come out? Was it by accident? On purpose? To everyone at once or was it a slow, repetitive process?
• Who did they come out to first? What was their reaction? How did that effect them in terms of coming out to others in their life?
• What was their original transition plan when they first came out? Did it change? How?
• What transgender garments do they own/wear? A binder? What type? A packer? How would they feel if they were to leave the house without one of them garments?
• What were their transition goals? Was there anyone in their life they wanted to look/be like? Why is this?
• Who taught them how to shave? If they taught themself, do they wish someone had been around to teach them? If they taught themself, do they hold some type of frustration towards their father for not being there?
• Did their appetite grow after starting hormones? If so, did they have cravings? If not, then did their tastebuds change at all?
• How did they feel about their voice dropping? Did they experience a rough, dry, scratching, raspy throat? For how long? How did they deal with it?
— WHAT TO AVOID
• Focusing too heavily on a tragic backstory or coming out story. While some families and friend groups aren't accepting, there's no need to use your trans male character for trauma porn. Sprinkle in some positives too, like a found family or a new friend group!
• Avoid referencing or mentioning their deadname. Unless absolutely vital to the story, there's no need for it as it doesn't add anything to the character. After all, they're not that person anymore.
• While it does happen in real life, avoid pairing a gay trans man with a straight cis man or a straight trans man with a cis lesbian. This can come across as insensitive as it's ignorant to the character's gender.
— TIPS
• Not all trans men have the same transition plans or goals. Some want all the surgeries, some only want top surgery, and some want no surgeries. It all depends on what's available to your character and whether it's practical for them.
• Transition plans can change with age! Some start off with a plan for top surgery and nothing else, then eventually decide they want testosterone first.
• Trans men can be feminine, but the femininity of trans men is not the same as the femininity of women. It's best to play a feminine trans man as you would a feminine cis man, perhaps with a slightly more complex relationship with feminity (if applicable to their setting and/or background).
— QUESTIONS
That's everything I can think of at the moment and I may come back to edit this and add on to it, but feel free to post your questions or send me a message. There may be things I've forgotten or things I haven't added due to not thinking there'd be a need to.
— WHERE TO START
I don't recommend writing the transition or their coming out story, but that doesn't mean those things shouldn't be a part of their backstory. These are life-changing events that can effect anything from their relationship with their family to the relationship with themselves. Their reactions and the direction of these things can also say a lot about your character. Below are sets of questions to ask yourself.
• How old were they when they came out? Had they been questioning for awhile? Had they been afraid to say anything?
• How did they come out? Was it by accident? On purpose? To everyone at once or was it a slow, repetitive process?
• Who did they come out to first? What was their reaction? How did that effect them in terms of coming out to others in their life?
• What was their original transition plan when they first came out? Did it change? How?
• What transgender garments do they own/wear? A binder? What type? A packer? How would they feel if they were to leave the house without one of them garments?
• What were their transition goals? Was there anyone in their life they wanted to look/be like? Why is this?
• Who taught them how to shave? If they taught themself, do they wish someone had been around to teach them? If they taught themself, do they hold some type of frustration towards their father for not being there?
• Did their appetite grow after starting hormones? If so, did they have cravings? If not, then did their tastebuds change at all?
• How did they feel about their voice dropping? Did they experience a rough, dry, scratching, raspy throat? For how long? How did they deal with it?
— WHAT TO AVOID
• Focusing too heavily on a tragic backstory or coming out story. While some families and friend groups aren't accepting, there's no need to use your trans male character for trauma porn. Sprinkle in some positives too, like a found family or a new friend group!
• Avoid referencing or mentioning their deadname. Unless absolutely vital to the story, there's no need for it as it doesn't add anything to the character. After all, they're not that person anymore.
• While it does happen in real life, avoid pairing a gay trans man with a straight cis man or a straight trans man with a cis lesbian. This can come across as insensitive as it's ignorant to the character's gender.
— TIPS
• Not all trans men have the same transition plans or goals. Some want all the surgeries, some only want top surgery, and some want no surgeries. It all depends on what's available to your character and whether it's practical for them.
• Transition plans can change with age! Some start off with a plan for top surgery and nothing else, then eventually decide they want testosterone first.
• Trans men can be feminine, but the femininity of trans men is not the same as the femininity of women. It's best to play a feminine trans man as you would a feminine cis man, perhaps with a slightly more complex relationship with feminity (if applicable to their setting and/or background).
— QUESTIONS
That's everything I can think of at the moment and I may come back to edit this and add on to it, but feel free to post your questions or send me a message. There may be things I've forgotten or things I haven't added due to not thinking there'd be a need to.
