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8 Tips to Writing a Disability Graphic Novel

By Christi Furnas

Graphic illustrations of two of the story's main characters: DoDo and Fox.I’m an artist living with schizophrenia. I’ve been open about my illness since it began. I’ve painted my hallucinations, spoken on panels and with the press. Since I gravitate to drawing my experiences, the progression to creating a graphic novel felt natural to me. Still, for many writers with disabilities, the process of adding illustrations to prose could feel like a daunting task. While putting a graphic novel together takes time and dedication, with a little planning, it can be done. Here are a few tips to consider if you are contemplating this form of storytelling. Continue reading “8 Tips to Writing a Disability Graphic Novel”

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3 Query Letter Tips for Writers with Disabilities

By Natalie Watkins

Hands typing on a Macbook

Finally! After investing blood, sweat and a sea of tears, you have completed your manuscript. You spent untold hours painstakingly editing and proofreading it, and it feels as if your brain will simply ooze out of your ear in a gelatinous mass if you give it even one more cursory look.

What is the next step on your path to publication? Continue reading “3 Query Letter Tips for Writers with Disabilities”

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My Son Has an Invisible Disability. On Mother’s Day, I Celebrate Seeing Him.

By Stephanie Duesing

Mom and son, 18-year-old, purple-haired Sebastian and Stephanie Duesing smile at the camera together.

I didn’t know my son Sebastian until he was 15. That was the year we had our first real Mother’s Day celebration. We lived in the same house together for 15 years, so don’t misunderstand. I gave birth to him. I changed his diapers and taught him to ride a bicycle.

I was a stay-at-home mom, and he was my only child, but I didn’t know him. We spent hours together every day playing and doing crafts together. He painted the most extraordinary pictures, even as a toddler. His existence filled my imagination from the moment that I looked at the faint blue positive mark on the pregnancy test, but I still didn’t know him until he was a sophomore in high school. Continue reading “My Son Has an Invisible Disability. On Mother’s Day, I Celebrate Seeing Him.”