#this might be incomprehensible BUT !!!! the self reflected in fiction is APPARENTLY more freeing than i realized. lol

[smallsies]

Reflecting on Representation in Audio Drama (as a Creator)

It's a commonly sung praise of fiction podcasts that, because of the indie nature of the space, minority representation is much more commonplace, but I don't think I've heard much of what that looks like for creators on the other side, so I just want to talk about it a bit in regards to my personal experience, writing an upcoming audio drama and being physically disabled.

"Write what you know" is advice given far and wide, even beyond podcasting, so when working through the pre-canon impact the city collapse in SPACE SPECKS had on the population, a long-term injury seemed like a trail worth heading down. Thus one of the show's characters, Nora, was partially trapped underneath a collapsed wall after an explosion, with her partner forced to do a field amputation to get her to safety, and, in a broader sense, save her life.

As an amputee, just the idea of writing a character with an amputation was exciting — I've struggled to find any relatability to other amputees, in both fiction and in real life, due to the circumstances and type of amputation I had. Creating a character who's amputation was, like mine, traumatic, who struggles with phantom pain and her disability being minimized and not having a say in the medical decision, now having to relearn navigating the world with mobility aids has meant so much more to me than I ever expected it would.

We're both partial foot amputees (write what you know, right?) and for me, this came with a lot of strife that I'm now getting to explore through Nora. I didn't call myself an amputee for a very long time — I didn't think I "deserved" it, because you wouldn't ever be able to tell just by looking at me, because my healthcare team and my family told me I would be fine and would adapt to walking again and because, even in amputee spaces, I simply didn't have it as bad as others did, along with hundreds of other reasons.

In short, though, audio drama is allowing me to tell a story that I would otherwise probably continue to feel isolated within. Becoming an amputee was a huge shift in my life I've never shared with anyone, but now Nora's injury has the opportunity to help me and maybe help others feel seen and understood, (even if their circumstances may be different!) This is just an incredibly unique sort of catharsis I didn't expect to find in podcasting & I'm really grateful for the opportunities this space presents. :)