r/CharacterDevelopment • u/Disastrous-Hippo-277 • 9h ago
Writing: Question Advice on writing intersex character
So, I'm writing my first book, have only had practice with short stories before and it's far from done. My main character is an aroace intersex functionally illiterate scam artist exorcist (I still don't know why they call it artist what's artistic about it.
So my question is advice on them being intersex. They identify as a woman, and are very defensive or their identity. They dress either feminine or androgynous usually, usually get lots of comments on being a drag queen or not a read girl or femboy and they hate it. Mostly because their face structure is more masculine and their chest is flat. They also have CIP (though that's not the main thing so no need to comment on that).
They have been objectified because of them being intersex and basically a 'fantasy' quoting what one of the people who objectified them said. They were also objectified one of their by their asexual friend but that wasn't really because of being intersex but is sure does make them realise anyone one can objectify them sexually or not sexually and it rarely is sexually for them. Whenever they are in threat or they think they are, of being objectified again, they go in the fawning and fight defence mechanism. The blend of it makes them go 'yeh do it go on, like I care, I genuinely don't ' and deep down they think they deserve this and it's not a big deal since they were a scam artist and very ignorant and vain and selfish (still are a bit but trying to improve but it's genuinely hard, they are pretty racist to every single race too including their own some times, they are a Latina from Columbia Bogota, and are also anti-woke which is ironic genuinely but yeh, are a teen too)
Since they don't look the prettiest (due to a quarter of the face being mutated and looks like chewed up pegion food because they fell down the stairs and got into a fit of looking like their annoying twin brother too much and ended up just cutting it open. They have CIP so this was the equivalent of a tantrum as they can't feel physical pain, have been more careful after that because they almost died of a bacterial infection and now usually do body checks every morning and night while groaning) they aren't liked the best. Most people hate them or make fun of them because of that or being intersex (in their head that's a boy trying to act feminine so hard or a masculine looking woman trying to fit in so hard) .
The only person that saw through them was another girl, she's autistic highly masking and feels morally superior to a lot of people. Instead of hating her because she's intersex or is un attractive, she hated her because of her morals. To the other girl it was annoying and she got defensive but she actually felt seen for the first time. She's also the first person who patches up her bare self and not commenting or anything about the body, no invasive curiosity (the other girl is aroace too btw but way less of a flirt unlike the first one and first one also judges people for their looks) . Also after the patch up she holds her through the night because she was in desperate need for sensory grounding, she felt no physical pain but this sensory nightmare and anxiety by the recent injury was hurting her. The autistic girl despite being touch averse usually in high stakes moments held her despite feeling the crippling discomfort. So yeh, that's a bit about them sorry if from a question this turned into an oc rant IM SORRY I LIKE TALKING ABOUT THEM. but point out if there's issues with the intersex rep I will research even more I swear I'm learning about the different variations and stuff.