Writing Exercise: Fighting Disability

Last month the Writing Exercise touched on how fictional words can be used to inspire non-traditional people to enter the fields of science and engineering. This month’s challenge is in a similar vein.

I’ve often talked about the challenge of writing choreography (fighting and romantic scenes). To make them unique, instead of bogged down in “he punched him in the mouth” over and over again, it helps to make what is unique about a person and integrate the characteristic into the fight. Main character a chef, have a battle in the kitchen with knives and pans. Main character a sky diver, duke it out with winged creatures in the sky before hitting dirt. Main character has a different scarf every day of the month, tie someone up with them.

Many people look at disability as a limitation. Imagine a situation where the disability is an advantage instead of a limitation. Arm wrestle a one-armed man. Find a way through a dark dungeon with a blind woman. Deafness versus the thunder villain.

WRITING EXERCISE: Write a fight scene where a disabled person is the one fighting and rescuing everyone. Not the lone person staying behind because they have been shot in the leg, but where the hero survives and gets the girl/boy situation.