Never judge a book by it’s cover. While I dislike trading in absolutes, initial impressions are rarely the final word in any arena. Doubly so for people who show no obvious outward signs of disability. Chronic conditions and illnesses (heretofore referred to as chronic issues) such as cerebral palsy or vitiligo can be obvious. However, issues such as fibromyalgia, ADHD, and myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome) are generally not obvious to the casual observer. Those of us who have not personally experienced life with a chronic issue may not have given much thought to the plight of those around us who suffer in silence daily.

Most of the links below aren’t about writing a character with a chronic illlness but about living with a chronic illness. A majority of the links lead to virtual communities for people who suffer from chronic illness, not communities for writers. As you visit the various links to start your research, keep in mind that these communities weren’t built for you and do your best to respect and understand them.

Below is a short list of links to help get you understand chronic illness.

Hannah Heath’s 7 Tips for Writing a Character with a Chronic Illness

The Princess in the Tower’s This Is What Chronic Pain Sufferers Want You To Know
(This is guide to be more compassionate toward people suffering from chronic pain, not necessarily meant for writers.)

Denise Reich’s I Won’t Apologize for Having Fun While Chronically Ill (This is an article about how people who are not chronically ill should be more compassionate toward people suffering from chronic illness, not necessarily meant for writers.)

Disclaimer: I do not have a chronic illness or condition and I’m not trying to say writers who do not have to deal with these kinds of issues on a daily basis are entitled to tell these stories. We’re not. But since there are writers who want to add accurate representations of what life is like with a chronic illness or condition to fictional literature, we should at least do our best to understand the most realistic portrayal.

Disclaimer the second: I usually have at least one person from that community read over my posts, but unfortunately I was not able to do that with this post. Please let me know if you find anything offensive or incomplete.