*Source: [How to write a character with glasses – @creativepromptsforwriting on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/creativepromptsforwriting/643734910397448192/how-to-write-a-character-with-glasses)*
# How to write a character with glasses
A guide for anyone wanting to write characters with glasses, but doesn’t know how yet.
**Different types of visual impairment**
- _Near-sighted_ – not being able to see stuff in the distance
- _Far-sighted_ – not being able to see stuff up close
- _Presbyopia_ – easier in German: Altersweitsichtigkeit = elderly far-sightedness, not being able to read small print when you’re older, sometimes end up being far- and near-sighted at the same time
- _Astigmatism_ –light is not focused evenly on the retina, results in distorted and blurry vision
- Think about what kind of visual impairment does your character have?
- What are they able to see?
- Can they see basically everything, but cannot read correctly?
- Can they see enough to get by, but cannot read and drive and get headaches without their glasses?
- Can they only see blurred images and colours?
- Do not change it halfway through the story! Choose their impairment and then _stick with it_.
- What are situations where the glasses could hinder them?
- Are they doing a lot of sport, are they getting into fights, situations where they don’t want to wear them for aesthetic reasons?
- Can they not do something because of their impairment? (joining security forces, driving big trucks, etc.)
- Are they annoyed that they have to wear them? Are they only wearing contact lenses or are they just avoiding wearing anything even though they can’t see everything?
- You don’t have to make a big deal out of your character wearing glasses, but it does play a big part in your character’s life
- Remember to put in a few references about it here and there throughout the story
- Sunglasses need the right prescription and then you would have to change glasses every time you enter a building
- There are clips that go over the normal glasses, but they have to be exact to look fine
- Swim goggles can also be with prescription, but you would also have to get your glasses as soon as you’re out of the water to take the goggles off and still see enough
- There are also special glasses for other sports (it’s not great to do sports with real glasses, because if they break it can severely damage your eyes)
- The worse the eyesight the more expensive they get
- Glasses and frames are two different things and get sold separately (you can have really expensive glasses in a cheap frame or vice versa)
- You also need a spare pair of glasses, if you lose yours or they get damaged (often this is just an old pair, where the prescription is no longer strong enough)
- A new partner cannot just take the glasses and throw them to the side, when the fun starts, if it leaves the character without being able to see properly, there needs to be some more trust there
- People will take the glasses and put them on, yelling ‘OMG you’re really blind!’ and then ask you how they look like, especially funny when you really can’t see them
- People asking ‘how many fingers can you see?’
- Light hits differently, which means you see light differently and also, it’s hard to take good pictures with glasses
- Rain is a nightmare, it’s like driving through rain without a windshield wiper
- Having to be careful on roller coasters and other stuff, because they can and will fly off
- Especially with astigmatism it’s hard to drive at night
- Going to the hair dresser can be annoying when they take your glasses off and then ask you if that’s the right length to cut it and you can’t see it
- You cannot lie in bed (except on the back) without the glasses pressing uncomfortable in your face
- Mascara definitely will end up on the glasses and getting that cleaned is a nightmare
- Wearing hats, beanies, giant headphones and even facemasks can be extra annoying, because the arms of the frame will get in the way
- You can get headaches from not wearing your glasses, from the pressure of the frame of the glasses and from wearing new and therefore glasses with a stronger prescription
- Small children love glasses, as soon as they can grab stuff, they will yank them off your face if you let them get close enough
- Kids will tease you about them, but after middle school it’s not really a thing anymore (mostly and as adults it’s really nothing special)
- Glasses have blind spots on the sides and top and bottom, so you sometimes have to move your head more
- I actually only have sharp vision for a distance of 10 cm, which means I would not get home save if I had to cross a street to get to my building without glasses
- So, the trope of someone not being able to see without them is correct in some cases, but it’s definitely not hilarious and there are not often situations where they are just without glasses and fumbling around
- And it’s impractical, if they just put them away and it was established that they can’t really see that well without them it’s just stupid to leave them at home
- If they get new and cooler glasses, the person giving them to them would have needed to know their exact prescription, glasses are expensive and it takes time before they are ready
- If they wear contact lenses from now on, they would also need to know the prescription and if they have never worn contact lenses before it will take some time to get used to putting them in and wearing them
_Finally… please write characters with glasses. This sounds like a lot of hassle, but for most people it’s the most normal thing in the world. Studies show that soon half the world population will need glasses and I still didn’t really have a cool girl with glasses as a role model in literature when I grew up. It’s just another form of representation and I hope I can help you with this post to create some cool characters!_
