Autism, Writing, and Craft, part 1: Character

[ada_hoffmann]

I’ve been chewing on the idea that characteristic aspects of autistic writing are different from neurotypical writing. I think of it whenever I look at essays like Matthew Salesses’ “25 Essential Notes on Craft.” We talk about this topic in terms of authors of color trying to get by in a very white, American-dominated publishing industry. Every once in a while I hear assertions that something like this applies to neurodiverse groups, too, but I rarely see a deep unpacking of what that means…

(Read the whole post on Substack)

Comments

[rhoda_rants]

Oh, this is excellent. You know how I feel about villains, obviously, but I think you've pinpointed why I find werewolves so sympathetic: that sensory overload thing. Every werewolf story has a moment where the newly-turned werewolf has to deal with and then navigate extreme sensory overload. Superhero stories do that sometimes, but they're framed very differently.

[ada_hoffmann]

Thank you! I never thought of that, re: werewolves (I haven't actually reada lot of werewolf stories), but it makes a LOT of sense!

[rhoda_rants]

I see them more in movies, honestly. But yeah, that "Everything is too loud/bright, I can smell your perfume across the room, why am I itchy?" is a staple of some of the older ones. I'd like to rework that "cage me so I don't hurt anyone" trope to something more like, "I'm fine, just leave me alone with my show and my snacks for several hours."

ETA: Also, this thread: https://twitter.com/mishafletch/status/973898208953946112

[ada_hoffmann]

Oh, that thread is hilarious! :D