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Chimchar
Toucan
Joined: Feb 15, 2008
Age: 18
Posts: 292
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 Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:34 pm Post subject: Aspies and school shootings. |
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I wanted to write my second book.
It's called Ashenvalle high. It's about a 14 year old boy diagnosed with Aspergers. He goes to a public school and is constantly teased. Any person with AS can relate to him  , but he or she might change their mind when they find out at the end, he starts a shooting killing 39 people and himself  .
I was really excited writing this story. Until, another aspie told me that if this book gets published, society will start to fear Aspies instead of understand them.
i thought I could write the story from the Aspies Point of view. Because he's constantly picked on and when he starts the shooting, reader will think, he this is what happens if bullying continues...
What do you guys think? Should I continue writing this.
Here's a sample of the story.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgfj8tv_5d655jwpg&hl=en
I'm an Aspie, not an NT troll. I'm writing a book about an autistic boy, but since i have little knowledge of the disorder, I don't know if it would offend others with AS. |
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merrymadscientist
Deinonychus
Joined: Dec 19, 2007
Posts: 318
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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Yes you should write it. It may be controversial, but it is something I can see happening - there have been times myself when i have thought about wanting to just shoot the lot of them (although even if I did have a gun I am at least 99% sure I would never have done it). If you can present it so that the reader really empathises with the character and gets to the stage that they can understand why he does what he does at the end, then I think it could be really good. I always think that people do what they do for a reason, even in these extreme cases, and that if you were that person you would realise that they didnt have much of a way out. I think to get the the stage of shooting people though you would have to have a disociation from reality, something I have had when i have been very depressed, which stops him from acting morally.
It is true that it isnt a very positive message to give about AS, but perhaps it is something that could happen (and maybe has already, I dont know the details of the people that have done such a thing).
p.s. I didnt yet read your segment of the story. I will do so now. |
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Zsazsa
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 20, 2007
Posts: 730
Location: Upstate New York, USA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:08 pm Post subject: Aspie book |
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| Why would you want to present Asperger's Syndrome in such a negative way? People already fear what they do not understand. |
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Chimchar
Toucan
Joined: Feb 15, 2008
Age: 18
Posts: 292
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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| I didn't know it was protrayed in a negative way. But now I'm not sure if I should write it. |
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MrMark
Abstract Data Type
Joined: Jul 04, 2006
Age: 50
Posts: 9875
Location: Tallahassee, FL
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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Perhaps if it was one of a collection of short stories with AS protagonists demonstrating the diversity that exists within the AS community...
_________________
"As rain falls on the just and the unjust alike, let your heart be untroubled by judgments and let your kindness rain on all."
- from The Zhuang-zi (Chuang Tzu)
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darkstone100
A dedicated Escapist.
Joined: Mar 05, 2008
Age: 19
Posts: 4025
Location: Yuma, AZ
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Hmm, the small portion of story does sound interesting, but I've been teased most of my life and I've never had the urge to shoot up a school. |
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merrymadscientist
Deinonychus
Joined: Dec 19, 2007
Posts: 318
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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| My urges to shoot people have come generally when I was trying to get to sleep and people were being noisy and calling me a freak when I told them to be quiet. I can get quite murderous when I want to sleep and I cant. But seriously, it wouldnt ever have happened. |
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Chimchar
Toucan
Joined: Feb 15, 2008
Age: 18
Posts: 292
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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i'd like to get to know you merry  |
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theZenman
Emu Egg
Joined: Aug 17, 2007
Age: 21
Posts: 5
Location: New York City, NY
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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I don't believe it would be wise, necessarily, to publish such a story given that the protagonist is shown specifically to suffer from AS. For people who are not well informed on AS, this story would serve only to place a fear on them of people who may have AS or who they may suspect of having it. We cannot continue to encourage people's fears, even though I understand that this is not your intention, nor did u ever see this interpretation (both understandable). However, not everyone is understanding.
I agree with MrMark that this might be best as part of a collection of short stories with different individuals with AS with different perspectives and personalities. |
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markaudette
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 16, 2006
Posts: 702
Location: Middle Tennessee, USA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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Mass murder is not as cool as getting even with everyone that ever did you wrong.
Write a peaceful book that millions adore. Then go to everyone who has ever done you wrong and give them a copy of the book.
The press would use a violent novel written from an Aspie's prespective to incite fear mongering against the Aspie world. And we don't need crap like that.
Take the high road. |
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Chimchar
Toucan
Joined: Feb 15, 2008
Age: 18
Posts: 292
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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Instead of a shooting, why not a suicide even though it may be cliche?
According to my research, 85% of Aspie teens commit suicide. (I cannot verify that it is true.)
I'm sorry guys, I thought a book like this would make a bestseller and make million of people read my book and understand both the disorder and bullying. I didn't think that it would lead to fear.
At VT shooting, I felt sympathetic of the killer for some reason. |
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TLPG
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 13, 2007
Posts: 682
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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I think a book like this could work, just as long as those who bully are painted as the bad guys - and more importantly all other avenues to put a stop to it (including legal) are followed through.
Although I wouldn't actually go through with the shooting part. I think it would be more effective if the Aspie in your book committed suicide. Yes, that's a negative as well but at least you won't create the fear that a shooting would. Make sure that it's the bullying that is painted as causing it, and not the Aspergers. |
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The_Cucumber
Phoenix
Joined: May 05, 2007
Posts: 534
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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There actually is a way to write a book with a similar premise without evoking as much controversy.
Rather then the character diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome being the shooter, why not make him a hero?
He is teased and ridiculed by his peers at school and when he overhears the shooter discussing his plans, no one believes him. However, when the shooting actually happens he finds himself hiding just a few feet behind the shooter and instead of freezing up he lunges for the shooter and wrestles him to the ground unarmed saving many lives. His peers who once teased and ridiculed him now consider him the greatest hero ever to have come to the school. Perhaps he is even awarded a local scholarship that normally goes to the star of the football team (who ironically happens to be the person who ridicules him the most).
Your original premise portrays Asperger's Syndrome in a negative light. If you really want to write a book that will help people with Asperger's Syndrome, something closer to my premises would work out much better. |
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Chimchar
Toucan
Joined: Feb 15, 2008
Age: 18
Posts: 292
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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| TLPG wrote: | | Make sure that it's the bullying that is painted as causing it, and not the Aspergers. |
That's what I'm doing in the book. |
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Glencannon
Raven
Joined: Jan 23, 2008
Age: 28
Posts: 117
Location: Missoula, MT
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I think you could write a book on this subject and not portray AS in a negative light. However you would have make the reader fall in love with the character and give absolutely no indication that the main character is going to commit a school shooting until the very end. You could even have a lady and the tiger type ending where you cut the story short just before the shooting leaving the reader to wonder whether or not you character went through with the plans, you would have to create some sort of inner conflict within the character before hand though so that the ending is truly ambiguous. |
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