Hi y'all! I'm writing a book.

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Sorry for being away, but I thought it wise to take a little break.

I've started to write a book, which I hope will work as a so-called consciousness-raiser. It's about four subjects; Asperger's Syndrome, Asexuality, Atheism and Democratic Socialist.

I've "finished" the first part of the section about AS, which is about what AS is, from the viewpoint of the DSM-IV. If anyone is interested in reading what I've written so far, be sure to send a PM to me, as I would like some criticism.

Anyway, what I would like you to do is suggest what you think should be included in any book about Asperger's Syndrome. Not just what the aspie as an individual is like, but how the community of aspies are, and what the large thinks about us.

Any suggestions are welcome.

The keys to writing is to write what you know and write what you love (not one or the other but both.) It's generally unwise to stuff a book with things that you only added because of other people's suggestions.

Of course not, but the "aspie world" is pretty big, and I'm fairly interested in what people would say is the most important thing to mention that Neurotypicals could learn about.

I can think of all the commotion about Aspergia off the top of my head.

Good luck with this project! I hope they publish your book.

I use to write a little but I got writer's block and hardly write at all.

Doesn't matter. You know what you know. If you feel it isn't enough, you'll use your love and learn some more from what you read elsewhere.

Otherwise you'll be writing by committee instead of writing your own work.

My thoughts at first glance: I can see how Asperger's and Asexuality could work together for a good book. I can even see adding Atheism to the mix. But I'm a little confused about Democratic Socialism and how it relates to the other 3. However, If the book is an autobiography, and you are presenting a portrait of yourself, your neurology, sexuality, religious or philosophical beliefs and political ideology, than it might work. I like the idea because you are showing that people with Asperger's are a whole lot more than their neurology.

As for what should be included: your ideas, thoughts, opinions and beliefs concerning the four topics that your book will focus on. I feel pretty certain though, that people would be very interested in Aspie sexuality as long as it's presented in a way that will attract all audiences and offend as few as possible. Talking about one's sexuality can be done without going into graphic details, it can be done poetically and with class.

Good luck.

Can I be in it?

Can you elaborate?

Hey Henriksson thats cool, I wondered why you stepped back from WP and hoped that you would return one day. Cool to know whats keeping you busy. So is the book in swedish or english or both?
I wish you good luck with it. You seemes to be a guy who needs to get your words out

It's all in English so far.

I think that personal stories are more valuable than generalizations.

My experience with AS is very different from yours, which is different again from other Aspies on this site. To build a "one size fits all" profile of how we relate to the world, or to issues you write about is probably going to be punctuated with exceptions.

On the other hand, if you work with a varied group of Aspies, and interview each of them about their experience with AS, their sexuality (I consider asexuality can be an affirmative choice), their spirituality (if any) and their politics, you can create a study in contrasts in each of the themes that you have chosen.

Hmmm... approaches?

Fiction usually portrays truth more accurately than non fiction, but lately Hollywood has been going nuts on aspie chick flicks, so while there's still plenty of virgins, there's not much virgin territory in the aspie romance genre.

An erotic novel dealing with aspie asexuality might be interesting.

Or maybe a story about an aspie communist on an atheist spiritual quest to find asexual tantric yoga.

I think it would be interesting to dispel some popular myths and stereotypes about AS. For example the stereotype that all people w AS lack imagination and creativity (big one), that we are all unempathetic, unemotional etc. Certainly some people with AS could be described accurately by those common stereotypes, but others are just the opposite, too emotional make TOO much eye contact etc. I don't think the general public realizes how much variation there is in the autism spectrum!

I quite concur with that. I have already addressed "unempathetic".