Aspie authors writing social interaction

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Not gonna touch the red-hot Twain issue...but there is a wonderful book by Julie Brown, a scholar (and mom of an Aspie) called...Writers on the Spectrum I think. In it, she puts Anderson (and Melville, Thoreau, and Lewis Carroll) in the dreaded box. More important than the celebs she fingers is the meticulous and rather convincing combination of medical and literary analysis she puts to use.

I also had a terrible time learning to write ( if it can be said that I ever learned). From physical issues grasping a pencil (no keyboards back then!) which led to sloppy handwriting (dyspraxia?), to an inability to pick up grammar...it was a mess. And organizing my thoughts was as hard as putting them down on paper.

Samuel Clemens was an oddball—but he was also a keen observer of human nature.

I don’t feel he had Aspergian traits at all.

Samuel Clemens was an oddball—but he was also a keen observer of human nature...

I didn't want to comment on Twain because he is on a bunch of lists and I didn't feel like arguing, but I agree with you. He also seemed too socially successful, from an early age, to be an Aspie. The man travelled everywhere and hobnobbed with polished literati.

Compare him to Anderson or Lovecraft, both of whom had a hard time "getting it together" as we might say today. Both were in some sort of unspeakable agony for much of their youths, struggled mightily with identity and sexuality, and both writing styles were more brittle and odd than Twain's.

Of course again this is all speculation and I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings or trigger them

Even if u read what he wrote about childhood hijinks he must have had fantastic theory of mind at the very least

Have zero doubt about the other two but of course it IS speculation. Lovecraft was exactly like my diagnosed youngest brother was even what he writes about ...my brother wrote more childish versions of such things n Poe-ish things... since he was 7.. lol and v similar writing style to boot! Idk about Poe.
Was convinced it was all nature not nurture/ but read so much contrary stuff by ppl who knew him during child-teen years that it's one of those things I wouldn't feel right speculating about.

Brittle is a good word for L.C. but for NTs that is a totally novel and unique way of seeing the world.. One reason reading books is so awesome. I know my understanding of ppl would be way less if my parents hadn't forced me to read..

I am a screenwriter with Aspergers. Self diagnosed admittedly, but it runs in the family, my father has it + uncle + cousins. So I feel pretty confident about it.

I have been reasonably successful as a writer. It's screenwriting so has a balance with being alone most of the time plus some social interaction on occasion.

I'm a really shockingly bad person to person talker. I tend to talk 'at' people rather than with. Flow of conversation all that I seem to be on a different rhythm. It's a problem I am constantly battling since it interferes with my ability to do the social side of my job well.

That has nothing to do with being a good dialogue writer. That's a totally seperate skill that I picked up just from reading a lot of good dialogue and practicing and getting a feel for editing.

But I do feel there are variations of Aspie types. I have a really good feel for social situations and pick up on what's happening below the surface well. I just suck with being able to interact myself lol. So I have a good sense of subtext. How people rarely say what they mean/mean what they say basically. Small talk just seems naturally adsurd and comical to me fwiw, so that has helped me too comedy wise.

https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Always-Me- ... ble&sr=1-1

Finally, my newest book, You're Always With Me And Other Stories, is in audiobook form! Took ACX/Amazon half a year to get this done! Huzzahs!

When I write fiction, it tends to come across as "romance" with an "antihero" as the protagonist. Or so I've been told. Last fiction I wrote was described like that by my writing group, and I couldn't figure it out. I think they were presuming things I wasn't actually writing, because their interpretation was from a different perspective than mine.

Lots of what we read we put into the story, whether the author meant it or not. I think it was Bradbury? with his book Farenheit 451? that went to a college class to discuss his book once, and he ended up very angry because the students were telling him what his book was about, and it had nothing to do with what he meant it to be.

The short of it is, if people are enjoying your stories, then let them "help" by adding their own thoughts/emotions/images/etc just like we all do when we read fiction.

We see the world as we are, not as it is <3

I am not a writer but I have preformed on stage. Writing is a bit like stage work - there is more than one artist involved. The Actor and the Director my re-interpret the intention of the Author and the result is new art - not the "incorrect" interpretation of the Writer. With a written piece, the Reader is an artist too - the character the Writer thought of as blond, the reader may interpret as a bruenette - the villain might be seen as a hero (Wicked on Broadway?). Fans might like the original Star Wars better than George Lucas' "improved" version with new special effects and a rewritten ending.

I think when an Author writes - he creates, but then, when a Reader reads he creates too.