Writing vs. Speaking

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I prefer writing over speaking. Anxiety gets in the way when I speak, and I can't think of a thing. I can even get distracted by the sound of my own voice when talking to the point where I forget what I'm even talking about.

Whatever I type, I can retype if needed

My first girlfriend & I communicated almost exclusively through letters - even though we saw each other every day. We were 14 at the time and both quite shy, so we wrote long love letters & mailed them to each other, several times a week. We would meet most days to take long walks, hold hands & kiss - but rarely say much of anything. Now that I think back, I'm almost certain she was also on the spectrum.

Over the years, I've over-compensated for my difficulties in speaking by almost constantly translating my thoughts into words in my head - as though I were going to write them down. I write & re-write in my mind, until I get the wording just right. I've also developed a huge vocabulary - because I can't stand to not have exactly the right word. So I end up talking like I write - which I'm sure makes people think I'm a bit pedantic.

That last post made a lot of sense! (Not to say that most posts are unintelligible...)

When I'm in the middle of a verbal (internal) thought, I've often caught myself rephrasing it. I tend to stop this, because if I'm rephrasing it, then clearly I've already finished it. This, I suppose is why I like to think aloud when I'm alone, as somehow, that doesn't require rephrasing.

Oh, and some of you have claimed to type very quickly, so I ask: Which keyboard layout do you use? I'm on Dvorak.



Oh, I do enjoy telling people how different I am from them.

i have a lot of trouble with both, but writing would have to be the easier one out of the two. in the past i never really observed my writing and speech patterns but since i started learning about AS i've been watching what I'm doing to try and see what I'm having troubles with.

When talking to people: there are some words i, for the life of me, cannot pronounce outloud even though i can say it perfectly in my head, for some reason my tongue gets tied and i start to stumble. when i was at my vocational school i was trying to help a classmate with something there was one word i couldnt say (i dont remember what it was but it started with an "s" lol) i also have trouble finding words when i'm trying to talk to someone and usually i will lose my train of thought and just stop talking and end up staring at the ceiling....

When typing/writing: i have the same issue with finding words and losing my train of thought when i type (i cannot read my own handwriting so i try not to write by hand). granted, when you're typing it does give you more time to think without the stress of having people in front of you, so the words come a bit easier.

Regardless of what i'm doing, I still have a lot of trouble translating my thoughts into words even the thoughts are crystal clear in my head. i also have somewhat of a limited vocabulary. i hate it when people use big words (to me i think they're trying to make themselves sound smart lol), even if ive heard the word before I have trouble remembering what it means. at least i have my iphone now and downloaded the dictionary.com app onto it so i can look up words whenever i want. i also have a bad habit of needing to explain something when I'm talking or typing. I have a sequence of steps in my head that i need to go through if i realize i've missed something i'll actually stop midsentence and enter the missing point and then carry on with the conversation. i dunno if that made sense lol, i'm a very scattered thinker

I can relate. I would rather type posts than speak because I can find my words and I have more time to think of what to say and how my words might effect people and make sure they won't be taken the wrong way. I have no time for that stuff in real life so it's a joke to tell me "think before you say." Shame this isn't Click

Also I prefer to resolve issues through PM or email than in real life or phone. Even though people and my Fun Facts Coach says you resolve issues in person, it doesn't work with me very well unless I have someone helping me.

Also when I speak in real life, things come out wrong and sometimes I get lost in my own words I pause to find my train of thoughts again so I can continue.

I suck at battles in real life but online I do better. I think that's why I prefer online drama than in real life. I always feel I am living a movie script. I bet normal people live that way too because they also have to think about what they are going to say to someone when they confront them or how they are going to confront them, and I also wonder if they have their own scripts for small talk.