Aspie authors writing social interaction

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sparklingrocks
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26 Jan 2008, 9:18 am

MsBehaviour wrote:
I've loved writing ever since I was little, used to work for a magazine and am now a columnist for the Big Idea (a creative community in New Zealand). I find mindmaps really useful for organising structure and planning: http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/article.php?sid=4580

I've also written a column on Indie Authors and self publishing: http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/article.php?sid=4817


I agree, mind maps are really useful. I used them to plan out academic writing projects when I was in school. I also use them for brainstorming.

My dream job is to work for a magazine. I currently am a writer & editor, and do some web design as well. I have a novel sitting in the in-box at a small press this month.



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27 Jan 2008, 12:45 am

My stories are usually told through the eyes of an aspie, because I don't know how NTs think. Most NT conversations I copy from memory, changing a few things to reflect the situation.


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27 Jan 2008, 12:52 am

If you have a good imagination, yes. I have an excellent imagination, and have thought of writing a story. I used to do a lot of Legend of Zelda role-plays a couple of years ago on an online forum, and I learnt a lot about story telling. One of the guys I role-played with said I was good with the emotional side of things. I've decided, that I will write stories to go with my drawings.



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16 Feb 2008, 7:57 pm

I write poems and songs mostly about the way I'm feeling and how I interpret life.


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21 Feb 2008, 12:16 am

Nico wrote:
I write poems and songs mostly about the way I'm feeling and how I interpret life.


I agree - writing helps purge bad feelings when nothing else will do. If it weren't for writing, god only knows what would've happened to me years ago. I'm terrible at poetry but I still write one every now and then. Writing fiction is the current hobby of choice these days.


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22 Feb 2008, 12:41 pm

I've been told I write great dialouge. I don't know how I do it, when in a creative fluster, I just have at it, and it comes out that way. Of course, there are grammatical errors and typos, but I think I make some of the less common grammatical errors, so that's what makes the diaogue so special. I don't know. For those of you who don't believe me, I am posting a section of my first chapter of my first book, called The Queen of Hearts (And despite the part I am sending, don't get the idea that its a romance novel, its a secret history fantasy novel about early world war two). In this scene, the main character, Abigial, is fought over by a spirit named Enchantra, and a Germanic Elf named Gabar.
Plus, my life and writing have been compared to another Asperger writer, Jane Austen. Don't qoute me on that, however!

As Abigail lay unable to fight any rapper or murder who might come along, a young man walked down the bombed out street. Beyond lacking any and all sanity, he also had on very formal clothes. He had an unnatural air about him, because the moment he appeared in Abigail’s range of view, she snapped out of her seemingly irrevocable trance. She gave a romantic sigh as she saw him.
“Why hello, my love. What is your name?” Gabar said.
“A... A... Abigail Whipple is my name, kind sir.” She replied
She couldn‘t help but let her eyes drift off into dreamy space. .
He picked up her chin, and caressed the side of her face. He clasped her hand in his, and brought his face close enough to taste the sweetened dinner he must have just come from. Her eyes locked with his, and she noticed nothing else. When he spoke, he spoke softly with a fairy tale dream that could subdue the Queen Mum herself.
“Come away with me. Leave this world behind, and come to a place where raspberries grow long on the vine, and we can live in peace.”
Abigail could feel things she never knew existed. Like, the fact she was a woman, not a girl, She felt his face and hands and arms.
“Your real!” she said.
“But of course I am.”
In the most beautiful auburn hair you could imagine, he had a thin golden foil crown with a pink silken veil.
“Is that real gold?”
“Yes, and you will be adorned with riches beyond your wildest dreams. Rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and jewels of incomparable beauty even to this world.”
“What do you mean, ‘this world’?”
“I come from a land far away; a land of everlasting peace and a land with beings with voices so beautiful it would bring a tear to the eye of Hitler himself. It is called the Otherworld.” Gabar undulated. .
Abigail had heard of the Otherworld through her aunt. From her Aunt’s tales, she envisioned the Otherworld as a most wonderful land with all the desires one could have could come to fruition, for a lifetime.
“Will you bless me with your company, oh dear lovely lady?” He whispered.
“Oh, my dear, I want to...”
“Stop!” A woman’s voice shouted.
A woman in Victorian dress (she recognized it by a picture in her mother’s room), with a petticoat, a skirt, a bustle, a corset, and everything proper, even a bonnet and a shawl, stood behind them. Her cat went straight for her. For the first time since Gabar arrived, she noticed other things, like her aunt, dead and buried within the stack of bricks that Gabar and her stood on.
“She is coming with me.” Gabar said.
“Oh, I don’t think so. Abigail, you must not go with him!” Enchantra said.
“What is wrong with him? I know this man, and he would never harm me.” Abigail said, staring back into the lipid pools of purple that hung in Gabar’s alive eyes. “He’s a kind...”
“...deceitful man! In fact, he’s not a man. He’s an elf.”
“An elf? I never knew such things existed.”
“Yes, my love, I am an elf, and with the magic entrusted in me, I can make you queen of your own empire, with all the riches...”
He placed his hand around her waist and one of the shoulders on her nightgown fell.
“...and more that comes with being a Goddess.”
Abigail recoiled slightly Not because he didn’t like what he had in mind. She stared into those eyes again.
“Abigail! Don’t do it! He’ll do as he promises, but the world will not survive!” the lady said. “The armies of darkness will march over the face of the earth! Stand for your Queen, your country, and for what your parents died for! For the sake of the Lady and Lord... er... your parents, do not let this man tempt you!”
“Let the armies of darkness march. You and I will be totally separate from the chaos that envelopes this world.” Gabar said.
Abigail remembered what her aunt told her.
You can always tell the alive from a spirit because the spirit has no pulse
Abigail grabbed the wrist of the elf. A strong pulse coursed blood through his veins. She got up, and walking very gently over, took the other woman’s hand. She had warmth, but no throbbing in her wrist.
“You are a spirit!” Abigail said.
“Yes. I am the spirit of Enchantra.” the lady said.
“That merely proves that what she says can not be trusted.” the elf said.
“Neither can the words of the alive always be trusted!” Enchantra commanded.
“Abigail, demons are trying to fool you with apparitions. Please, come with me. It will be safer, and much more pleasant.” the elf said.
“Abigail, I can not argue with you on that count. You may live more content with him. You must let your heart guide you as to who is to trust.” Enchantra said.
“My heart is broken! I can not make such decisions!” Abigail wailed.
“Come with me, then. I will heal your heart, and make you a Goddess to be adored by all!” the elf begged in a voice oh so sweet.
Abigail had to think fast. She did the syllogisms almost as fast as a mathematician using a slide rule, as these beleaguered words came out.
“Enchantra, are you a demon?”
“Absolutely not.”
“What is your name?” Abigail asked, pointing at the elf.
“My name is Gabar.”
“Are you a demon?”
“I offer you the riches of the ages! Let us go!”
“I’ll take that as a no. Enchantra, what would Gabar say if I asked him if you where a demon?”
“He’d say I was in a heart beat!”
“And Gabar, what would you say if I asked you if Enchantra was a demon.”
“She would say I wasn’t.”
“Good. Now, Enchantra, will my soul stay in this world, even if I go to the Otherworld, and torment others, be tormented, and possibly bring me illness Gabar can not cure.”
“My dear, it is the unfortunate truth.”
“And Gabar, I put the same question to you, would my soul stay here, and allow me to only enjoy in the carnal pleasures you offer, which I must say I find a most tempting offer.”
“It will not. I will assure you of that.”
Her cat gave a pitiful meow at the feet of Enchantra, confirming Abigail’s feelings.
“I can not go with you, Gabar. My spirit will stay in this world, and if the armies of darkness march across it, I too will suffer, despite my pleasure. I may grow sick, or I may cause dismay in your world. Therefore I can not leave.” Abigail said, completing the logic puzzle in her head as she spoke.
“That’s the English woman I’ve come to know!” Enchantra said.
“You will not prevail! You are a mere spirit!” the elf howled, flashing those loving eyes one more time, making Abigail nearly faint with lovesick emotion.
“Abigail! Quickly! Take a brick and throw it towards Germany!” Enchantra said.
“What good will that do?” Abigail asked, still half under the spell.
The elf dug around for something in his suit coat, and Abigail scared herself into submission. She picked up the nearest brick, and hurled it at Germany with all her force. The elf, by now, had taken out an atomizer, and sprayed a small amount of something into the air when he screamed, and was thrown into oblivion



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22 Feb 2008, 9:19 pm

Very nice!! ! Let me tell you why I think your dialogue is done well. For one thing, when people start writing, the dialogue comes out one of two ways - too flat and boring, or overly expository. In writing fiction, the way characters talk to each other isn't quite the way we talk to each other in real life. Instead, they talk for a reason - to move the plot forward. If it's done right, one gets an idea of the personality and story behind the person speaking. Your dialogue accomplishes that very well!

Thanks for posting this, I enjoyed reading your chapter.

Best wishes & do keep writing!


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23 Feb 2008, 1:03 pm

Thank you very much. However, since you've seen the best, I feel obliged to show you probably the worst of the novel. Here my Jane Austen influence shows like a red flag. Its the battle between her and a siren (in case you do not know what a siren is, its a greek mythological creature that sings so sweetly no one can resist its beauty) in the first chalange to get the Queen of Hearts locket. Abigail, however, has the power of the bard with her, so she might be able to sing the siren to sleep? I'm not trying to diminish your comment, I take it to heart, having so few people to review my work. I had a hard time coming up with two people who know me outside of my familiy for references for a job application recently. Anyway, no more delaying. Here it is, for what its worth. As you can see, other than the italics, which indicate thoughts, you don't know what she's singing and what she's thinking. Any suggestions?

The cauldrons flared, and lit up the room. The siren woke from its slumber, and seeing a human to sing for, took position to sing.
“Enchantra, leave. Its Bardic music versus Grecian lyrics. And I have the bard within me.”
Enchantra was about to pull her back when she started singing.
“When Irish eyes are smiling, it’s like a morning spring. In the lilt of Irish laughter, you can hear the angels sing...”
The siren started signing. Instantly, Abigail’s knee’s weakened. In a softer, pleasured voice, she continued.
“When Irish hearts are happy, all the world seems bright and gay...
She needed a stronger song. She was beginning to sway in time with the siren. She needed something to go in between her singing and the siren’s voice. Processing three things at once seemed impossible, but necessary.
“And when Irish eyes are smiling, sure they steal your heart away.”
She switched songs quickly, not letting the siren getting a word in edgewise.
“The dames of France are fond and free, and Flemish lips are willing...”
I=PRT, E=MC squared, D=M/V, F=MA...
“And soft the maids of Italy and Spanish eyes are thrilling, still, though I bask beneath their smile...”
A=(4/3)pi times R cubed. D=C times pi. A=pi times R squared.
“Their charms fail to bind me, and my heart goes back to Erien’s Isle, to the girl I left behind me.”
A=(1/3) base times height, A= (1/2... I mean 1/3 times base times pi time R squared...
She needed something with a rhythm, the siren was taking over the stage. She started in the most militaristic voice a woman under her strain could muster, trying not to be swept away by the lovely siren’s melody.
“While going the road to sweet Athy, huroo, huroo! While going the road to sweet Athy huroo, huroo! While going the road to sweet Athy A stick in me hand and a drop in me eye, a doleful damsel I heard cry, Johnny I hardly knew ye...”
(A+B)+C=A+(B+C), I before E except after B... I mean C, The head bone is connected to the leg.... I mean neck bone...
As she sang, figuratively juggling pumpkins, she noticed that even with her eyes closed, she could see the siren. And it was getting softer and sleepy! She tossed aside the knowledge barrier, and sang for all she was worth.
“Where are your eyes that were so mild, huroo, huroo? Where are your eyes that were so mild huroo, huroo? Where are your eyes hat were so mild, when my poor heart you first beguiled, why did ye run from me and the child, Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye...”
Now the singing was really soft, and the siren had trouble standing.
“Where are you legs that used to run, Huroo, Huroo? Where are the legs that used to run Huroo, Huroo? Where are your legs that used to run, when first you ran to carry a gun, To be sure your dancing days are done, oh, Johnny I hardly knew ye...”
“Abigail?! You did it!” Enchantra gasped.
“Don’t stop me now Enchantra!” Abigail shouted.
“Abigail, you can open your eyes now.”
Abigail opened her eyes to see herself on her knees, like the doleful damsel, and the siren sleeping. Abigail ran for it, and literally vaulted over the siren to the door, and before the siren knew what hit her, Abigail was in the next room, insulated from the song.



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23 Feb 2008, 2:45 pm

I see what you mean with the italics & dialogue mixing in such a way that might cause confusion. Good writing, BTW. I think all you need are a couple of action tags put in, describing what your character is doing physically while she's thinking and singing at the same time. I've inserted a couple action tags in bold print, as an example-

(feel free to ignore these if you disagree, they're only an example):

Quote:
Processing three things at once seemed impossible, but necessary.
“And when Irish eyes are smiling, sure they steal your heart away.”
She switched songs quickly, not letting the siren getting a word in edgewise.
“The dames of France are fond and free, and Flemish lips are willing...”
I=PRT, E=MC squared, she thought, D=M/V, F=MA...
“And soft the maids of Italy and Spanish eyes are thrilling, still, though I bask beneath their smile...”
It was working! She fought to keep her inner and outer mantras going: A=(4/3)pi times R cubed. D=C times pi. A=pi times R squared.
“Their charms fail to bind me, and my heart goes back to Erien’s Isle, to the girl I left behind me.”
She felt herself stumble mentally, but only for a moment. A=(1/3) base times height, A= (1/2... I mean 1/3 times base times pi time R squared...


This can be a tough situation to resolve writing-wise, but only a minor addition of descriptive narrative is needed, just to add dimension to the scene. Otherwise, it's fine. Thanks for your post, I enjoyed the read :)

Best wishes,

Jillian


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Zmason
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23 Feb 2008, 4:17 pm

Jullian

You must be quite the writer yourself to have shown such good taste in preserving the Austen qualities while still making the passage clearer. I ask that if you ever have any writing problems of your own, I would be most obliged to try and help, however young I may be at writting. I only took it up five years ago, and then only after seeing "Harry Potter and the Sorcerers stone."on video for the first time. I used to be quite a singer, but now have turned to other creative endeavors. Thank you whole heartedly, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Zach



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23 Feb 2008, 9:45 pm

Zmason wrote:
Jullian

You must be quite the writer yourself to have shown such good taste in preserving the Austen qualities while still making the passage clearer. I ask that if you ever have any writing problems of your own, I would be most obliged to try and help, however young I may be at writting. I only took it up five years ago, and then only after seeing "Harry Potter and the Sorcerers stone."on video for the first time. I used to be quite a singer, but now have turned to other creative endeavors. Thank you whole heartedly, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Zach


No problem! Glad if I was of any help to you at all. My writing problems are simple - my characters are not 'human' enough. I've tried everything, but nothing seems to work. It may be an AS thing, or maybe not, but I hope to work it out one day. I like the Harry Potter movies & books as well. I especially envy J.K. Rowling, as she went from adversity to riches using only her imagination. If you began writing 5 years ago, then we started around the same time. I've written stories and stuff for a long time, but didn't do anything seriously until five years ago, when I wrote my first novel. I've written 4 since then (about 1 per year average), but have had no luck publishing them. I'm thinking about putting one of them on Lulu.com. Someone else in here did, and it seems to be working for them. You used to sing? Why did you stop?

Best wishes,

Jillian


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24 Feb 2008, 2:59 pm

Jullian
I don't believe that anything can stop anyone from writing good characters, just so long as you have the right tools. I am often reminded of Lourel Yourk's book (don't hold the spelling against me, I'm not certian of it) Take your characters to dinner. I know exactly how mine would act at a dinner party and ball. She'd be eating a first course of chicken dumpling soup, followed by cubed veal in gravy, sweet potatoes, and carrots. She likes Strawberry Ice cream, and warm cups of milk when she's distressed. After eating, she'd dance with Roy McDonald, a pilot from Duxford Royal Air Force Base, whom she once kept from committing suicide. The two would talk about how the British made a mistake in going into Iraq, and that the Euro is finally making a comeback after years of so much European money being useless. She's a sensible girl, with a violent temper which she directs at herself usually. It takes a lot to get her mad at her friends.
If not writting a novel, just a short story, you don't have to go into details this deep. But, I've often found it helpful. As for my singing, I still sing fine, but just don't do it very often anymore. It's all entangled with a bad incident about six years ago that left me basically without a character. Writing has helped me put some of my character back together.
What Genre of writing do you write in?



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24 Feb 2008, 5:52 pm

Hi again,

Nicely put, how your character is brought to life. I admit that though I've done plenty of character sketches, they're usually about physical characteristics, mannerisms, etc, and maybe their astrological sign [Gemini, Taurus, and so on], but I have a hard time going much past that and what you are suggesting is true - I probably should try to visualize what sort of food they eat, how they would react in a given situation, etc. Maybe it's not AS causing the problem, but my ADD - I tend to get bored once I begin to delve into the minutiae concerning a character. You're right though, I should. It would help me to get to know them better.

As for genre, I've published several horror short stories ["Getting Their Kicks on Route 666" and "Scissors" are among my better-known ones]. I also like to write mysteries and thrillers. Of the novels I've written, they are in the following genres:

Cold January Mourning - Mystery [Modern day/Present]
The Rose and the Dandelion - Mainstream thriller [Modern Day/Present]
The Death of Daughter Jones - Period mystery (set in the late 1700's early America)
Golden Hour - Thriller [Modern day/1970's]
Broken Ground - Mystery/Horror [Modern Day/Present]

Of these, I think 'Broken Ground' has the best chance of being published. I recently got it back from an agent who told me to cut down the word count and remove a few chapters before she can agree to represent me in regard to the book.So, it's back to the drawing board on that one, but at least I've got hope.

I have four other novels in various stages of completion:

Dancing with the Devil [working title] - Non-Fiction, 50K words completed, concerning an unsolved mystery/cold case related to a girl I knew in junior high school (she was murdered) and who I suspect the killer to be (he was never captured - for lack of proof)

Lord of the Shadows [working title] - 35K completed, fantasy thriller, about a war between the residents of two different dimensions. {it's a lot more involved than that, but I can't give too much away, as I'm currently trying to market this book as welll}

The River - [working title] 40K words completed, mystery/thriller. A country-western singer is on his 'comeback tour' when a reporter shows up one day, accusing him of being involved in the unsolved murder of her mother. The man's reputation is then slaughtered in the media and in order to prove his innocence, he must return to his long-forgotten hometown and dig up a few ghosts from his past.

The Screamers Club - [working title] 90K words completed, thriller, about a woman who fakes being insane in order to enter an asylum to get at the killer who may be the only person on earth who knows where her missing son is.

Well, it looks like I've rambled on and on again. I'll stop now while I'm ahead, LOL.
PS: Don't worry about spelling - it's one of my obsessions, as I memorized the entire Webster's dictionary when I was a kid. I know many very intelligent people (much more so than I) who can't spell very well. I never look at spelling as a sign of who's smarter than whom. I still have plenty of typos myself, so I can't claim perfection, either.


best wishes & keep writing :)

Jillian


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25 Feb 2008, 1:29 pm

Jullian

I mainly write fantasy, science fiction, and romance. An odd mixture, but I've always been a sucker for a good ending. The only project I have is one I've been working on five years with very little break. The Adventures of Abigail Whipple series is a five novel series about Abigail Whipple's struggles with witchcraft, magical entities, and trying to save England from Germany, Its set in early world war two. The first novel, the Queen of Hearts, is about 57K words long. I've been trying to market it for a few months, but so far, no takers. I think I'm in the wrong genre. Nevertheless, I intend to finish this series before moving on to something else. After all, I put a lot of research into this series.

Zach



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25 Feb 2008, 7:39 pm

Jullian

You're intrested in quantum mechanics and string theory too!?



Last edited by Zmason on 27 Feb 2008, 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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29 Feb 2008, 8:44 pm

Hello again -
I saw your message on the other thread ad just wanted to let you know that I'm not trying to avoid you (or anyone else)and don't want you to think that. You haven't done or said anything wrong, so don't worry :)
I work in the newspaper business and I design magazines for a living, and this past week has been very busy for me, with a new bimonthly issue coming out. You have never offended me or done anything to scare me off, I just wanted you to know that. (It's usually ME scaring off other people, LOL). I'm not able to get online most evenings because I work at home as well (graphic design), but I usually try to get on Fridays, weekends and sometimes on Wednesdays. Don't worry about anything you've said to me here - you've said nothing to scare me in the slightest.

Now, where were we? Oh, yes...

Zmason wrote:
I mainly write fantasy, science fiction, and romance. An odd mixture, but I've always been a sucker for a good ending.


Me, too. One of things I've had to work on quite a bit is coming up with a good ending. By a good ending, I usually mean a 'happy' ending, but it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes a sad ending is the only one that will work, the only way a book can end.

Quote:
The only project I have is one I've been working on five years with very little break. The Adventures of Abigail Whipple series is a five novel series about Abigail Whipple's struggles with witchcraft, magical entities, and trying to save England from Germany, Its set in early world war two. The first novel, the Queen of Hearts, is about 57K words long. I've been trying to market it for a few months, but so far, no takers. I think I'm in the wrong genre. Nevertheless, I intend to finish this series before moving on to something else. After all, I put a lot of research into this series.


Sounds like an interesting series of novels and I think the WWII setting is unique, especially in these kinds of stories. Don't give up hope on marketing your work. Writing is always an ongoing learning process, and though it can be disheartening at times, there's a saying that I believe always holds true: "The only difference between a Writer and an Author is that an Author is a Writer who Never Gave Up." J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' was rejected fifty times before it was published. When someone finally did publish her book, I can bet that all those other companies who turned her down felt pretty stupid after that.

Keep working on your stories. TYou are a good writer and the more you learn, grow and refine your style, the better your series will be. I'm still editing my first novel even though I know my later works are far better writing-wise. People ask why I still bother with it, and the only reason I can come up with is because the story itself is good, I just didn't 'tell it' right the first time. I'm on my fifth draft of it. Besides, I've talked to some published authors and they tell me that their first novels were the hardest to publish. After that, it got easier for them. But no matter what, if you feel your stories will sell, then keep working on them. I read somewhere that Tolkien worked on his novels for close to a decade before he published them.

Best wishes,

Jillian


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