Am writing book about my experience with Asperger's

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I just started writing a book about my experience with Asperger's. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Like, do you have to mention people's real names, do you leave them out, or do you change them to protect their privacy? I've never written a book before, especially an autobiography. And what kind of things do I talk about? Do I mention all my experiences, or just some of them?

Well, the operative question is one you're not going to want to ask. But you need to consider it anyhow.

We have books by people like Temple Grandin and John Elder Robison. Both dealt with varying levels of autism. But it's not what made them book worthy.

Temple was book and movie worthy because inspite of her difficulties, she went on to revolutionize slaughterhouses and the cattle industry. John is famous because he worked pyrotechnics for KISS among his many other accomplishments.

And there are hosts of other people who have written books about Aspergers. Some have shared their experiences and others were people studying the concept.

What about your story is going to make me want to buy it? What is unique in your life? What have you accomplished inspite of the difficulties that Asperger's has placed on you?

I'm familar with John Elder Robison and Temple Grandin and their work. I read Robison's book and I saw the HBO movie on Grandin. In fact, I even wrote a paper about autism and Asperger's for school. It was focused on gender differences in autism. I even mentioned Robison and Grandin. My book is going to be an extension of that.
We hear so much about men's experiences with autism and Asperger's that we very rarely hear about women. I wanted to talk about it from a female perspective and share my own experiences. I have overcome obstacles that most people can't even begin to fathom, such as adverse reactions to medications.
What would make my book unique is the fact that even though I have Asperger's, I graduated from college, with honors, with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. I also made the Honors Society. I want people to see that people with Asperger's can succeed, despite their difficulties.

Okay.

As for your other questions. I'll tackle them one by one.

Names: Always change names of people, unless you have explicit written permission from the parties you are writing about. The same goes for specific addresses. Places like schools, hospitals, and any location that's identified by a proper noun can be left alone unless there's a reason you need to protect that place's privacy.

The reason you have to be careful with people's names is libel. You may remember certain things differently than another person. And if you're experiences involve, say a doctor, that person could sue you for slander if the memory wasn't a favorable one.

So for people that are worthy of being mentioned in your book, make up a fake name. Even Anne Frank changed the names of the Van Pells when she was writing her rough draft of The Annex.

As for how to write it, really you have to decide that part. I'd be happy to give you a critique of what you have so far, but beyond that there isn't much I can offer in way of advice on how to get it done.

I suppose one key thing to remember is that you're writing an autobiography. Which means everything is from your point of view and anytime you imply or infer that someone else was thinking, and/or had a reason for doing something, it's purely speculation on your part.

My parents were saying the same thing: Don't use people's real names, especially doctors'. On the other hand, I already used my family's names and my boyfriend's, plus people I used to be friends with or date. My boyfriend didn't mind my mentioning him. In fact, he was happy that I mentioned him. I don't think my family would mind, but I'll ask. As for people I used to know, maybe I'll take their names out. I also mentioned where they're living and what they're doing now, but maybe I'll take that out, too. Thank you for offer to look it over, but I don't think that's a good idea, since I don't know you. I'll probably ask my mother or my sister to do that for me. Plus, like you said, you can't tell me what to write, since you don't know me.
On the other hand, I might not even submit my book for publication. I might just keep it for myself. Thanks for all your advice, though.

Unless your mother/sister/other family member are professional writers themselves and will give you their absolute honest critique, you should at the very least consider talking to a college professor.

Since you went through the process long enough to get your Master's degree, I'm going to safely assume you can take criticism. So perhaps if you went back to your college and sought out a professor from the English department, it would be your best bet.

As for critiquing, it's not about telling you what to write, but how to present it. This is why an impartial third party is better than someone close to you, because the third party is the one you're marketing your book to. Not to your parents. I say that in all safety because you are asking advice from a forum full of people you don't know.

More to the point, it's the forum that will likely be the starting point of your marketing campaign, since Alex will be certain to promote your book if it serves the greater community. That said, you're also in a forum with people who actually can boast book deals and productive writing careers. So whether you get help from someone here, or someone with a degree in English that's closer to home, I stick by my advice of at least finding some impartial third party.

If it makes it easier to write... write it with people's real names and then stick all the names you have mentioned in a spreadsheet and come up with a list of alternatives and use find and replace to change them to the pseudonyms. Otherwise it would be rather confusing potentially.

I would just like to inform you that I do not have a Master's Degree in English. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. Thank you for your advice, though. Also, it is not necessary to have a Master's Degree in English to write a book. Anyone can write a book. My mother has an Associate's Degree and she has a children's book coming out.

Yes, you mentioned your Bachelor's in Sociology. Neither I, nor anyone else suggested that you had a Masters in English.

I suggested that you find an impartial third party to edit your book. I suggested someone from the English department at your old school as one does not have to have a degree in a field to enter the department. It is simply a good place to find people willing to edit your book professionally and objectively.

That's really cool! I wish you the best on the book! I would recommend changing people's names. Write about what life was like growing up, when you were diagnosed, how you think your diagnoses changed your childhood, what are some thinks about your disorder that help you out in life, what are some difficulties, etc...