Conversation

Notices

1. Embed this notice
   Yohan Yukiya Seseㆍ사요한・謝雪矢 (youronlyone@c.im)'s status on Sunday, 15-Sep-2024 08:33:04 JST Yohan Yukiya Seseㆍ사요한・謝雪矢

   • Actually Autistics

   Are there any writers here who are autistic? How do you handle something that you don't understand or can't relate to?

   My challenge is, there are so many things I can't grasp because of the way my brain works. For example, I see in novels and TV series/drama that a person loses focus when they hear a very bad news (like their health).

   However, in my case, at least from my experiences of hearing bad news, I never once lost focus; instead, I am more focus on listening to the expert (like a doctor). I'm more attentive because in my mind, that's the only way forward.

   So, if I want to write a character, I end up with something monotone or too generic. It is not realistic for most people, but it is for me.

   Or say, a character who obviously shouldn't do something but they still do it anyway. I'm trying to understand why so I can develop the character, but I'm failing in it.

   How do you handle it? Do you have a collection of examples, or watch something and put what you've watched into words?

   Thank you!

   @autistics @actuallyautistic

   #Autistics #ActuallyAutistics #AskingAutistics

   • Embed this notice
     Yohan Yukiya Seseㆍ사요한・謝雪矢 (youronlyone@c.im)'s status on Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 11:10:14 JST Yohan Yukiya Seseㆍ사요한・謝雪矢

     in reply to

     • J. R. DePriest :verified_trans: :donor: :Moopsy: :EA DATA. SF:
     • Steven Saus [he/him]
     • Actually Autistics

     @jrdepriest

     Ah, that's a good observation. It's more of the feel of the story and characters, being able to resonate or identify. It's like a fanservice?

     @StevenSaus @autistics @actuallyautistic

   • Embed this notice
     J. R. DePriest :verified_trans: :donor: :Moopsy: :EA DATA. SF: (jrdepriest@infosec.exchange)'s status on Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 11:10:15 JST J. R. DePriest :verified_trans: :donor: :Moopsy: :EA DATA. SF:

     in reply to

     • Steven Saus [he/him]
     • Actually Autistics

     @StevenSaus @youronlyone @autistics @actuallyautistic

     Considering how popular movies that are just "rehashes" seem to be, it makes sense.
     They want what reminds them of the way something else made them feel.

   • Embed this notice
     J. R. DePriest :verified_trans: :donor: :Moopsy: :EA DATA. SF: (jrdepriest@infosec.exchange)'s status on Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 11:10:17 JST J. R. DePriest :verified_trans: :donor: :Moopsy: :EA DATA. SF:

     in reply to

     • Actually Autistics

     @youronlyone @autistics @actuallyautistic

     If you've read many books and watched TV or movies over the years, you can learn how to emulate what is expected. With that said, it can be difficult to avoid coming across as cliché.
     There aren't any specific books or movies I could recommend. I've read hundreds of books and seen thousands of movies and TV shows. I made a point to study how "normal" people do things because, for a long time, I wanted to be like that.
     The trick is learning to take the essence of various scenes and blend them together so it doesn't read like a rehash.
     Often, that involves a great deal of practice and having neurotypical readers give you their opinions as you are creating it.

     I also think about my neurotypical family and friends that I grew up with and try to ask "what would they do?" and play that story out. If I know them well enough or have enough experience with being present for their reactions to things, I can write about it honestly.

     My wife is more ADHD than autistic (although is a little bit autistic) and I rely on her to help steer my writing and provide suggestions. She's also an excellent editor.

     The other option is to just write more autistic characters and hope you find your audience.

     I do a little bit of both but I have no real audience to speak of so perhaps my advice isn't that great.
     I love to write and I love to write from other points of view when I can even if I cannot truly understand them.

   • Embed this notice
     Steven Saus [he/him] (stevensaus@faithcollapsing.com)'s status on Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 11:10:17 JST Steven Saus [he/him]

     in reply to

     • J. R. DePriest :verified_trans: :donor: :Moopsy: :EA DATA. SF:
     • Actually Autistics

     @jrdepriest @youronlyone @autistics @actuallyautistic

     Yes, this. Oddly, it's often the stories of mine that I think are the most "trite" that NT folx think are the "best". Make of that what you will.

   • Embed this notice
     Poloniousmonk (uair@autistics.life)'s status on Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 11:10:44 JST Poloniousmonk

     in reply to

     • Actually Autistics

     @youronlyone @autistics @actuallyautistic

     Tl,Dr: Stephen King

     Great Q, thanks for getting my mind thinking along these channels.

     My characterization has always been by far my weak spot. I can churn plots and settings all day, but like you described, my characters are always two dimensional.

     You know who excels at limning two dimensional characters? Stephen King. At least pre-1990. I haven't read much he wrote after that. He was so good at it that when I pumped gas for a living, my coworker and I would describe the occasional customer as a Stephen King character. Lots of truckers--they'd have one overpowering aspect to their personality, and it was enough to know them fairly well in the few minutes it took to fill their tank.

     Hmmm...Heinlein also drew caricatures rather than people...Harry Harrison...a lot of the old timey sci fi was like that. Probably because all the authors were autistic :)

     Kurt Vonnegut...

     As far as video goes, I'm having trouble. I can think of actors that are spare with their emotion, but I really never notice characterization in video. It's too short a format for me to emotionally attach to the characters. Star Wars has cartoon characters and makes it work...The Matrix as well. I can think of two good series that might be useful. Altered Carbon does a pretty good job with the "nice guy being evil" trope, developing it with minimal wastage over the course of the first season. Again, though, a lot of that is credit to the actor. And American Vandal. I was really, really impressed by that one. It deals with teenagers. Teenagers are bipolar cartoon characters in real life, but that show managed to create extremely believable, well fleshed-out characters in an incredibly short format.

     Hope this helps.

     Edit: Autistic people generally have a good grasp of cPTSD. Traumatized people frequently have a flat affect and sparse emotion. Like Altered Carbon. You could build stories around people like that. Make the characterization a product of the plot and backstory. Just a thought.

   • Embed this notice
     Yohan Yukiya Seseㆍ사요한・謝雪矢 (youronlyone@c.im)'s status on Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 11:14:49 JST Yohan Yukiya Seseㆍ사요한・謝雪矢

     in reply to

     • Poloniousmonk
     • Actually Autistics

     @Uair

     Thank for those! I've always seen the big names as naturals, I didn't know they started similarly, and even became successful regardless. Truly inspiring.

     Which made me realized, I'm spending too much time trying to create characters that are not two dimensional instead of just letting it flow for now. ^_^;;

     Thank you! Definitely helpful!

     @autistics @actuallyautistic

   • Embed this notice
     J. R. DePriest :verified_trans: :donor: :Moopsy: :EA DATA. SF: (jrdepriest@infosec.exchange)'s status on Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 21:12:45 JST J. R. DePriest :verified_trans: :donor: :Moopsy: :EA DATA. SF:

     in reply to

     • Steven Saus [he/him]
     • Actually Autistics

     @youronlyone @StevenSaus @autistics @actuallyautistic

     I honestly don't know. I have theories, but they are just theories.
     I'd love to see some research on it.

     I had another idea though.
     Write your stories the way you want to write them then work with an editor to cut out bits until it's neurotypical.
     I have a tendency to overdescribe and to do a lot of telling instead of showing.
     I can write something that way and have a kind editor to guide me into cutting, elaborating, or changing how it was written.

     You just start building on your base. I typically re-edit a story at least twice based on feedback and re-reads with a critical eye.

     "Look at him," I said, noting his ragged breathing, pronounced limp, and complete inability to look at us. "He's almost finished."

     vs.

     I studied his condition. Trouble getting enough air. Leg dragging behind him. He seems to be ignoring us even as we are loudly gaining on his position.
     "Look at him," I tell my companion. "he's almost finished.

     vs.

     The depth of the tracks, the trough on the left, I wasn't surprised his leg was dragging. We could hear his gasps before we saw him, buried under muttered curses. He wasn't trying to hide and neither were we. But he just kept going, jerking step after jerking step, just pulling that useless leg behind. He didn't even turn around.
     It was obvious.
     I shake my head, almost feeling pity.
     "Look at him," I whisper to my fellow tracker, not taking eyes off our stumbling prey.
     "He's almost finished."