Tag Archives: writing
The Autistic Writer: Number of Characters
I recently DNFed (“did not finish) a popular epic length novel. There were multiple reasons I gave up on it. One was the story had far too many characters. There were about 20 named characters, and four or five main characters each with their own narrative. There was even a character chart at the front …
The Autistic Writer: Character-Driven vs Plot-Driven Fiction
A few weeks ago in this series I posted about the character creation process for the Autistic writer in me. You may want to read or reread that before going any further here, as this is about how much weight is assigned to characters as a component within a given narrative. A common, (though I …
The Autistic Writer: Story Structure
Structure of any kind can make a strange bedfellow with Autism. On the one hand, a majority of Autistic people thrive on structure. Forcing them to break with their own structure can result in meltdowns for some, and mere irritation in others. Though the Autistic significance of structure is an unfortunate source of derision and …
Autistic Writer Series: Identifying the Climax
There are norms that apply to so-called “genre fiction” that at times literary fiction ignores. Literary fiction being more about language and deeper human character experiences, and genre fiction being…well…most of everything else. Mystery, suspense, romance, fantasy. You get the idea. Genres. One such virtual-must for genre work is the climax. Without veering too much …
Autistic Writer Series: Conflict in Fiction
In last week’s post, I asserted characters were the most significant aspect of good fiction, despite solid counter—arguments that conflict holds that distinction. I stand by my position. Still, the impact of conflict on fiction cannot be overstated. Nor can the influence of an Autistic writer’s brain on same. Conflict is usually defined as a …
Ty Unglebower 