I’ve been doing a spot of designing lately and I am making myself a range of bookmarks, one for each of my books and then probably some for my favourite books of all time. If you love them, you can order your own as stickers (just leave the backing in place to use as a bookmark) or a magnet.
A lot of people (Autistic, mainly) have messaged me to say that The Wonderful Thing About Phoenix Rose made them cry. Sobbed, even. This surprised me, honestly, because that’s not the vision of the book I hold in my head. Overall, I consider it an uplifting book (as do the reviewers). There are some painful moments in the book (it wouldn’t be a story if there weren’t) and many of them were painful for me to write. But as is my style as an author, I surround the pain with life affirming goodness so as to stay on the side of ‘complex’ rather than ‘distressing’. But I get it now, the pull towards tears, because this happened.
Yesterday, neurodivergent social worker, Joanne Hatchard, of Better Being Me – Neurodivergent Family Therapist posted this reel to Instagram and Facebook and it made me cry. Why? Because she was able to articulate so clearly why I wanted to write this story and why Autistic representation matters and our community is so hungry for it.
You see, we (the Autistic community) know there are many books out there with neurodivergent main characters. We know it because we can see it and we can see the signposting that the author has built into it, whether they are aware of it or not (I have definitely written Autistic characters into my past novels without realising it), and sometimes these books are massive bestsellers. Global bestsellers. Oh, the irony of readers loving these “quirky”, “socially awkward”, “different” characters on the page… but not so much in real life, a point mega children’s author, Sally Rippin, also makes in her non-fiction book, Wild Things: How We Learn to Read and What Can Happen if We Don’t. Some examples that come to mind include Anne Shirley (overwhelmingly cited by the Autistic community as a classic Autistic/ADHD character) and Pippi Longstocking.
But my Autistic community is not benefiting from this because we have not been identified. It bites, frankly.
In a perfect world, we would never have to identify or explain anything to anyone. We would all simply be accepted exactly as we are and when we ask for help we get it, without having to justify why. Sadly, the world is not there yet.
We need to start identifying Autistic and ADHD characters on the page. We need to explicitly connect their wonderful qualities, curiosity, bravery, compassion and empathy with the word Autistic because if we are deliberating cloaking Autistic characters under euphemisms (of usually narrow, stereotypical traits) of “walking to the beat of their own drum” and “fixated on routine” and such we are shaming Autistic people.
If we don’t name it, we shame it.
Joanne’s amazing words capture it in 90 seconds. Please, click the image to hear her say the words so many of us are craving.
A wee story… They say you should always be wary of meeting your idols. When I was a journalism student (back in the 90s…) Frances Whiting was my absolute inspiration. Mum and I would each take turns reading Fran’s weekend article, variously chuckling or tearing up, and every time I thought “this is what I want to write”. Human stories, character stories, small town stories, big emotion stories.
Sadly for me, there are very few opportunities to make a lifelong career in journalism (especially that kind) but that wasn’t the path for me. I took my skills and I did write all those types of stories… just really, really long versions in novels 🙂
When Fran’s book, Walking on Trampolines, came into the world, I rushed to Annie’s Books on Peregian to see Fran in person (sorry Fran, that photo is a truly awful one of both of us… luckily we just keep getting better with age 😊). This was the moment for me to meet my writing idol and inspiration! Was she just as warm and interested and focused as she was in the paper? Gasp!
Of course she was.
Years later, I attended the Burdekin Writers Festival and was lucky enough to be billeted with a wonderful host family AND Fran AND Susan Johnson! My gosh… I was such the new kid on the block compared with these two veteran writers. Were they good to me? Exceptionally. Did they let me eat more than my fair share of homemade cheesy potato cakes each morning? Yep. And did Fran offer me targeted fashion/style advice that neither shamed nor belittled me but actually made me feel more empowered? YES, she did. (And anyone who knows me knows I NEED fashion/style advice because I live in yoga pants and horse t-shirts.)
Last week, while touring for my 10th book with Phoenix Rose, Fran hosted me in conversation and I have to say that more than once I thought… wow, maybe I’m finally a real author now…
Thank you, Fran, for the warm welcome, taking care of my heart, and allowing me a beautiful full circle moment. You and your writing make the world a better place, reaching more people than you know. x
A wee story… They say you should always be wary of meeting your idols. When I was a journalism student (back in the 90s…) Frances Whiting was my absolute inspiration. Mum and I would each take turns reading Fran’s weekend article, variously chuckling or tearing up, and every time I thought “this is what I want to write”. Human stories, character stories, small town stories, big emotion stories.
Sadly for me, there are very few opportunities to make a lifelong career in journalism (especially that kind) but that wasn’t the path for me. I took my skills and I did write all those types of stories… just really, really long versions in novels 🙂
When Fran’s book, Walking on Trampolines, came into the world, I rushed to Annie’s Books on Peregian to see Fran in person (sorry Fran, that photo is a truly awful one of both of us… luckily we just keep getting better with age 😊). This was the moment for me to meet my writing idol and inspiration! Was she just as warm and interested and focused as she was in the paper? Gasp!
Of course she was.
Years later, I attended the Burdekin Writers Festival and was lucky enough to be billeted with a wonderful host family AND Fran AND Susan Johnson! My gosh… I was such the new kid on the block compared with these two veteran writers. Were they good to me? Exceptionally. Did they let me eat more than my fair share of homemade cheesy potato cakes each morning? Yep. And did Fran offer me targeted fashion/style advice that neither shamed nor belittled me but actually made me feel more empowered? YES, she did. (And anyone who knows me knows I NEED fashion/style advice because I live in yoga pants and horse t-shirts.)
Last week, while touring for my 10th book with Phoenix Rose, Fran hosted me in conversation and I have to say that more than once I thought… wow, maybe I’m finally a real author now…
Thank you, Fran, for the warm welcome, taking care of my heart, and allowing me a beautiful full circle moment. You and your writing make the world a better place, reaching more people than you know. x
I had a great chat with YouTube star, Orion Kelly (That Autistic Guy), about what terrible travellers we are, late autism diagnosis, writing neurodivergent characters, planting seeds of change through The Arts… and more! You can watch it now and marvel (as I do) at how much I talk with my hands… 🙂
Hands up who loves cosy mysteries. Me! And especially if they involve tea ladies?? (Me, again!) This week we have Amanda Hampson in The Hot Seat, sharing the inside story on her new release, The Tea Ladies, which is out this week! You can catch our chat here. Amanda’s book is out now.
Join me (The Wonderful Thing About Phoenix Rose) and Kay Kerr (Love and Autism) at the delightful Little Book Nook in Palmwoods, 20th April 6pm for drinks, nibbles and book chat. Booking here.
