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emmalwrites · 23 days
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Should All Writers Have Neurodivergent Characters? Part 1
I’d argue that since life is full of neurodivergent people, fiction ought to be as well. We seem to be in a transitional time in the literary world: in the last 10-15 years, an increasing number of neurodivergent and disabled authors have written characters with the same conditions or differences that they have. Alongside this boom in fiction, we have countless YouTubers, podcasters, bloggers,…
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emmalwrites · 2 months
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Still Functioning
If it isn’t obvious by now, regular blogging is not my thing. I won’t apologise for it – I have a number of valid reasons – and I won’t list my excuses, since that will probably just bore you. So, dear reader, what should I write about? Maybe you’d like me to share some of my experiences as a neurodivergent and disabled writer, along with some of my tips and tricks. Or you’d like an update on my…
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emmalwrites · 9 months
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Am I Ready to Continue Writing My Novel?
Learning about my disability and neurodivergence might help me learn how to keep writing.
Roughly a year ago, I wrote a couple of posts about why I decided to stop writing the novel I’d been working on for over a decade: Leaving the Novel in Progress (Part 1) and Leaving the Novel in Progress (Part 2). I needed to focus on my mental and physical health, neither of which were great at the time. I also needed to re-evaluate my reasons for writing the NIP, and for wanting to be a writer…
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emmalwrites · 9 months
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What Makes Bad Writing Bad?
In this post, I consider different opinions on "bad" writing and its cause.
Whether it causes confusion, disdain, or disgust, bad writing rouses strong feelings for readers and writers alike. But what exactly makes the writing so terrible? I remember several classmates ranting about the Twilight books (and their film adaptations) while I was in high school, but it’s hard to say who was complaining about the actual writing and who was angry that something they found so…
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emmalwrites · 1 year
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Spring/Summer 2022 Favourite Reads
More suggestions from my bookshelf. #summerfavourites #favouritebooks
Read my Spring/Summer 2022 Favourite Sounds here. Alfabet/Alphabet: A Memoir of a First Language by Sadiqa de Meijer Winner of the 2021 Governor General Literary Award for Non-fiction. Finding this book about the adjustment from Dutch language and culture to Canadian was somewhat serendipitous, since my father made the same journey a few years before I was born. De Meijer’s story offered me…
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emmalwrites · 2 years
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Spring/Summer 2022 Favourite Sounds
How I kept myself entertained this summer #SummerVibes #SummerMusic #FavouriteThings #FavouriteMusic @RomaUnraveled #RomaRights #neurodivergent
You know how some people define different stages of their lives by the TV shows or clothes that they loved? For me, it’s music – I could create an autobiography based on the changes to my soundtrack over the years. Fred Penner cheered us through many car rides (my mother never wants to hear “The Cat Came Back” again). Listening to Howard Shore’s soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings was a…
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emmalwrites · 2 years
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All Writers Need to Believe in Stories
Should I keep writing? Is it worthwhile? Featuring quotes from #PhilipPullman about the value of fiction. # writinglife #writerproblems #storiesmatter #whywewrite
“We have to believe in our work; the only thing that lightens the burden of it, sometimes, is the sense that it matters, and that we’ve committed ourselves to something valuable.”– from “Writing Fantasy Realistically” by Philip Pullman New writers are encouraged to read, and so read I did – about the evils of misrepresentation, the cleverness of subverted tropes, the laughable Mary Sue…
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emmalwrites · 2 years
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Leaving the Novel in Progress (Part 2)
Cut adrift from the NIP, I've rooted my new concerns in this non-fictional world. #movingon #writinglife #burnout #selfdiscovery
A follow up to my last post. Yes, it’s been a while. Forgive the delay – I had a strange work schedule and several class projects to juggle. Anyhow, back to the matter at hand, which can be summed up like this: “I’m writing a book, but I don’t know what it’s about.” I can tell you the neurotypes of my protagonists (autistic and ADHD), the genre (fantasy), and the quest my heroes are pursuing…
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emmalwrites · 2 years
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My brain makes much more sense now...
This was commented by @darkxwolf on my post about ADHD procrastination. I thought it was so well said that I just had to share it with you guys!
Stress is icky!
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Thank you so much @darkxwolf for this explanation and for allowing me to share it as its own post on my blog
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emmalwrites · 2 years
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3 Crafts to Make with Paper: Stars, Bunting, and More
How do I decorate with little to no money? Scrap paper and wallpaper! #diydecorating #repuposed #winterholidays
Fun fact: stores selling paint and other décor throw away their wallpaper sample books at the end of each season – but if you ask nicely, they might give the sample book to you instead. Apparently teachers have been using them for years as free art supplies. Now that you’re in on the secret, you can too. Spiral paper roses – tutorial below! Like my previous post, 3 Crafts to Make with Vines,…
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emmalwrites · 2 years
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3 Crafts to Make with Vines
Vine crafting: free, easy, and fun!
I’ve always loved art. In my pre-NIP years it was my life plan to become an artist (or composer or dog breeder). I learned some tricks from my grandfather, a professional painter and designer, and took art classes all through high school despite the warning that it wouldn’t look as attractive to universities as, say, business class (I still got offers of acceptance from all three unis I applied…
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emmalwrites · 2 years
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November Plans
As always, the Halloween season has been great fun. At work as a tour guide, I introduced people to the wonders of autumn, told semi-spooky stories, and gave out countless candies. It rained, and it was chilly, but the kids wore raincoats under their capes and wings and still had a good time. Now I’m eyeing the row of books that have accumulated on my shelf over the past few weeks – Ada…
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emmalwrites · 2 years
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Links & Pursuits, October 2021
Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness month, the wisdom of accessibility, and the simple joy of pumpkins.
October isn’t just turkey and pumpkins month. Several weeks ago, I learned that it’s also National Disability Employment month, and this guided some of my reading and thinking, as you’ll see below. …I read: Accessibility and the Lack Thereof in the Film Industry by Carolyn Hinds asks us to reconsider our focus on cinemas as the “best” place to watch movies. In fact, streaming services and…
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emmalwrites · 2 years
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Review: Everyone Knows your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen
Everyone Knows your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen is a perfect read for October 2021 - amusing, disturbing, full of unbelievable history and haunting truths. #bookreview #bestbooksof2021 #herstory #truestory
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. “Katharina is an illiterate widow, known by her neighbours for her herbal remedies and the success of her children, including her eldest, Johannes, who is the Imperial Mathematician and renowned author of the laws of planetary motion. It’s enough to make anyone jealous, and Katharina has done herself no favours by being out and about and in everyone’s business.”–…
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emmalwrites · 3 years
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I'm Published!
I’m Published!
A few months ago, I had an idea for an article. I’d noticed that neurodivergent representation in fantasy fiction was all over the map – unrealistic, plot devices, insulting portrayals or not portrayed at all. I thought, “well, I’ve been reading fantasy since someone first put a chapter book in my hands (about twenty years ago), and I write and read about being neurodivergent, and I am…
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emmalwrites · 3 years
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Links & Pursuits 09.06.21
Links & Pursuits: researching #neurodiversity for my novel-in-progress thru fantastic sites and writers; longing for autumn get-togethers
Autumn is nearly here! After another summer without air conditioning this can only be good news in my house. I’m thinking of having a kind of mini harvest festival to celebrate the turn of the season – something involving apples and a bonfire. Recently I found… Over on Instagram, Autinelle provides tips for dealing with all kinds of overload – sensory, emotional, social, and information. (This…
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emmalwrites · 3 years
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Progress Report: Summer 2021
Progress Report: Summer 2021
Anyone who’s read my blog posts chronologically will notice a lapse. This is because I’ve been working lots and typing little. However, the summer scurrying has eased and I was able to grab a day to throw this together. Consider it a journal entry for the first six months of 2021. The Novel-in-Progress Chapter twelve was finished in mid-July, marking the approximate completion of one third of…
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