I got invited to be a part of The Pink Heart Society’s October issue and talk about neurodiversity in fiction, and that issue was published! I was thrilled to finally put pen to paper on an essay that had been whirling around in my head for several months.

In Neurodiverse Voices, I got to share this essay with you. Alongside fellow queer neurodivergent authors A.Z. Louise and Xan West, my friend and writing buddy, we each got to talk about our experiences with neurodiverse characters in fiction, whether they were autistic or ADHD or other conditions. It turned out beautifully and I hope you enjoy it!

Here is a short excerpt from my portion of this article, in which I talk about patterns in stories with autistic characters and why I chose to write my own neurodivergent characters very differently.

I have a distinct memory of the day I was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression. I was 12 years old and didn’t really understand what any of that meant. My doctor told my parents I was probably on the autism spectrum – or I would be, if I wasn’t a girl. Take a guess at how that turned out.

I remember going back to the middle school cafeteria and telling my friends I didn’t understand how it was possible I could be ADHD and depressed at the same time.

Read the full article here!

I think you’ll find some fun stuff in the rest of the magazine around this article, so don’t be afraid to check out this totally free magazine! Don’t forget you can also read others of my nonfiction essays here.

It would be great to connect with other autistic and neurodivergent readers and writers. I’d love to talk to you all further about the article and other neurodiverse fiction so @ me on Twitter once you’ve read it so we can talk!