Dyspraxic authors

A place to talk about your experience of living with Dyspraxia

Moderator: Moderator Team

Post Reply
Ahaddi123
New member - welcome them!
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:17 pm

Dyspraxic authors

Post by Ahaddi123 »

Hi guys.
I wondered whether this belonged here or not but I will take the leap.
Does anyone know any dyspraxic fiction authors, ideally on things not specifically on dyspraxia? I know there are dyslexic authors like Octavia Butler but I cannot find any dyspraxic authors. This is a bit jarring as I enjoy reading and want to write in the future. As my creativity is somewhat hindered by my condition, I hoped I could eventually learn to overcome it and produce something I can be proud of. But if there are no dyspraxic writers, then I have to wonder if its even possible...
Tom fod
Administrator
Posts: 2947
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: SW UK

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by Tom fod »

Hi Ali and welcome

I have a friend who's self-published (I'm pretty sure as a e-book) sorry can't remember title Another trained as a journalist and started www.dyspraxialifemagazine.co.uk I also know of several people who have written non fiction books and plays and others who have online blogs. I think we are great creative thinkers and can come up with some great and original ideas. I'm certain there are Dyspraxic authors out there, but maybe they don't know or it's just not disclosed in their about the author bit.

t is always something that has been at the back of my mind but I think the difficulty is me putting the ideas together and presenting them. I guess I also defeat myself from the beginning by assuming it would be a struggle finding a publisher agent etc. If it's your dream keep at it and don't be defeated, we usually have great determination and persistence which we need to train on producing rather than avoiding :evilb:.
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
Ahaddi123
New member - welcome them!
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:17 pm

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by Ahaddi123 »

Tom fod wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:08 pm Hi Ali and welcome

I have a friend who's self-published (I'm pretty sure as a e-book) sorry can't remember title Another trained as a journalist and started www.dyspraxialifemagazine.co.uk I also know of several people who have written non fiction books and plays and others who have online blogs. I think we are great creative thinkers and can come up with some great and original ideas. I'm certain there are Dyspraxic authors out there, but maybe they don't know or it's just not disclosed in their about the author bit.

t is always something that has been at the back of my mind but I think the difficulty is me putting the ideas together and presenting them. I guess I also defeat myself from the beginning by assuming it would be a struggle finding a publisher agent etc. If it's your dream keep at it and don't be defeated, we usually have great determination and persistence which we need to train on producing rather than avoiding :evilb:.
Thanks Tom. I was only diagnosed this January and this is my first time discussing this with someone with the same struggles. Let's hope one day my dream will come true.
Tom fod
Administrator
Posts: 2947
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: SW UK

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by Tom fod »

You're very welcome.

I see from your Intro that you're studying history. (I did it at A Level but some years ago now!)

What periods of history interest you the most, and do you like historical fiction? Any particular favourite authors?

Found this on the forum from 5 yrs ago
http://www.dyspraxicadults.org.uk/forum ... ion#p25020
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
Ahaddi123
New member - welcome them!
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:17 pm

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by Ahaddi123 »

You know, I have always wanted to get into poetry, partly because I wanted to imitate Fraiser Crane's pretentiousness, but always struggled to comprehend what they are actually saying. So I thank you for these poems, for finally I can understand and relate to what they say. They give me hope for the future.

I have always changed my point of interest in history. I went from the Mafia, to the Aztecs, to Russia etc. I feel like I have settled on the Middle East (my parents homeland) and Africa for now. I am currently writing my dissertation on the impact of Fascism on Pan-African anti-colonialism. I read lots of genres, including historical fiction. I am really into Marlon James, who wrote The Book of Night Women, set in colonial Jamaica. I am currently reading his newly published, Black Leapard, Red Wolf. Its the African Lord of the Rings according to the author and combines African history and mythology in a fantasy setting. I admit I struggle sometimes to understand whats going on; he has a complex writing style. But I still enjoy it overall. My favourite author for now, as I am rarely consistent with such things, is Don Winslow. I wish I could articulate why but I have never been able to explain my opinions if any. I guess something about his writing endears him to me.
Are you into any authors?
Tom fod
Administrator
Posts: 2947
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: SW UK

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by Tom fod »

Ali

Your dissertation sounds interesting. I know v little about that, only that the Germans no doubt did some agitating, not that our colonialist attitudes didn't give the peoples more than enough reason to at the very least mistrust the British and other colonialist powers.


I too find my mind often goes blank and I cannot think what to say when put on the spot and asked for an opinion on something or to describe myself. I like Stephen Leather who writes thrillers/supernatural thrillers.Other favourites include Colin Forbes, Jack Higgins, Bill Fitzhugh, a US author, who writes comedy capers like Pest Control. All the Kings Men by Gordon Stevenson and People of The Book by Geraldine Brooks were also great books (imho) that have left a lasting impression on me. The latter book wasn't something I'd normally pick up but a friend got it for me as a present. Don Winslow looks like yet another author I should try. I usually don't do that well in Art and Literature rounds at the quizzes I like to go to as I tend to read what interests me rather than any of the classics or bestsellers.
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
Ahaddi123
New member - welcome them!
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:17 pm

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by Ahaddi123 »

Ha. I would have written about medieval Africa if I had the resources. I'm unfamiliar with the authors you mentioned but I will keep an eye out for them the next time I undergo my wallet draining book buying sprees. People of the Book seems especially interesting. If you want to try Don Winslow, I wholeheartedly recommend the Cartel trilogy, with the last book recently released. Its focused on the Mexican drug war and its very gripping. I recently read The Force, his book on the corruption of an NYPD officer, which was just great. Don Winslow is one of those rare authors that always keep me wanting to read on, without being tempted by other books.

I've never been in quizzes, unless you count watching Pointless with my mom. :lol:
AdiB47
Getting settled in
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:42 pm

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by AdiB47 »

I agree there are probably lots of authors with dyspraxia that just haven’t said so, including plenty who don’t know they have it.

I love thinking up stories and writing but have poor writing stamina, especially as I have a demanding full time job already. I plan to keep working on writing, though, as I ultimately hope to write full time.
I_Voyager
Getting settled in
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 11:23 am

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by I_Voyager »

I can throw in here that I am a self-published author. It took a few years to write the book. I also have four unfinished manuscripts, with the closest to completion being 80% complete.

So, here's the trick... When I was younger I had lots of ideas for fiction stories. I ended up writing 100-150 poems but none of it was work I liked. All free-style, undisciplined and expressive. I went on to university and dropped out after a year. Organizing my time to meet schooling standards isn't easy. I can study and learn, just not with their schedules. Because of the school pressures I think I was never able to devote my energies to cultivating my more complex fiction ideas. So I resigned to this idea that I just couldn't get it together.

So at some point my confidence changed as I started to study philosophy (maybe it's a similar thing for you with history). As a result I became obsessed with the ideas of philosophers and continued to self-educated. It was around 23 that I started self-medicating for the ADD with marijuana (now legal in Canada, yay). After a few years I had cultivated about 24 minor thesis' on a variety of topics and wrote them into essays that could be composed together to fill a book. I paid for an author to design the cover art, for an editor to edit, I was as fastidious about its structure as I could be... And I published the manuscript to Facebook and did some self-promotion.

During that time I tried writing two different science fiction series'. But I couldn't really finish anything.

But I had this one family member who was patient with me and helped me along with my writings. They allowed me to do the long discursive examinations I needed to perform with them, analyzing a lot of the concepts in detail.

Right now there are too many life pressures and stressors dampening my creative ability. I want to be fully dedicated to my writings and my studies because I know these are what I am good at. I don't do well in the Ontario job market which really has no room for ideas like dyspraxia. I don't have the motor skills to safely work in the trades. But owing to the fact that all of my studies are self-studies, although I've exceeded the study hours typical for a bachelor degree, my self-education is rarely taken as meaningful by potential employers.
Ahaddi123
New member - welcome them!
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:17 pm

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by Ahaddi123 »

I_Voyager wrote: Tue Apr 30, 2019 12:06 pm I can throw in here that I am a self-published author. It took a few years to write the book. I also have four unfinished manuscripts, with the closest to completion being 80% complete.

So, here's the trick... When I was younger I had lots of ideas for fiction stories. I ended up writing 100-150 poems but none of it was work I liked. All free-style, undisciplined and expressive. I went on to university and dropped out after a year. Organizing my time to meet schooling standards isn't easy. I can study and learn, just not with their schedules. Because of the school pressures I think I was never able to devote my energies to cultivating my more complex fiction ideas. So I resigned to this idea that I just couldn't get it together.

So at some point my confidence changed as I started to study philosophy (maybe it's a similar thing for you with history). As a result I became obsessed with the ideas of philosophers and continued to self-educated. It was around 23 that I started self-medicating for the ADD with marijuana (now legal in Canada, yay). After a few years I had cultivated about 24 minor thesis' on a variety of topics and wrote them into essays that could be composed together to fill a book. I paid for an author to design the cover art, for an editor to edit, I was as fastidious about its structure as I could be... And I published the manuscript to Facebook and did some self-promotion.

During that time I tried writing two different science fiction series'. But I couldn't really finish anything.

But I had this one family member who was patient with me and helped me along with my writings. They allowed me to do the long discursive examinations I needed to perform with them, analyzing a lot of the concepts in detail.

Right now there are too many life pressures and stressors dampening my creative ability. I want to be fully dedicated to my writings and my studies because I know these are what I am good at. I don't do well in the Ontario job market which really has no room for ideas like dyspraxia. I don't have the motor skills to safely work in the trades. But owing to the fact that all of my studies are self-studies, although I've exceeded the study hours typical for a bachelor degree, my self-education is rarely taken as meaningful by potential employers.
Hi Voyager
I'm glad you found your passion and are striving to cultivate your talents. I'm still way off. :blush: I wouldn't mind reading your manuscript is its still available. Sorry to hear about your job problems. I'm in my final year of my undergraduate degree so I'm not too far off from facing those battles myself.
I_Voyager
Getting settled in
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 11:23 am

Re: Dyspraxic authors

Post by I_Voyager »

It took a lot of time. During the bridge period between my "I can't get it together to write anything" phase and my "wow I just finished my book" phase it was like 4 years.

You can take a look at my book and much of my unfinished work here:

https://independent.academia.edu/SpencerFerri1

My blbook is available here but there is also a copy for sale on Amazon. If you like the book I ask you consider buying it afterwards.

For a tip, I find top-down organising smoother than linear writing. If I write from beginning to end I'll get stuck somewhere in the middle and then I'll bounce back and forth between time management fuckups and writer's block. But if I can pan out all the topics or chapters first, and sort of work out from general ideas to specific content I seem to work faster. I also had to learn to write when there was a break in my day rather than plan out writing schedules. I did things like: is it a work lunch break? Time to write. Am I commuting on a bus from work? Time to write. Oh I have nothing to do now? Time to write. But if I say xtuesday from 12- 4 I write", once the clock hits the time I am not writing. I am doing almost anything else.
Post Reply