Tips for aspiring autistic writers

[UberScout]

As you all may or may not know from my recent status posts, I have recently discovered through lots of meditation, spiritual math and consideration in general that my TRUE calling to make a creative skill into a money-making, family-supporting career is NOT to create video games that others will enjoy playing, but rather to wield a pen/pencil and paper, and use them both to create stories, things people want to read and be inspired by. My true talent is not in game design, it is to be a writer, I realize now.

So, while I started my noir mystery novel which takes place in 1930s New York City, and it's off to a good start even though I haven't released it yet, I was wondering if any other fellow writers here on the site had some protips for making my novel look like something people want to keep reading over and over?

And yes, my goal this time IS to EVENTUALLY get it published and eventually sold or monetized somehow.

 

[GypsyMoth]

... I was wondering if any other fellow writers here on the site had some protips for making my novel look like something people want to keep reading over and over?

Sure. Read extensively, Learn both the craft and the art of writing, and Do it because you love to, not because you think you're going to make a fortune at it.

 

[Darkkin]

Learn about critique (what it actually is), both giving and receiving. Learn how to critique others' work; bar none this is the BEST TOOL to learn how to write well.

It makes you think critically and logically, moreover it trains you to write CONSCIOUSLY.

Take all feedback with a profound dose of salt and develop a rhino dense hide. The writing world is absolutely brutal and not for those of a delicate nature.

A majority of would be writer collapse beneath the first hints of a solid critique and take objective observations as personal attacks and proceed to launch personal attacks at any 'negative' commentors and/or 'haters'. Such behaviour is a clear sign of 'vanity and/or ego' 'writers' who are too emotionally involved with their work to ever learn to be objective.

Such individuals almost always red flagged by reputable and educated writers, who know from experience not to waste time on unobjective drama queens.

Offer feedback before posting ANYTHING for feedback. This is often a requisite of many writing forums.

Read the genre you want to write. And dissect classic works within the genre and get to know the recipes.

And start with a realistic set of expectations. Meaning put money and mainstream publishing on the back burner.

Write a short story to completion. Enter a small writing competition and test your BASIC SKILL SET.

Without the basic skills nothing will pan out. Shoddy basics such as poor spelling and grammar will deter readers no matter how interesting the concept is.

 

[Orange Glasses]

The only tip I can offer is to use a writing software that will help keep your thoughts organized.

I use and like Scrivener. It is very easy to use and can save your work in multiple formats. If you decide to self publish through Amazon, etc, it only takes the press of a button to get your book 'live'.

Scrivener also has a very active forum to answer any and all questions.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

What makes me come back time and again to a book or author is elegant use of language.

 

[UberScout]

Your assistance, my friends, though merely written words, has once again strengthened the brine of my creative flow.

 

[Misery]

All I'll say is, ask people to read what you've written, and give you opinions after the fact.

With the unfinished version, I mean.

Feedback is so important during the creation process.

 

[Outdated]

This doesn't have anything to do with autism (I think) but here's a quote from Raymond Feist, an incredibly successful author:

In late 1977 I decided to try my hand at writing, part-time, while I was an employee of the University of California, San Diego. It is now some fifteen years later, and I have been a full-time writer for the last fourteen years, successful in this craft beyond my wildest dreams. Magician, the first novel in what became known as. The Riftwar Saga, was a book that quickly took on a life of its own. I hesitate to admit this publicly, but the truth is that part of the success of the book was my ignorance of what makes a commercially successful novel.

 

[Orange Glasses]

strengthened the brine of my creative flow.

Is this going to be an adult book?

 

[maycontainthunder]

Currently have 53 mostly incomplete books I have written. They're a mix of fantasy, sci-fi and the odd fiction thrown in.

 

[UberScout]

Is this going to be an adult book?

Hell no?!