I'm trying to write a book that has Autistic Characters in it

[Greatshield17]

I need specific advice here. As I've mentioned before in another thread, I'm writing a novel in which I hide the fact that certain characters are Autistic until chapter 5. I'm hoping that NTs/CLs (as I call them and as they're later referred to in the novel) in the audience gets hooked on the book and are interested in the characters before then, so that they'll keep reading afterwards.

In chapter 2, shown here below, I tell things from the point of view of Joseph, a key character in the book. This here is the first time the audience will experience things from an Autistic character's point of view, (As chapter 1 is told from the point of view of a CL) I want to make sure I both, get this right and at the same time, not fall into the trap of doing things like telling instead of showing and doing other things to turn the non-Autistic audience off from the book.

Apologies if some of the of the views expressed in this scene are in disagreement with one's own:

 

[Nitro]

Apologies if I started a thread like this before, I tried to look see if I had started one but couldn't find it. I need specific advice here, as I've mentioned before in another thread, I'm writing a novel in which I hide the fact that certain characters are Autistic until chapter 5. I'm hoping that NTs/CLs (as I call them and as they're later referred to in the novel) in the audience gets hooked on the book and are interested in the characters before then, so that they'll keep reading afterwards.

In chapter 2, shown here below, I tell things from the point of view of Joseph, a key character in the book. This here is the first time the audience will experience things from an Autistic character's point of view, (As chapter 1 is told from the point of view of a CL) I want to make sure I both, get this right and at the same time, not fall into the trap of doing things like telling instead of showing and doing other things to turn the non-Autistic audience off from the book.

Apologies if some of the of the views expressed in this scene are in disagreement with one's own:
View attachment 75905 View attachment 75906 View attachment 75907

What is a CL?

 

[Suzette]

I think you can just let your characters speak for themselves.

In a character driven plot the individual character will always reveal themselves as the plot moves along. You may choose to reveal a specific detail, such as autisim, but by the time of that reveal, the reader should already know by putting the pieces together themselves. The reveal only serves to validate the readers observations.

 

[Greatshield17]

What is a CL?

Common Lapsarian.

 

[Nitro]

Common Lapsarian.

And?
Care to translate that for us mere mortals?

 

[tree]

Common Lapsarian.

It's probably not necessary to broadcast your private terminology.
Idiosyncratic identifications can be very pertinent to the individual who
coins them, while not really useful to the reader.....

Is 'CL' going to feature as a term some of the characters in your
story use? A catch phrase privy to them?

 

[Greatshield17]

And?
Care to translate that for us mere mortals?

Lapsarian, from the Latin word, labis, which roughly translates to “catastrophic decay,” it’s a bit of an uncommon word that is used by Theologians and philosophers to refer to the the fallen nature of humanity and the world ie, “post-Lapsarian world.”

Is 'CL' going to feature as a term some of the characters in your
story use? A catch phrase privy to them?

Yes, in fact there’s actually a scene in the book in which the Autistic characters themselves come up with the term.

 

[Nitro]

Lapsarian, from the Latin word, labis, which roughly translates to “catastrophic decay,” it’s a bit of an uncommon word that is used by Theologians and philosophers to refer to the the fallen nature of humanity and the world ie, “post-Lapsarian world.”


Yes, in fact there’s actually a scene in the book in which the Autistic characters themselves come up with the term.

No, not exactly.
lapsarian - Wiktionary
lapsarian (pl. lapsarians)

1. One who believes that mankind has fallen from a better state.

I truly fail to see how or why this would apply to differing neurologies.
Care to enlighten me?

 

[Streetwise]

Might be an idea to pitch it to Roman catholic readers don't know if other denominations would vibe with it

 

[Greatshield17]

Might be an idea to pitch it to Roman catholic readers don't know if other denominations would vibe with it

I plan on doing that once I finish chapter 5. (Which I’m hoping to do this Saturday)

 

[Greatshield17]

No, not exactly.
lapsarian - Wiktionary
lapsarian (pl. lapsarians)

1. One who believes that mankind has fallen from a better state.

I truly fail to see how or why this would apply to differing neurologies.
Care to enlighten me?

I’m pretty sure people will understand Lapsarian to mean being in said state rather then believing that the state exists.

The term is more Theologically and philosophically accurate than Neurotypical.

 

[Nitro]

I’m pretty sure people will understand Lapsarian to mean being in said state rather then believing that the state exists.

The term is more Theologically and philosophically accurate than Neurotypical.

You still have not answered my question.
By definition, which I have provided, that is not what it means, so care to enlighten me so I and others can better understand it?

It sounds like a neurological supremacy stance to me.
Can you prove to me otherwise that it isn't?

 

[Greatshield17]

I really need to get my non-Autistic audience hooked on my novel before they reach chapter 5 and I reveal that this book is about Autistic people. What tips and advice do you have on how to do that?

I do know that people do like hints and mystery so one things I’m hoping will happen is that people get intrigued by the Autistic characters and start wondering what is with these characters and why they act, think and feel things in such a strange way.

 

[Greatshield17]

You still have not answered my question.

What was your original question]?

By definition, which I have provided, that is not what it means, so care to enlighten me so I and others can better understand it?

Then how do you explain the term “post-Lapsarian?” It doesn’t refer to someone who has stopped believing in a fallen world.

It sounds like a neurological supremacy stance to me.
Can you prove to me otherwise that it isn't?

Sure, Uncommon Lapsarian. (In fact this is actually one of the reasons why I came up with this specific term)

 

[tree]

@Greatshield17

The *Lapsarian* part is easy enough to understand.

Are the ASD characters meant to have a sort of snobbish view
toward non-autistic people? Common can mean typical/usual/most frequent.
But it can also convey overtones of inferiority/lesser quality/*not special*.

 

[Nitro]

Definition of postlapsarian
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the time or state after the fall of humankind described in the Bible
-----------------------------------------------------------

adjective
occurring or being after the Fall of Humanity
=====================
The state of being which followed the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden.

------------------------------------------------
So in other words, a postlapsidarian is anyone who was born after the fall of Adam and Eve

Your use of the term common lapsidarian applies to all of humankind, does it not?

 

[Thinx]

I have read a variety of your writings as you know. I think it would be a great idea to enrol for a creative writing course, and learn more about the ways to create characters and all the many skills involved in writing. I think you would enjoy and be really interested in the type of inputs you can get, which can be online or in person.

Asking us for ideas about this skates over the fact that you just don't yet have this craft studied and learnt, just like I can't be a car mechanic when I don't yet understand much about cars, or a chef when I haven't yet studied and learned how to cook.

 

[Gerontius]

Might be an idea to pitch it to Roman catholic readers don't know if other denominations would vibe with it

Am Catholic. The manufacturing of new terminology confuses me and will probably confuse classics majors since the only Catholic mention of a lapse or lapsed people was back in the time around 250 to 350 AD roughly, where it described people who had denied Christianity to avoid beheading, lions, similar Imperial unpleasantness.

Can't endorse renaming more stuff especially since it's only confusing things further.

 

[maycontainthunder]

In some of my inane scribblings there are autistic characters. Most are based on my own experiences while others use different aspects of the spectrum such as non-verbal and those that are damaged by bullying or have been so restricted by others that they cannot function outside these boundaries.

 

[Greatshield17]

@Greatshield17

The *Lapsarian* part is easy enough to understand.

Are the ASD characters meant to have a sort of snobbish view
toward non-autistic people? Common can mean typical/usual/most frequent.
But it can also convey overtones of inferiority/lesser quality/*not special*.

No, they’re very loyal and friendly to the Commonling characters in the book, even though the main conflict in the book is a (metaphorical) fight for Autism Acceptance. (Some of this stuff is subtly implied or referenced to in the sample above.)

Typical can have overtones of inferiority as well, as can uncommon, atypical, and “special.”