Are neurodivergent introvert authors doomed?

and other thoughts

I’d like to start out by thanking Mary A. for becoming a paid subscriber! Thank you so much, Mary. Your support means a lot to me. I will be sure to give you a shout-out onstage when my screenplay wins an Academy Award!

Mark up

There’s very little doubt in my mind that social media is probably the worst invention of our lifetime (and because I can, I’m using GenX as the definition of “our lifetime”). Everyone can say anything anytime from anywhere. This used to feel so neato!  But now it’s just so much noise. I’m not philosophizing about anything new here; this is not breaking news. I’m just summarizing where we are. It’s billions of people shouting at each other.

And yes, I also understand this applies to writing. Anyone can start a Substack. Anyone can publish a book. Literally everyone can leave their mark on the world.

But maybe that’s the problem? The world is all marked up.

What if we endeavored to leave nothing behind?

Are neurodivergent introvert authors doomed?

I would say pretty much, yes. The result of everyone leaving their mark everywhere at once is, for some of us, a mass tangle of confusion. There’s crap everywhere, and my nervous system/brain is already overloaded, thank you very much.

Maybe there are a few pockets of okayness out there, but they are soooooo hard to find. How am I supposed to “make meaningful connections” with people on social media if, when I open up a site (any of them), all of it looks like a giant skein of yarn tangled into a million knots with the caption “Good luck figuring this one out, Ace!”

Same for get-togethers, conferences, anything with the word networking in the title, and basically all things involving other people.

Honestly, it’s a miracle I have friends. Don’t ask me how I did it! I am so incredibly grateful for them.

I’ll stop short of saying this inability/unwillingness/bafflement at how to do it will prevent me from ever becoming a successful indie author, but I see how it’s going to take more.

More … what?

Not sure what all that looks like.

(Yes, I know wanting to be a successful author is the opposite of not wanting to leave any mark behind. I struggle with the dichotomy every day.)

Welcoming a new Substack newsletter

As some of you might know, I run a fiction editing business with my friend Michele. Fellow Substacker Mr. Troy Ford is on our team—yay Troy!

We just started a Substack newsletter. Over at Two Birds Author Services, you’ll find articles on self-editing, helpful writing tips, monthly spotlights on our authors or team members, and more. Early next year we’ll start an Office Hours feature, so get your questions for the editor(s) ready.

From the Author’s Desk

I’m now on the fourth attempt at a first draft on my next book, The Last Resort. I had to scrap a lot of things I thought I wanted to include, because every time I started over, it ended up sounding the same as the last draft. I had to let go of what I thought the book should be about, and let it be what it wants to be. Both the book and I are much happier now.

I went back to an “eight point plot structure” I came across a few years ago, and that helped a lot. The book is very low stakes, but I think the world needs more low stakes right now. I think I’ve made up a new genre for myself: low-stakes cozy thriller. What do you think? Or if you have a different idea, please let me know in the comments. Comedic thriller lite? Cozy low-stakes humor? Honestly, if I nail this, I think I’ll be on to something.

I’m almost halfway through the draft. Wish me luck.

Another random note I saved as an email draft

Maybe we should stay still more often. Listen to the wind in the trees instead of the blowhards. Take action after we’ve taken a pause. Much grace and wisdom can be found in that pause. 

my neighborhood, 2020. it’s okay to change your mind.

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