Everyone views the world through a different lens, but some of our lenses aren’t lenses at all—they’re electron microscopes or foggy windows. They’re high-def digital processors or layered mirrors. Neurodivergence offers a unique worldview but it can also create challenges when it comes to getting words on the page. Perhaps that is why genre fiction serves as a magnet for neurodivergent writers. Something about the openended nature of speculative fiction particularly seems to attract writers whose brain chemistry functions outside the norm. It offers a safe space to follow our impulses and explore the ways we make connections while also offering defined parameters of genre to serve as guideposts along the way.
Ellie Raine, award-winning fantasy author of the NecroSeam Chronicles, has been diagnosed with OCD, ADHD, and autism. “With autism,” she says, “I’ve learned it’s both perfect and horrible for a career involving communication… such as writing. On one hand, I have a perspective on language that is often remarked as ‘new’ or ‘fascinating’ by readers—on the other hand, my editors have, on more than one occasion, been completely confused with what I’m trying to say. Luckily, once I know where the confusion occurs, it’s easy to rework and clear up, but it really makes me self-conscious when I
