When I was in school no one tested for autism. I remember hating learning how to do cursive. I had to be tutored for it for hours. It sucked. The reason I mention this is I keep getting told by editors my writing is redundant, or my grammar is horrible, or other various related discussions I’ve had for two years. I was also told something about colloquialisms and how it appears I don’t use them in my writing, which most people do.
So… I’m frustrated. I debated tonight about no longer writing except for myself. The last two years of trying to figure out what editors wanted, or why they suggested certain grammar changes has exhausted me. However, for years I’ve thought I’m autistic and reading studies about grammar and autism further reinforces my belief. I should get tested, and it wouldn’t surprise me to learn my theory is correct. Plus, I see autistic traits in my family members. They know who they are. Grins.
Anyhow, I researched a bit tonight and reading:
“http://egyptianjournal.xyz/731_10.pdf
A variety of specific features have been described in the language of individuals with autism, for example:
The reversal of pronouns (saying ‘‘you’’ for ‘‘me,’’ and vice versa (5)
Impaired comprehension of words referring to emotions (6)
Reduced sensitivity to grammatical errors (7)
Errors of verb tense marking (8)
Impaired use of articles and conjunctions (8)
Children with autism produce less question and negation utterances (9)
and
Because of executive function and short term memory challenges, students with Asperger’s syndrome often face challenges with writing. They may have difficulty remembering how to spell, they may forget writing conventions such as punctuation and capitalization, and they may face fine motor challenges that make them reluctant to write.”
sure sounds familiar. I’m going to keep writing, but at this point, I have to step away from trying to “correct” my stories to match what editors believe my stories should be written. If this makes it harder for others to read my stories, I understand this. But, I’m exhausted trying to figure out why so many of what I wrote needs to be changed when I believe the passages I wrote are the same thing!
Anyhow, I needed to share these thoughts, since the last day has been frustrating. So much energy spent on wondering what to do about my stories, finding an editor, and improving my stories to match how they feel my writing should be. Everyone says get an editor, but sometimes it’s harder to work with one when you don’t understand why they change things!
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