Into my Autistic Mind: Show Week Looms

I had wanted to write something else for this month. But work and rehearsals have kept me constantly busy. So here’s another edition of Into My Autistic Mind. This one shows my unfiltered thoughts before one of my rehearsals.

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Let’s see what I can write in an hour. I typed ‘u’ instead of ‘I’. Now I’m thinking of the Pink Panther movie with Steve Martin and Wreck-It Ralph – which I watched last night. I’m planning on watching the sequel soon because I bought it recently. I’m thinking of some ‘Equestria Girls’ animations now. But I’m not talking about the topic I want to. What I want to talk about is how I’m feeling about my upcoming show at the Orchard Theatre: Footloose. I play Lyle; one of Chuck Cranston’s cronies. I got to write my own actor’s profile for the program. This will be the first time I’ve performed at the Orchard Theatre in a while. I’m still thinking of Wreck-It Ralph and Equestria Girls. Anyway, I’ve been doing shows at Heathfield Hall in Dartford for a while and they’ve been fine. I even got to play Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol. Now I’m thinking of An All Dogs Christmas Carol. I’ve got to be honest, though, I’m not feeling very confident about this show. I feel this way whenever show week approaches. I don’t know, for whatever reason I’m not as invested as I normally am. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to be in Footloose and I love performing. It’s just this one feels different. Maybe it’s because I haven’t seen the movie. Or because I don’t get to do a lot of acting. Or because the dance numbers are some of the most complex I’ve had to remember. But for whatever – hang on I’m repeating myself. And I’ve just had to add a word I missed out in a previous sentence. It’s been tricky learning the dance numbers. I’ve got that Celebration song in my head because it was in Wreck-It Ralph. “Celebrate good times, come on!” Footloose by name, footloose by nature. I know all the moves in the dance numbers, it’s just executing them right. And timing things perfectly. And remembering to sing the right lyrics while doing so. Specifically, there are two numbers I’m struggling with. The first is The Girl Gets Around because we haven’t had a chance to practise it with everyone a lot – absences cause major problems like this. The second is Still Rockin‘ because there’s a lot of precise choreography and singing. It’s a lot to take in for an Autistic mind like mine. For some reason I’m remembering a random Nickelodeon advert where they’re advertising two episodes of Mr. Bean back to back every day. I’ve just corrected some spelling mistakes. As I’m typing this my dinner is in the oven: sausages. I need to turn them over and put some pasta on, too. Then I have to eat it in time to leave and get to the hall. We’re having our first full run-through tonight and some of us like to get there early to practise and get our props ready. I’m randomly thinking of scenes from Elf. I’m sure things will come together in the end. It always does whenever I do a show. Maybe not everything goes exactly well. But you know what they say: “nothing can go wrong as long as it’s live.” If you make a mistake when it’s live, you meant to do that. It was WWE Chairman Vince McMahon who said those words. I’m thinking of a random wrestling segment now. I’d rather not say what it is. I’d also rather not repeat myself with some these sentences and their wording. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie video game is going through my head now, and an episode of the show, and an old advert for the breakfast cereal Sporties. I’d still like things to go well with the show. I just took a little break there. I always say to myself when things aren’t going well in rehearsals that “we’ll get there” – like Michael Jackson did when rehearsing This Is It. We always do in the end. It seemed like yesterday we had four months to go before show week. Now it’s less than three weeks and I still don’t feel entirely ready. I also haven’t been able to rehearse in my own time as much as I’d like. Maybe it’s because I thought I’d have more time or wanted to finish something else sooner. Or maybe I’ve just gotten lazy. In any case things haven’t come together like they usually do. Not helping is the fact that I’m constantly working 7-10 hour shifts. Sometimes I finish work and go directly to rehearsals. It adds up to around 12+ hours of working a day and I just want a chance to relax. But instead I’m rushing to bed because I’ve got to get up early for work the next day. As you can imagine it’s difficult finding time to rehearse when you’re already run down. For some reason I’m thinking of old episode of ‘Pingu’. My mum used to love watching that with its claymation style. There have been many famous claymation movies like The Adventures of Mark Twain – the only film that’s made of 100% clay. And then there’s that controversial scene with the Mysterious Stranger. Look it up on YouTube if you want to see what I mean. More distractions are coming into my head, but I’m going to choose to ignore them. My dinner smells like its coming along nicely. It doesn’t help when I want to rehearse but I’m tired. And if I work multiple days and long hours it’s even harder. This week I’m working for five days. Today was only 6 hours long. But the others will be 14:00-23:00 Tuesday and Wednesday, and 10:00-19:00 Friday and Saturday. I can’t rehearse all day on Thursday either because I’ll be introducing someone to my sister in the late afternoon. I’ll have to see where my performance goes in Footloose. I’m sure I’ll be able to fix things up in the two numbers, and more, in time. We’ve even been given some extra rehearsal dates. I’m sorry I’ve had to do another one of these. I had wanted to write an article or review in this 2-month period, but I just haven’t been able to with everything else that’s been going on. Hopefully, I’ll have something better next time. Speak to you all again soon.

My Publishing History (4th Anniversary Special)

Hello everybody, this is George Harvey (aka The Autistic Blogger). And today is the 4-Year-Anniversary of this blog. So before I begin, I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who’s continued supporting me. Whether you follow my work regularly or stumble across it by chance, I really do appreciate every one of your views – no matter where you are in the world.

Anyway, for this anniversary, I wanted to talk to you about something personal to me. Many of you already know this, but my biggest ambition in life is to become a published author. Since I was 4-years-old, I’ve had creative ideas swimming in my head, eager to get out. Then one day, I tried writing a mystery novel. I’ve never looked back since.

Admittedly, when I first started out, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I had no idea what I wanted to my writing to achieve and even writing itself proved tedious given my Autism. However, I was keen to hone my craft. That’s why I applied for a Professional Writing course at the North (West) Kent College in Dartford. Since then, I’ve had varying degrees of success in getting my work out there. So, today, I’m going to look back on some of the more significant ones; telling you how they came to be and what I learned from them. This is George Harvey/The Autistic Blogger’s publishing history.

First Publication (The Real Me)

My first publication came about during my first year of college. And how it happened was actually due to a happy accident. It all started when we were given a writing assignment. I can’t remember what it was exactly – it might’ve had something to do with Creative Non-Fiction. Anyway, I decided to write mine based on my Autism; explaining how it affected me, what I thought of other people representing it, and how you can’t understand the condition properly unless you have it yourself. Follow the link below to see it:

https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2019/05/31/the-real-me/

After completing the article, I printed it off and left it on the side for later. I was planning to put it in my bag, but then my mum just so happened to be passing by. After noticing the piece and reading it, she came to me and said it was one of the most aspiring things she’d ever read. In fact, she insisted I let her have a copy so she could show her work colleagues the next day. One of these colleagues had connections with the NAS; who then asked if I’d like to feature it in their Communication Magazine. I agreed without hesitation. And after a few edits, it was released in their Summer 2013 Edition.

Looking back on it now, while this was my first publication, it also wasn’t my best-written. I hadn’t taken English as one of my Sixth Form subjects, and it clearly showed in my grammar; I was using dashes rather than commas too often, and some of my sentences could’ve been better structured. However, the NAS didn’t seem to mind. All that mattered to them was having someone like me who was willing to share their opinions and life experiences with Autism. And then it suddenly hit me.

For the longest time, I’d been so unsure how I was going to sell myself as an author. What made me different from the billions of others who wanted to be published? After this article, however, I had my answer. Unlike many of those people, I had experience in a specific field – one that not everybody is willing to talk about. If I could express my Autistic experiences through writing, then those who had the condition could relate to it, and those who didn’t would be given a better understanding of it. At long last, my path in writing was made clear; I would write to raise awareness of Autism and other personal issues.

Second Publication (Successful Studying)

My second publication was more of a group project. And it was released mostly due to my tutors’ involvement. However, it was still satisfying to see my name credited in a real book. Towards the end of my first year, we had the opportunity to write a guidebook called Successful Studying. This would be made available to future students and help them to overcome the difficulties of studying at a university level. For copyright reasons, I can’t post the chapter I wrote here – so I’ll leave you a link to the book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Successful-Studying-Neil-Nixon/dp/1907502130/ref=sr_1_31?keywords=successful+studying&qid=1559068665&s=books&sr=1-31.

To summarise, though, I give readers tips on how they can stay focused on their work, even if they have learning difficulties. These tips include: interacting with fellow students, asking for help from their tutors, staying in contact with everyone, not stressing over workloads, studying at home and knowing how to manage their time efficiently. I then ended the chapter by revealing it was written by a student with Autism – assuring them disabilities don’t prevent success.

Compared to the magazine article, this piece was much better-written. There were still some grammar issues, but my structuring and overall presentation had improved since the year began. It was also the first chance I had to make use of my new writing style. Because I was drawing from personal experience (i.e. using studying methods that had worked for me as examples), it made writing the piece that much easier. Plus, the way I conveyed it made things more relatable for the reader – adding something of myself to it brought out its full potential.

Working to my Strengths

As the course continued, I would use this writing strategy wherever I could. It would even be the driving force behind my Overcoming Limitations presentation, which I gave at the end of my second year (see my 1st Anniversary Special: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/1st-anniversary-special/).

After that, however, things became more challenging.

My third year of college was, quite literally, make or break for me. I’d moved away from North (West) Kent to Greenwich University (London). And it brought changes that I ultimately wasn’t prepared for. The new workload and deadlines were so tight that I barely had time to relax my mind anymore. It got so stressful that I was actually waking up every morning, shaking and vomiting with anxiety.

But even with the course taking a toll on my health, I was determined to make the most of any opportunity presented to me. That’s why I became a student ambassador; it was another chance to share my experiences and advise younger students on how they could survive university as I had. I also briefly joined the student magazine, before committing to it became impossible. Arguably the best opportunity I had, though, was contributing to another book. This one was called Making Our Mark.

Making Our Mark

Towards the end of the year, a project manager was looking to feature students’ work relating to future ambitions. Although I was up to my neck in deadlines by this point, I didn’t want to let the opportunity pass. Who knew when I’d get another chance to be published? So after attending a briefing on the book, I wrote two pieces of flash-fiction for it. Both of which were included in the final publication. Again, for copyright reasons, I can’t post them on this blog – so here’s a link to the book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Reeves-Editor-19-May-2015-Paperback/dp/B013RPI1VY/ref=sr_1_159?keywords=making+our+mark&qid=1559072399&s=books&sr=1-159.

But I will share what each is about.

First of all, although the book says flash-fiction, my pieces were actually based on personal experiences. So they were technically “creative flash-non-fiction“. Not that the editor minded.

Anyway, the first piece was titled Never Judge a Book… and drew inspiration from my time as a checkout operator. The idea was that people who saw me probably thought I had a very easy job; beeping items, sitting down for hours and getting paid for it. However, they couldn’t see how I felt on the inside: the strain of repeating the same actions, the stress of dealing with challenging customers, the overall dissatisfaction I had with the job. They didn’t know it, but I had connections in the world of writing and was fixed to become something greater than they could imagine. Emphasising you should never judge a book by its cover.

Aside from my usual grammar errors, this piece turned out better than I expected. It comes off as insightful, creative and even metaphorical at times. It’s an inspiring piece to anyone who’s striving to become better than what they are.

The second piece, Believing is Achieving, was more of a story. It draws inspiration from two of my past experiences: seeing my work published for the first time and receiving advice from Jacqueline Wilson. It features a boy named James (me), who is surprised to find something he wrote (The Real Me) published in a magazine (Communication). He never intended to show it to anyone because he lacked the confidence and doubted the praise his mother gave him. Realising she submitted it on his behalf, however, he sees the positive effect it has on other people. He then makes the bold move to contact his favourite author, Mrs W (Jaqueline Wilson), who actually replies to him and gives him some advice. From then on, James is more determined and confident to become a successful writer.

Like the first piece, this was intended to be something inspirational. Names and events were changed slightly, but the message was the same. You shouldn’t let your disabilities/confidence prevent you from pushing forward in life. With the right motivation, you can achieve almost anything.

Making Our Mark proved, once again, that writing from experience was my winning formula. However, once I left university, I knew it would be harder finding ways to be published. I wouldn’t have nearly as many resources, contacts or opportunities as I once did. Consequently, this was the last book I contributed to as of 2019. But that doesn’t mean it was my final publication, period.

Ambitious about Autism

Going back to when I was writing for the Student Magazine, I had the opportunity to interview Johnathan Andrews; someone who was heavily involved with promoting Autism. After I graduated, he invited me to join Ambitious about Autism; an organisation that works to improve the livelihood of people with the condition. Some of their previous work includes setting up Treehouse School (http://www.treehouseschool.org.uk/) for severely Autistic children and advising producers on how to represent Autism in the media. During my time there, I took part in several of their projects. Including Know Your Normal, where I was a panellist discussing what normal is for people like me, and Are You Autistic? – a documentary by Channel 4 (see my 3rd Anniversary Special: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/are-you-autistic-review-3rd-anniversary-special/).

The most fruitful of these projects, however, was their Employ Autism campaign. Not only did I give a presentation, explaining why employment needed to be improved for adults with Autism. But Ambitious held an event teaching employers what to look out for when recruiting these people. A brochure was made to assist with proceedings, and I wrote an article detailing my own opinions:

https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2019/05/31/autism-in-the-workplace-2/

Unlike my previous publications, this one didn’t have much creativity. It was just me giving my honest thoughts about what could be done to fix employment procedures. It still came off as professional though; explaining what problems Autistic people face when applying for jobs, and what support they need when starting out. Additionally, the message about not using Autism as an excuse to refuse employment was made abundantly clear.

However, there was one issue this article had in common with my other pieces. It’s limited availability.

If I was going to continue producing content, I needed a proper outlet; somewhere to showcase my work to as many people as possible. That’s when somebody introduced me to WordPress.

Blog

Like many things, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to achieve with my blog at first. I didn’t even give much thought to the title, hence why I called it the least-searched Google term in history: georgeharvey2015. Over time, however, I got a better idea of it’s identity. It started off small, with short pieces about Autism and how it affected me. They weren’t anything special, just samples to show everyone the kind of person I was and what I wanted to achieve. It later grew to include reviews – like the ones I’d been writing on Amazon for years:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AHNGEVB42MLFVOSAZTJJKBFBACEQ

But these had an emphasis on disabilities and personal issues. If I felt something touched on a subject like Autism (Lesson Zero), child neglect (Lily Alone), or living independently (Kiki’s Delivery Service) very well, then I’d feature it on the blog. Hence its tagline: “Home of Reviews and Autism Advocacy“. I also started a second blog to show off my older Amazon reviews, but regularly updating it proved too difficult; I was torn between fixing old pieces and writing new ones, and the latter required more attention.

As time went by, my ideas got bigger. And my Autism pieces got longer. I knew I couldn’t keep writing something every fortnight. So I decided to pace myself and write new content only when I had the mindset for it. This would evolve into the once-every-other-month schedule I have now.

Today, blogging continues to challenge me. But the benefits have been invaluable. My presence on the internet has put me in contact with many new people. Including those who’ve asked me for advice, and others who’ve listed my site on their own. In 2016, I even got in contact with somebody who ran after-school clubs for Autistic children. After showing her my posts and giving my Overcoming Limitations presentation, she invited me to become a volunteer myself. This would mark the beginning of a new ambition for me.

New Ambition

Until now, all of my future goals had been writing-based. But working with Autistic children made me realise something. The best people you can confide in with your problems are those who’ve experienced them personally. What made me such a valuable asset was being the only volunteer who also had Autism. This made it easier for me to relate to those children and understand their behaviours (shyness, isolation, lack of motivation, etc.). I also remembered something else. Some of the best support I’d had was during my school years. Without my various TAs keeping me on track, I never would’ve made it through school – let alone attended university. From this point on, I wanted to try becoming a teaching assistant. And that brings me to where I am today.

Hopes for the Future

Currently, I’m 25-years-old and have been taking courses in Special Educational Needs. I’ve also had chances to go into schools and get experience, but they haven’t lead to anything permanent so far. I still get notifications about positions today, but applying for them isn’t as simple as it used to be. Why? Because like most people, life has caught up to me.

I now live in my own studio flat; paying bills, going to work and occasionally meeting with friends and family. Additionally, the job I have is full-time with the hours and days varying from week to week. This makes it difficult for me to plan anything long-term, as I never know my rota until a month in advance. Even if I wanted to quit my job and become a full-time TA, I’ve been made aware of several money issues I could face – it’s tricky paying my rent even now. However, I don’t want to give up on being a TA. Because if I become one, it will be a two-way benefit; I can help children overcome their Autistic problems and learn what life is like for them in primary school. The latter of which would be essential to my most ambitious project.

Ever since my first year of college, I’ve wanted to write a children’s book series that raises awareness of disabilities and personal issues. In recent months, I’ve been brainstorming more solid ideas for it, but I still have a long way to go before writing the first story. And that’s not considering the time I’d need to finish the thing and refresh my memory of the publishing process. It might sound easy. But there’s a lot that eats into my spare time; work, socialising, drama, relaxing. Even blogging.

One reason I keep writing is to maintain my profile. I don’t want people to think I’m some random person who wants to get published. I want them to know how devoted I am and what I want to achieve. But like I said, blogging takes time for me. Sometimes I wonder whether I should even hold back writing longer pieces and push forward with my personal projects. My book series might be a long ways off, but I still have other ideas that could work. There was even one that came close to being a reality – before the organisation said they couldn’t provide what I was after.

I think maybe I should set a goal for myself. For the 5th Anniversary special, I should get something of a finished project completed and share it with you on this blog. Even if it’s not published at that point, a sample will show the progress I’ve made, and keep me motivated for the future.

Anyway, that’s all I have to say for this post. Again, I want to say a special thank you to everyone who’s continued supporting me. It really helps to know that my work is being shared and enjoyed by many people. If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, or have any questions, then please leave me a comment – I’ll be more than happy to answer them. And, until next time, stay tuned.

Two Special Messages

Hello everybody, this is George Harvey (aka The Autistic Blogger). I’ve recently started work on my next big project, but it probably won’t be finished until after the New Year. This is because I’m currently rehearsing for my latest stage performance (A Christmas Carol) and December will be a hectic time for someone who works in retail. In the meantime, I’d like to share a couple of messages with you.

Over the years, I’ve been in contact with numerous people who’ve had a profound influence on my professional career. Whether it’s about something I’ve written or something I hope to do, their messages have inspired me to keep working towards my dreams – even when they seem a long way off. The first of these came just over five years ago.

Before I started working on this blog and raising awareness of Autism, my biggest ambition in life was to become a published author. And it still is to some extent. There are magazine articles and books out there with my name on them, but they’ve always been collaborations with other people. One day I hope to publish something that’s all my own, and that it can help raise awareness of disadvantaged people and their problems.

The most ambitious project I’ve had is a children’s book series. The idea first came to me during my first year of college, when we were asked to write a series of short stories to promote a fictional product called Chunky Monkey. I got so into the task that I wanted to use what I’d learnt to create my own series, which would teach readers about the joys and hardships of childhood. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted, but there was just one problem: I didn’t really know how to write a children’s book, let alone a series of them. Fortunately, I knew somebody who did.

Out of all the authors I’ve admired over the years, Jacqueline Wilson has been the most influential on me. Her stories not only address real-world issues, but they do so in a way that’s relatable to children. You could literally pick up any one of her books and believe it was inspired by a true story. I knew that if anyone could understand what I was trying to achieve with my writing, then it would be Jacqueline Wilson. So, on October 18th 2013, I sent her this email:

Dear Miss Jacqueline Wilson
My name is George Harvey. I am 19-years-old, and I am an inspiring writer. I work in an ASDA’s store in Swanley and whenever I see one of your books on our shelves I just know the story is spectacular, without even having to read it – especially your latest book Diamond. Your illustrator, Nick Sharratt does a wonderful job with his cover art, too.
I am writing because I recently read something you said in an interview once. You said: “I want to write to every age group, in a way that can prepare them for what happens in the real world, and raise the awareness levels of many life-changing situations. I want to be a friend, really.” These words captured my heart because this is almost precisely what I want to do with my own writing.
As an Asperger’s sufferer, I have experience of what life can be like for someone who has a personal life problem or condition. I also know that if these issues are misunderstood, they can cause troubles for those who suffer from them. This is why I want to use my writing skills to raise awareness of not only autism but other personal issues so that readers can understand them better and more people would be treated fairly in the future.
Also, while my intended audience is children, I want my stories and characters to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, so that readers, young and old, can understand my intentions. (Would this be commercial or literary fiction?)
Anyway, I have been taking a professional writing course at my college for two years now. And ever since my first year, I’ve had an idea for a children’s book series called ‘The Adventures of Nicky Dream‘. I won’t bore you with details as I know you’re very busy and you get a lot more fan-mail than mine. But the basic idea is that Nicky Dream is a 10-year-old girl who lives alone in a large house, and she has a large number of friends who she shares “adventures” with. The twist is that each of her friends has a personal issue about them (e.g. one friend is childish and represents immaturity, one has damaged vocal chords and is partially mute, one is a bully turned friend, etc.) and the adventures not only focus on their individual characteristics, but also advises readers on how such issues should be treated, and how those with similar problems can overcome them. (Sorry if that is too much detail.)
I am confident this is a good idea, but my trouble is making it work. Whilst ‘Adventure’ and ‘Slice of Life’ are two genres I would use to describe my vision for this series, I have a lot of story and character ideas that might crossover with their limitations, and I sometimes wonder whether or not even I, myself, know exactly how I want to write this series – I’ve often imagined it as a TV series in book form. (Did you ever have a story idea without knowing exactly what genre it was going to be?)
My question to you is when you write about such personal issues as abuse, grief, foster care, etc. how do you do it in a way that’s entertaining for all audiences to read, while keeping the focus on raising awareness, and avoiding anything that could be hurtful or insulting? Also, with your book series’, did you intend them to be series’ when you first started writing the original books or was it down to their popularity that you wrote sequels? Any other advice you could give me would be very helpful, too.
I have written to you because I think you are the one author who can truly understand my feelings and ambitions for writing. I hope I can hear from you soon.

Yours Faithfully
George B. Harvey

(P.S. I’m very sorry that this is a long letter/email. I tend to over-write things a lot.)

Now, to be honest, I wasn’t really expecting a reply. As I mentioned in the message, I knew how busy Jacqueline Wilson was. And she probably received thousands of fan letters a day. It didn’t seem likely that mine would be one she’d personally respond to.

But then, twelve days later, I discovered this in my inbox:

Dear George
Thank you so much for your long and interesting email. I’m so pleased you’ve enjoyed my books. It’s good to know that you give them a favourable glance when you’re at work! It’s great that you’ve studied writing and now want to create your own children’s book series. Your Asperger’s condition will give you a true understanding of Nicky Dream and her friends, and I think the series could have great potential, helping to raise awareness of young people’s problems.
I don’t think you necessarily need to fixate on whether your stories are going to be ‘adventure‘ or ‘slice of life‘. It’s possibly a bit overwhelming too, to think of a whole series of books at this stage.
If I were you, I’d concentrate hard on your characters first, thinking about them in detail until they become absolutely real to you. Then get started on your story and try to imagine it’s happening inside your head. Describe it as if it’s really happening with as much emotion and detail as you can manage. Think yourself down to a child level and write from their point of view, and that way you should naturally be able to avoid anything too hurtful or insulting.
Good luck. I really admire your determination and ambition.

Very best wishes,
Jacqueline Wilson

I have treasured this email ever since. To think, the Jacqueline Wilson had taken the time to read my message and given me advice on my writing. Needless to say, I took her words to heart. Now, whenever I can, I plan my series to the smallest detail: mind-mapping locations; thinking of ways to develop it; and most importantly, writing character bibles which detail every aspect of the characters from their favourite colour to how they became the people they are. It’s an arduous process, but I know it will benefit me in the long-run. As Jacqueline Wilson said, the world I’ve created now feels real to me.

This second message was sent to me just a few months ago.

Since starting my blog, my pieces have lead to many professional opportunities for me. One of the earliest came from a lady who ran an after-school club for Autistic children. She read my ‘Diagnosis‘ post and asked if I could come in and present my life story to her members. She then offered me the chance to become a volunteer supervisor there, which I readily accepted. I, unfortunately, had to resign from the post after two years, due to work commitments, but the time I spent there was invaluable. Interacting with Autistic children, relating to their problems, and helping them make a difference in their lives, made me realise just how much I wanted to do for this for a living too. Hence I started to pursue a new ambition: becoming a teaching assistant.

While my current job makes it difficult to apply for anything permanent, I do occasionally take online courses in Special Educational Needs. I’ve also had the chance to present my life story in primary schools, and I spent the day as a teaching assistant in one of them. Sometimes people will even come to me for advice. Following one of my recent posts, a secondary school TA asked me how to help one of her students prepare for their GCSEs. For privacy reasons, I won’t reveal names. But this is what she had to say:

Hi George,
I wanted to ask you for some advice. I wondered if you completed your GCSE English exams or how you managed them. I am supporting someone with ASD and, after reading your story, I sensed some similarities. They are also a perfectionist which is causing great difficulty when practising for her GCSE’s next year. I wonder if you have any tips that may help us? Thanks for sharing your story and your work it really does make a difference.
Thanks.

After thinking long and hard about my answers, I sent her this response:

Thank you for your message. It’s not often I get comments on any of my posts, so it’s nice to speak to the people who read them. In regards to your question, I was able to pass my GCSE English exam, but I think it took me three tries to get the grade I wanted. The literature part was easy enough, but language has always been a challenge for me. I’m always second-guessing myself on whether I’ve used the right punctuation marks, or if my sentences are too long, etc. So it does take me a while to write the pieces you see. Even so, I try to learn from my experiences and I do have some tips that could help your student.
First of all, before anything else, make sure she spends 5-10mins planning what she’ll write. It’s very tempting to start straight away – especially if you’re conscious of the time. But if you go into anything without a clear plan, you’ll end up stopping, thinking and rethinking as you go – which will waste more time than if you lay everything out in the beginning. What I do is highlight everything I need/want to talk about in each of my paragraphs. I do this by making subheadings (e.g. Introduction, Dogs, Cats, Why Dogs Hate Cats, Conclusion/Summary) and then bullet-pointing two or more things I could say in each paragraph. By doing this, you’ll never be lost for what to write, and you might even work out a definite order for everything. For example:

Introduction
Why do dogs hate cats? (attention-grabbing, opening sentence)
– If a dog sees a cat, it will give chase? Why?
– How the cat looks at them? The way they smell? Why would the dog want to get rid of the cat?
– Let’s look at both these animals and find out.

Dogs
– Nature – friendly, cuddly, protective
– Confined to home, unless taken for a walk
– Territorial – bark at new things and mark their territory

Cats
– Nature – friendly, cuddly, adventurous
– Able to roam anywhere freely and still return home
– Not territorial, but will return to a place they like and defend themselves fiercely if provoked.
– Why dogs hate cats
– Are dogs protective of their territory when cats turn up?
– Are they scared to see something new?
– Are they annoyed when they keep returning?

Conclusion/Summary
– Easy to see why dogs would hate cats – protective of their territory, thinks cat is invading, constantly returning, could feel threatened.
– Maybe there just needs to be better trust between animals (concluding sentence)
– I also think about how to end and begin each of my paragraphs so they can lead into one another seamlessly.

The second tip is one I’m sure you already know. But it’s resisting perfection. Once your student has come up with a plan, make sure she sticks to it. It’s common to suddenly have an idea you think is better than what you’re writing. But it’s better to make a mental note of it and return to it later. If you try correcting things then and there, you could spend ages “fixing” it, and you probably won’t make it to the end of your piece. The quicker you finish it, the faster you can improve things at the end. This is helpful for two reasons. It prevents your student from going off-track and undoing all their planning work. And it stops them from making unnecessary changes. I’ve often found that the way I’ve written something the first time is better than what it ends up being after all the edits. Trust your initial thoughts and then you’ll have less fix at the end.
Finally, my last tip concerns reading work back. Sometimes you’ll want to check over your paragraphs to make sure they’re written well. But if you do this after every sentence or paragraph, your perfectionism will take over – you’ll keep spotting more and more things to “fix” and lose momentum for writing. Only read through the work once you’ve finished the final paragraph. If your student has made a good plan, she’ll be able to look back on it, and it should help her get moving again if she’s stuck. It’s better to trust your instincts than second-guessing yourself.
That’s all I have to say. I hope these tips have been helpful to you. And I hope your student does well in her GCSEs. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Best of regards
George B. Harvey (aka the Autistic Blogger).

P.S. I’m sorry for not replying sooner. I wanted to make sure these tips were perfect for you.

Admittedly, my reply may have been a bit long. But I wanted to make sure that whatever I sent was the best advice possible. Plus, if it was shared with anyone else, then anyone could benefit from it just as much as the TA. It’s incredible to think that five years ago I was asking Jacqueline Wilson for advice, and now people are asking for mine on Autism. It makes me proud to know my blog is making a positive impact and helping others to do good in their community.

That’s all I have to say for now. I hope these messages have given you an idea of how far I’ve come, and where I hope to be in the future. I’d also like to give a special shout-out to anautismobserver.wordpress.com, who were generous enough to list my website (The Autistic Blogger) on their own, so more people could find and enjoy it. Be sure to check them out and some of the other Autistic bloggers they have listed.

If you have any questions, please leave me a comment – I’ll be more than happy to answer them. And, until the New Year, stay tuned.

Life, Animated Review (2nd Anniversary Special – Part 1)

Hello everybody, this is George Harvey (aka the Autistic Blogger). And today, I have a very special post for you to commemorate the 2-Year Anniversary of this blog. Since June 2015, my site has been viewed over 2500 times, by people in 60 different countries. So before I begin, I just want to say a big thank you to everybody who’s supported me, and I hope to bring you even more great content in the future. It’s been hard work keeping up with my writing. But seeing how popular it is makes it all worth it in the end. With that said, let’s talk about Life, Animated.

Some of you may remember back in 2016 I wrote a piece on BBC Two’s new drama series, The ‘A’ Word. Beforehand, I gave my thoughts on Autism and how it’s represented in the media. Some depictions are praiseworthy, like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, while others have been downright insulting (e.g. Channel 4’s The Undateables). Then one day, I was watching a video by one of my favourite YouTubers (Animat), when I stumbled across this gem of a documentary.

Life, Animated follows Owen Suskind, a 23-year-old man with Autism. What I found most intriguing about it was the story and it’s unique presentation. You see, Owen is a big fan of Disney films. So much so, they were all he could think about growing up. This made life challenging for him as he couldn’t connect well with reality. Even his family had trouble understanding his behaviour. However, Owen’s obsession provided a unique insight into his condition (e.g. the way it affects his speech, body language and thought-process). Furthermore, it exposed some of the lesser-known benefits of having Autism. Through pencil animations, interviews and other content, the documentary explores how Owen has made the most of his condition and used Disney films to make sense of the world around him.

This premise alone blew me away. Many Autistic people do struggle with direct communication. So they find other, more creative ways to express themselves. Some do it through music or drawing pictures, others – like me – write down what they feel. And others use their hobbies or interests as metaphors. In the case of Life, Animated, I don’t think it could’ve worked any better than with Owen and his Disney films. It takes a complex subject like Autism and pairs it with something the whole world can recognise. Not only does this make the documentary a perfect guide to Autistic behaviour, but it shows how influential Disney really is.

When I saw Life, Animated for the first time, I knew it was one of the best portrayals of Autism I’d ever seen. A simple summary wouldn’t do it justice. So for this anniversary, I decided to breakdown the movie and explain, in my own words, just how masterful it is. Please enjoy:

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The movie begins with some home video footage of a young Owen Suskind. We see him as a regular little boy growing up with his family, and watching Disney’s Fantasia (1940). There’s nothing too out of the ordinary. We then cut to years later with Owen as a young man. It’s clear from his body language, glassy eyes and occasional mumbling to himself that he’s severely Autistic.

Straight away, I can relate to Owen’s behaviour. When I was younger, I would often wonder about, remembering my favourite TV shows, movies or video games. They were so exciting that I’d forget where I was and start reciting their dialogue. Owen does a similar thing here. Throughout the movie, he quotes lines from famous Disney films.

After attending a special class on social skills, Owen heads home and introduces himself. He explains he will be graduating in a month’s time and moving into his own apartment. Something he’s both nervous and excited about.

These scenes introduce the movie’s overall theme of independence. Anyone will tell you that living alone is a big challenge, even for the best of people. But when you have Autism, it feels like a near-impossible goal. The main concern is how the condition affects our ability to perform simple tasks. It’s not that we aren’t capable of doing them. But sometimes our minds struggle to focus on them properly. We’re so used to the things we love and understand (TV shows, movies, video games, etc.) that anything unfamiliar can feel incredibly nerve-wracking. Because of this, our brains instinctively try to reject new information, even when we want to learn it. This is why most people with Autism have learning difficulties. It’s easy to get distracted from life when you have such immense passion for what you love.

Back onto the movie, Owen’s love of Disney is established. In his room, we see numerous Disney posters and memorabilia. They range from classics like The Lion King (1994) to modern films like The Princess and the Frog (2009). We then get our first glimpse of the parallels between Owen’s life and Disney.

Owen plays a VHS of Peter Pan (1953) – immediately becoming entranced by it. He fast-forwards to the part where Wendy explains she has to grow up and possibly give up her stories. This mirrors Owen’s own concerns about his the future, i.e. leaving behind his childhood, and possibly his Disney movies. He then fast-forwards to the climactic swordfight between Peter and Captain Hook. He copies everything the characters say and do, clearly knowing the movie off by heart.

I can relate to this as well. When I was younger, I didn’t just recite specific dialogue. I would act scenes that were playing inside my head. This goes back to what I said about having immense passion. If you watch, read or listen to something enough times it becomes embedded in your mind. You can then replay it, from beginning to end, with almost pinpoint accuracy – Autism gives you that kind of photographic memory. True, it can distract you and cause learning difficulties. But there are benefits to it as well. Having such an extensive memory makes you an expert on the subject. You can then use that knowledge to make a real difference in the world. We see how Owen does later in the documentary.

But I digress. Following the bedroom scene, things delve into more personal territory.

We’re shown some more home video footage of Owen and his dad, Ron, sword-fighting as Peter Pan and Captain Hook (1993). According to his parents, this was the last time Owen was recorded before he “vanish[ed]” (i.e. began developing Autism). The changes, they say, came very quickly; his lack of sleep, deteriorating motor skills and his language breaking were the early signs. Concerned, they took him to a special facility, where he was officially diagnosed with Autism.

This section is one of the highlights of the documentary, for me. I remember being Owen’s age (3 to 4-years-old) when I was taken for my diagnosis. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, of course. I thought I was just spending 30 minutes in a play room, with a friendly lady. We spoke together, arranged toys in a line and even made up a story about Thomas the Tank Engine visiting Sesame Street. I had no idea my behaviour was being monitored or that my parents were watching from behind a false mirror. But now it all makes sense. That was the day my parents found out I was different. The day they discovered I might never attend public school or even talk properly. Seeing how devastating the news was for Owen’s parents, I can’t image how mine must’ve felt. It really does feel like the child you’ve raised and loved has gone. And, no matter how much you want them to, they never go back to the way they used to be. I respect the movie for being so sincere about the impact Autism can have on the parents as well as the child.

I should say at this point, everything I’ve mentioned so far takes place in the first 15 minutes of the film! Life, Animated still has plenty more inspiring scenes to come.

Continued in Part 2: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/life-animated-review-part-2/

(Image courtesy of: http://www.tulsakids.com/Web-2016/Life-Animated-at-Circle-Cinema/)

My Little Pony: Lesson Zero and Autism (Part 2)

(Continued from Part 1: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2016/10/22/my-little-pony-lesson-zero-and-autism-part-1/)

From here onwards, the episode focuses on Twilight trying to cope with the stress of potentially missing her deadline. Many people go through this situation, of course. But it’s important to note how Twilight is reacting. And why. Because she thinks very highly of Celestia, she feels it’s necessary to push herself – if she’s not perfect, it’s not meeting her tutor’s standards. I had this same problem in university. Because I took Creative Writing at Greenwich, one of London’s top colleges, every assignment felt like it had to be precise or else I’d fail my course. This goes back to what I said before about problems feeling bigger than they actually are. No one expects perfection – not even royalty. But if you’re used to being a model pupil, it’s easy to stress over small details and imagine all the negative outcomes.

Thinking she’ll be sent back to magic kindergarten if she fails, Twilight decides to find a friendship problem and solve it by the end of the day. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have much luck. Every time she runs into one of her friends they look like they’re in trouble. But it turns out to be a misunderstanding, leaving her crushed.

Yes, Twilight is actually hoping her friends are suffering so she’ll have something to fix and write about. When you’re stressing over a deadline, it’s hard to concern yourself with anything else.

With no friendship problems in sight, Twilight curls up on a park bench trying to comfort herself. However, the pressure is clearly getting her. She’s stroking her tail, her mane is frazzled, she starts crying and arguing with herself (Gollum-style.) She even has hallucinations of younger ponies (fillies) laughing at her.

You might think this behaviour is a bit exaggerated or comical. But I can tell you, from personal experience, that it’s realistic. There were times in university when I’d curl up in fear. Or I’d cry and talk to my reflection. Sometimes I even had nervous twitches that made me throw up in the morning. The point is, stress can cause you to act the way Twilight does. And I’m glad Meghan McCarthy and the animators gave us such an accurate portrayal here.

Spike tells Twilight she needs to calm down because he’s worried about her. He suggests they go to the picnic so she can relax. But Twilight sees this as another chance to find a friendship problem.

Again, this is realistic behaviour from Twilight. When you have short deadlines, it feels like you can’t afford to take breaks. If you do, you’ll just have less time to finish your tasks, which makes the situation more stressful.

Arriving at the picnic, Twilight tells her friends she desperately needs their help. They seem eager to lend a hoof until she explains she’s late for an assignment. At which point, they brush off the problem and go back to their picnic. Twilight insists her whole life depends on this. But her friends just say she’s getting all worked up over nothing – some even laugh and call her a drama queen. This infuriates Twilight, and she runs off in frustration.

This is a very pivotal moment in the episode. Not only does it affect everything that happens afterwards, but it ultimately leads us to the moral of the story.

Also, this situation is something I feel very personal about.

To be fair, Twilight’s friends aren’t being hurtful on purpose – they do show regret after she runs off. But if I were in her position, I’d be mad too. There have been times when I’ve gone to people for help, and all they’ve done is tell me my problems aren’t worth stressing over. I  do understand why they say this. But it doesn’t do anything to help me, and I almost hate them for it.

It’s the same with Twilight.

Yes, she is overreacting – that much is obvious. But she wouldn’t be panicking if she didn’t feel she had a reason to. Her friends don’t see what’s so stressful because they’re not the ones with the problem. So they think the obvious solution is to stop worrying about it. But this is the worst thing you can say to somebody in Twilight’s predicament.

People do prefer not to feel negative emotions. But they can’t stop feeling how they are just because someone tells them to. If you were punched in the face, you wouldn’t forgive the person who did it just because they said it was a joke. You wouldn’t immediately cheer up if you were told your mother died. And you wouldn’t stop worrying about something just because another person said they would. Telling someone they’re overreacting, without offering a proper solution to their problem, just makes that person think you’re being insensitive. Or worse, poking fun at their misery. This is the sort of thing that ruins relationships.

Twilight’s friends don’t realise the severity of their actions – or lack of them. And it’s what leads us to the episode’s climax.

We cut back to Twilight, who’s watching the sun set from her bedroom. By this point, her mind has officially snapped, and she’s descending into madness.

Seriously, go on YouTube, type Crazy Twilight Sparkle and click the first video that comes up. This scene alone proves why My Little Pony isn’t just for girls anymore.

With seemingly no other option, Twilight decides if she can’t find a friendship problem, she’ll make one.

I’ve been through this scenario once too often; the pressure of meeting a deadline can be so overwhelming you resort to taking shortcuts. The stress means you can’t think straight and you’re so focused on finishing the task you don’t care if it’s done well or not.

Twilight goes outside, with a sadistic grin on her face (see image link below), and comes across Applebloom, Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo (the Cutie Mark Crusaders). She shows the fillies her Smarty Pants doll and gives it to them, hoping they’ll fight over it. When they don’t, she casts a “Want It/Need It” spell, which forces them to fight. Twilight tries to teach the girls about sharing but quickly realises the spell is too powerful. Then more ponies fall under her spell until nearly everyone in Ponyville is fighting over the doll. Twilight finds her friends and admits she messed up, just as the sun sets over the horizon.

By the way, I should mention the sun has been setting in a rather unique way. Along with a ‘ticking’ windmill, it’s been jolting across the sky like the hours on a clock face. I love how the animators did this because it emphasises how Twilight is feeling about her time pressure.

Just when it looks like things can’t get any worse, a voice cries out “TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” It’s Princess Celestia. She casts a spell which removes the enchantment from the doll, returning every pony to normal. She then approaches Twilight and says to meet her in the library. Believing she knows what this means, Twilight says a sad goodbye to her friends and walks away – it’s only then they realise how big Twilight’s problem might’ve been.

However, it turns out Celestia isn’t mad. She tells Twilight she’s a wonderful student, and she doesn’t need to get a letter from her every week to know that.

This is further proof that Twilight set the letter deadline herself. She was just pushing herself, unnecessarily, to impress her teacher.

Suddenly, Twilight’s friends burst in and beg Celestia not to punish her. They insist it was their fault for what happened because they didn’t take Twilight’s feelings seriously before. If they did, they could’ve done more to help her, and she wouldn’t have caused all the chaos.

I’m so glad Megan McCarthy included this scene. The episode could’ve ended with Twilight learning her lesson, and that would’ve been enough. But she makes it clear that Twilight wasn’t the only pony at fault. Her friends share equal blame for not taking the right course of action. To quote a line from an old Sonic Underground episode: “You’re part of the problem if you’re not helping solve them.”

Celestia seems impressed that every pony has learnt from the day’s experience. So she makes a deal with them. She’ll forget the fiasco if, from now on, all six of them write her letters on their lessons of friendship – when, and only when, they discover them.

This solution is perfect for two reasons: A) it takes some much-needed pressure off of Twilight, and B) it solves a problem many critics had with the first season. You see, because Twilight was the only pony who could write Celestia letters, she had to be shoehorned into every single episode – even when she wasn’t the primary focus. With this new set-up, however, the writers could keep the spotlight on other characters, without squeezing Twilight in if they didn’t need her.

Before Celestia leaves, Twilight finds out it was Spike who told her she was in trouble and needed some guidance.

I love how Spike was written in this episode. He’s the only character (other than Celestia) who did the right thing. Twilight was too busy panicking to contact the one pony who could’ve assured her nothing was wrong. So, like a true friend, he did it for her. It’s better to express your fears to the person you’re answering to rather than worrying about what they might say or think.

The episode ends with everyone working together to write Celestia a letter. Twilight has learnt not to let her fears get the better of her, or let a small problem turn into something bigger. Her friends have learnt it’s important to listen to others, and consider their feelings when they come to you with a problem. Spike tries writing how great he is and how he didn’t need to learn a lesson but realises he should cross it out. Everyone laughs as the screen fades to black.

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Overall, Lesson Zero is one of my favourite Friendship is Magic episodes. There have been better ones since it aired like Magical Mystery Cure (S3, Ep13), Slice of Life (S5, Ep9) and Crusaders of the Lost Mark (S5, Ep18). But I enjoy how relatable it is.

I don’t think I would’ve done anything differently to Twilight in this episode. In fact, one of the lessons it teaches has had a profound impact on my writing.

When I first started this blog, I tried to write something for it every week. Unfortunately, this proved too stressful because I had other things going on in my life. And I couldn’t always come up with ideas. So I decided to take Princess Celestia’s advice. Now, like Twilight and her friends, I only write when there’s a significant topic I want to discuss, and when I’m able to devote enough time and effort to it. This has allowed me to produce much better content, with the quality and high standards that my readers deserve.

I could tell you more about what Lesson Zero has done for my life. But I can’t do it justice just by talking about it. If you have Autism, or you care for somebody with the condition, then I would seriously recommend giving this episode a watch. Who’s knows, you might like it so much you end up becoming a brony/pegasister yourself, and watch all six seasons of Friendship is Magic – plus the four Equestria Girls movies.

That’s all I have to say for now. I’m sorry it’s taken me forever to finish this post – it’ll probably be a while before there’s another one – but I try to make sure I have the right blend of quality and quantity in my work. If you have any questions, please leave me a comment. I’ll be happy to answer them. And, as always, stay tuned.

(Image courtesy of http://www.brony.com/brony-facts-faq/my-little-pony-cast/)

(Twilight’s sadistic grin: http://orig11.deviantart.net/8150/f/2012/193/1/9/twilight_sparkle___crazy_by_pyschedelicskooma-d56ymme.png)

About me: For 7-9 Year Olds

Happy new year everybody, this is George Harvey (aka ‘The Autistic Blogger’). For my first post of 2016 I decided to share something a little bit different. You see, for the past several months I’ve been doing a bit of job-searching. It’s a challenging thing to break into the world of work, especially when you want to be part of the writing industry. Sometimes to prove how good you are you need more than just a good CV or cover letter. In some cases, organisations will set you a writing task to test your abilities in specific ways. For one of the jobs I applied for, I was asked to describe myself in a way that would be exciting for 7-9 Year Olds. This was an interesting challenge for me since I had to think outside the box and the age group was one I really wanted  to write for in the future. Although my application to the job was unsuccessful, the staff were very impressed with what I’d written. I was even asked if they could use my material to talk about Autism in a primary school – one of the staff was also a teacher. Written below is a copy of the piece I sent them. Enjoy.

Hello, my name is George Harvey. There’s something you should know about me. I’m not what you call an ordinary person. I don’t mean I’m psychic or have magical super powers in case you’re wondering. No, I’m just a regular human being. However, I am just a little bit different to everyone else.

You see, ever since I was a little boy, I’ve been able to see things others can’t. Sometimes I see WWE wrestlers becoming Power Rangers to fight King Kong or Godzilla. Sometimes I see Pokémon characters playing dodgeball or Quidditch. Sometimes I see Jeremy Kyle as James Bond, or Ant and Dec as Laurel and Hardy, or characters from ‘My Little Pony’ acting out episodes of Doctor Who. Pretty weird huh?

So why does nobody else see these strange things happen except me? Well, they don’t happen in just any old place. You couldn’t walk down the street and expect to see a Dalek waiting for a bus – unless you were really, really, lucky of course. No, these things happen in a very special place only I can visit. It’s a place where everything unusual and out-of-place gathers to be as free and crazy as it likes. Where even the most uninteresting thing can become the king or queen of their own kingdom. And do you know where that special place is? My mind.

That’s right. All these impossible things are fantasies I see in my head.

But how do I get such absurd and creative thoughts? Well, you know when you have favourite TV programs, movies or books? Sometimes there are things in them you always remember, because of how funny, sad or interesting they are. Well this happens to me all the time. Whenever I see or hear something interesting, I record it in my brain. I then play it back to myself over and over again like a tape recorder. Over time, I record more interesting things, until I have several stories and characters all swimming in my mind like a school of fish. Occasionally, when I think two or more things work well together, I combine them to form something new in my head. Have you ever wondered why the Muppets went to Treasure Island or the Land of Oz in their films? Their creators must’ve had the same trick in their heads.

I wouldn’t call myself ‘Megamind’ – that’s already a Dreamworks film. But my wacky thoughts have made me come up with of some pretty amazing stories over the years. Sometimes they’re so exciting, I just can’t contain them inside my head, and they escape through my mouth or fingers as words. If you ever see someone talking to themselves, or typing away frantically, perhaps they’ve just had a ‘eureka’ moment and they’re not the crazy people you think they are.

It’s a wonderful gift to come up with stories so easily. I guess you could almost call it a super power. But with great power, comes great responsibility – and sometimes hardships. And I feel it’s my responsibility to let others know about these hardships.

Imagine you enjoyed something so much it was on your mind literally every second of every day. You’d always want to focus on it and not let anything, or anyone, disturb your thoughts. However, because people around you can’t see the special world inside your head, they just think you’re being rude when you don’t speak or pay attention to them. It can be very hard to make friends this way. So the only way you can help them understand is to tell stories about yourself and those like you.

Writing is my gift. My curse. Who am I? Not Spider-Man. Not a superhero. Just George Brian Harvey. A writer with Autism, who has a passion for using his creativity for the greater good.

If you liked this post then please check out some of the other material I’ve written for the blog. If you have any questions please leave me a comment – I’ll be happy to answer them. And, as always, keep an eye out for the next post. Stay tuned.

Interests, Update and Music Video

Hello Internet. This is George Harvey, aka ‘The Autistic Blooger’. It’s been a while since my last post, as I’ve been on holiday in Majorca, and had other commitments. So to make up for it, I’ve decided to upload something special.
Over the last several months, I’ve written many posts about my experiences with Autism, and why I’m so passionate about raising awareness of it. I’ve also written creative pieces and reviews that showcase my other skills as a writer. However, one thing I’ve not been able to discuss in great detail are some of the interests I have as an ‘Aspie’ (autistic person).
I’ve said in the past that Autism makes me interested in a variety of different things. And these interests sometimes distract me from important things, like finding a full-time job, talking to people or completing a writing task. This is actually why it takes me longer to do certain things than other people – it’s not just that I’m a perfectionist. I’m not ashamed to say I have these interests. In fact, I think they’re what makes me relatable to other ‘Aspies’ around the world. Depending on whether they share my interests, of course.
So what does my Autism make me interested in?
Those of you who’ve read ‘Into My Autistic Mind’ would’ve noticed that I keep mentioning the series ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’. I will admit that I’m a fan of the show, like so many other Bronies and Pegasisters. A lot of people have problems with older audiences – especially teenage boys and grown men – liking ‘My Little Pony’. But I really think those people should watch an episode themselves, before they point fingers. The reason I like the show is because, unlike previous generations – which were so sissy even the target audience (little girls) would cringe – ‘Friendship is Magic’ teaches very sincere morals, which kids and grown-ups of all ages can learn from. There’s even one episode, which I think portrays one of it’s main characters having Autism – or at least Autistic traits. So I’m actually thinking of writing a review on that episode in the future. It’s called ‘Lesson Zero’, so please check it out. Also, check out the documentary ‘Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony’ on YouTube.
Other interests I have include trading cards. I have a large collection of ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ cards at home – including one of the Sacred Beasts and two the Egyptian Gods. Every so often, I like to take them out and build decks, so I can see how they match up against each other in duels. I’ve only ever had real opponents during my time in secondary school, when I played against my friends in the spectrum base. Since then, I’ve only played against myself. It’s rather lonely, but still enjoyable. I’d love to take on real opponents, or teach somebody how to play, if I was given the chance to.
Another of my interests is wrestling. I first discovered WWE in 2002, and four years later, I became a full-time fan; watching ‘RAW’ and ‘Smackdown’ on TV, buying merchandise, visiting WWE.com, and even going to live events when they came to London. Not to mention I own all 31 editions of ‘WrestleMania’ on DVD. I’m usually not much of a sports fan – I actually quit football, karate and gymnastics when I was younger. But what I love about wrestling isn’t just the athleticism of its superstars. It’s also the creativeness that goes into the storytelling. Everyone knows wrestling is ‘fake’. But that doesn’t matter when you get to experience a great show. Sometimes what you see is so engaging, you completely forget what you’re watching is staged. This is why WWE sometimes influences my own creative writing skills. It takes a lot of talent to suspend your audiences disbeliefs. And that’s exactly what I aim to achieve with fictional writing.
I love wrestling so much that I’ve even written for HighlightNation, a website dedicated to all things WWE. They were generous enough to post a link to my blog there, so I feel it’s only right I do the same for them. If you like WWE as much as I do then visit: http://www.highlightnation.com.
Another interest that influences my creative writing is animes. I absolutely love animes. Ever since I saw ‘Sprited Away’, I’ve been obsessed with Japanese culture and how well they do animation. The ideas that go into their movies and TV shows are so unique, and inspiring, you couldn’t imagine them being made anywhere else in the world. Not even in America. Why? Because Japan comes up with stories that other countries wouldn’t dare to try. I now own more than 50 different anime DVDs. Including almost every Studio Ghibli film, and ‘Sword Art Online’ – which in my opinion is the greatest animated series ever made, and one every anime fan should own. When I decided to become an author, I knew I wanted to create books that would be as memorable and exciting as animes.
A good writer is first and foremost a good reader. And as a writer I do love to read. Especially the Jacqueline Wilson books. Most of you will have read my review of ‘Lily Alone’, and learnt just why I love Jacqueline Wilson as an author so much – I’m thinking of reviewing another of her books, ‘Lola Rose’, soon. I’ve also read book series like the ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘The Hunger Games’. I sometimes even read series that are outside my target audience, like ‘Dork Diaries’ and ‘Magic Animal Friends’. My reasons for reading them are the same reasons I’m a Brony. Plus, it’s good research for me as a writer to learn what makes certain books best-sellers.
My final interest is one I never thought I’d have. I was never much of a music fan growing up. But I started listening to Michael Jackson songs after he died, and realised just how good they were – it was like he told a short story while singing. Soon, I was listening to his music daily; going to see ‘Thriller Live’ at the Lyric Theatre; I even created my own ‘Billie Jean’ music video as an ICT project once (see below). I’m so passionate about MJ sometimes I like to imitate him. In fact, during my holiday in Majora I saw a tribute band to him, and they invited people to dance on stage. I showed off my stuff, and they thought it was pretty good. It was the highlight of my visit.
I could go on and on about other interests I have, like Doctor Who and YouTube videos by Markiplier, Mr. Enter and AniMat, but I think you get the general idea. I want to finish off by saying that I do still have plans for this blog. As I mentioned, there are two reviews I’m thinking of writing – one will touch on Autism, the other will touch on another personal issue. I also still have plans to interview people in my life and ask them how my Autism effected them. But before all that, I want to write something I’ve been meaning to for a long time now. Months ago, I uploaded pieces that talked about my experiences in primary and secondary school. However, I’ve yet to speak about my college and university years. The next upload will likely be a piece on when I first entered North West Kent college.
I’ll now leave you now with this music video of me trying to be Michael Jackson.
If you’ve enjoyed this post about my interests, then feel free to check out the other pieces I’ve uploaded to this blog. Leave me a comment if you have any questions – I’ll be glad to answer them – and, as always, stay tuned.

I do not own the song ‘Bille Jean’ or anything else. This was simply made as an ICT project.