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Born from a rejected dissertation proposal and reworked over the course of 15 years into a compelling exploration of narrative, Nontraditional Plot Structures for Neurodiverse Writers challenges conventional storytelling norms. This free ebook delves into how nontraditional plot structures resonate with neurodiverse writers, offering creative frameworks that align with their
COVER REVEAL
Nontraditional Plot Structures for Neurodiverse Writers Check out the cover reveal for this free ebook that introduces neurodiverse writers (and neurotypical) to plot structures beyond the commonly used hero’s Journey. These plots are emotionally accessible, highly creative, and more “traditional” than you’d expect. Born from a rejected dissertation
What is a "plot" and why "subplots" don't exist
The following is a section from my upcoming free ebook Nontraditional Plot Structures for Neurodiverse writers. It comes out May 1 and will be available on this blog! WHAT IS A "PLOT"? This may seem like an unnecessary section. Any writer who chooses to read this book already
Asymptotes and God from the Volvo
an excerpt from my forthcoming ebook Nontraditional Plot Structures for Neurodiverse Writers There is a version of the Journey plot structure that I refer to as an Asymptote. It is very, very common and, as far as I can tell, ignored in discussions about writing and plot structures. A Journey
Professional Wrestling: a story told using Ritual and Force
Professional wrestling is an evolution of street theater, the most ancient and unknown forms of theater. It predates theater buildings, amphitheaters, dramatic texts, and formal actors. It could very well go back thousands of years. Street theater has three simple elements: performers, an audience, and a story. Professional wrestling has
Fragments of Chaos: Organizing Chunks of Random Notes Into Whole Stories
I wrote a post on Instagram asking for neurodivergent writers to talk to me about their notebooks. Every neurodivergent writer I've ever talked to has had a trove of notebooks filled with ideas and partially written stories. I asked each person who generously responded about their notes, how
INFORMATION: Another Story Structure for Neurodiverse Writers
I've been thinking about plot structure for over ten years. I couldn't understand why I could explain a conventional journey structure, but struggled to construct one. Then in the middle of a doctoral theater theory course, my professor asked, "Does a traditional plot structure reflect
Adapting "Little Miss Muffet" into a Chaos-structured story
I've written about Chaos before. First, in my post about the concept in general, and then in an analysis of "Hey Diddle, Diddle" as a manifestation of a Chaos structure. Now, I'm going a step further. I'm doing an adaptation of "
"Hey, Diddle, Diddle", a Nursery Rhyme Built With Chaos
"Hey Diddle, Diddle" (HDD) makes no conventional sense. Theorists and literary critics cannot agree about HDD. Some believe it's "literary nonsense". Others insist it is "gibberish". These are actual literary distinctions. I want to reinterpret and clarify a nursery rhyme that can
CHAOS: an Alternative Plot Structure for Neurodiverse Writers
I've been working on this for a long time. Only recently have I taken on the name of Chaos to describe this alternative plot structure. It's nothing new. I'm only describing a form of writing that's existed on the edges of literature
Star Wars Isn't Star Wars
I watched an Instagram vid this morning all the way through. That's a rare event as I have only a modicum of patience for vids. The vid was done by Jason Pargin. I've watched his vids before. He writes about film and culture. This piece was
AI Piracy
#AI PIRACY: A short #play by #ChatGPT and various uncredited, unpaid authors
The Descent of Lasagna A Cruel Culinary Confession **Setting:** An abstract, distorted kitchen. The space is surreal, with oversized forks and knives hanging from the ceiling, a stove that breathes heavy, smoky breaths, and a table that seems to pulse and move as if alive. The lighting is dim, reddish,
ADHD
#ADHD #actuallyautistic #auDHD At the beginning of the year, at the age of 49, I was diagnosed auDHD and I haven't talked about it.
I'm one of many women diagnosed late in life. We were also misdiagnosed for many, many years. For me, it began at 20, with a diagnosis of major or clinical depression, bits of OCD, PMD, an eating disorder, and an anxiety disorder. I didn't go on
Critiquing
My former playwriting professor David Rush Died two weeks ago
U r a wundrful writr One of the first things David ever said to me, in our first conversation as mentor and student, was, "I accepted you because you're a woman." When he showed me the Emmy he had won, I said, "Yeah, but, aren&
Writing Advice
Brain Experiments Reveal Ways To Develop Creative Flow States, or, Why Your Brain Needs Creative Writing Coaching
https://www.sciencealert.com/brain-imaging-experiment-reveals-the-secret-behind-creative-flow Whether or not you sign up for my coaching, this is very important. Creative people, in fact anyone that does anything that has creative elements, can get into a "flow state". Essentially, this is being in the Zone. You start working, you lose
Uncategorized
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 7: Describe an action moment you’re most proud of. Share an excerpt.
This is from my novel Dying in Pleasure. It's an excerpt from a gladiator battle. "Pompeii,” he said, "I give you Diana, the Virgin Huntress.” The gladiators pulled the curtains and revealed Diana in the cage, helmeted so her face was covered completely; chains wound about
Nudist Chicken Theatre Company
Nudist Chicken Theatre Company, or, I Didn't Know Nudity Was An Option For Chickens
Nudist Chicken Theatre Company the performance is already in progress There's a manifesto. There must be. I had to keep with ancient tradition. Click the naked chicken above if you wish to know more. You can try a chicken burger. I recommend that highly. It's a
Seize the Cow
Why Creative Writing Coaching? I'll Tell You Why, As Plato
[I'm going to structure this one like Plato] WRITER: No, just no. Not going to do it. PLATO: Why? WRITER: I know how to write. I've written ten novels and a thousand short stories. Creative writing is supposed to teach me how to write stories, right?
Critiquing
PROFESSOR DAVID RUSH TAUGHT ME HOW TO CRITIQUE
This format for critiquing is one used by the former playwriting professor, David Rush, at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. The point of a critique is to determine whether or not the writer has created a work which conveys his or hers intentions. If the author wanted to write a horror
Writing Advice
PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN GAVE US A POEM
A poem entitled Listen, author unknown. i no longer plead with heaven or go rummaging in books for answers to the questions life contains now i listen listen listen to this inner thing resounding in the pulsing and the pounding of my infant ancient veins. i no longer seek instruction
Writing Advice
PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN HAD ALL THE ANSWERS
One of John's frequent handouts was a page of scattered quotes. Some had no attribution, which was his style. He assured the class that this page had the answer to any question we had about life. I suppose I agreed as I still have my original. My original
Writing Advice
WHO IS PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN?
Between 1992 and 1996 I took Creative Writing and literature classes from John Hahn at Rio Hondo College in Whittier. My father, who had taken John's classes in the 80s, highly recommended I take the same classes. John was one of the most effective professor I've
Writing Advice
AN ESCHATOLOGICAL LAUNDRY LIST: a HANDOUT FROM PROFESSOR JOHN HAHN
This is a handout I reconstructed. It was written by Shelly Kopp, author of Guru: Metaphors from a Psychotherapist. Retyping it made me realize that I should still have it on my wall. There are 43 things on the list. When Hahn discussed the list in class, there were nine