LIVING WITH A LYSDEXIC MIND
Dyslexia, a word, a label, a condition. I’m dyslexic in a text based world. I write novels. I drive my copy editors to drink. I drive my copy editors to distrust their own judgment on word spelling. I drive my copy editors to their own personal dyslexia. I have burned out three good editors so far. More will fall before my career is over, but it can’t be helped.
I wasn’t always dyslexic, oh no, as child my mother was told I just wasn’t as bright as the other 1st graders. She didn’t know I heard. Though I didn’t really need to. See I knew it every time I got up to read in front of the class and mumbled gibberish came spill out, I was reminded I wasn’t like the other kids. Waaa poor me, right? Nope, screw that self-pity noise, save it for some one with a real problem. See my brain is different than what they call normal, but really who’s isn’t? Normal, never met it.
My biggest fear as a 21 year old father was I wouldn’t be able to read to my kids, so I would stumble my way through Where The Wild Things Are and follow it up with a talking story. I made up entire universes each night. Intricate word sand castles that would live in their minds and then the tide would roll in and leave no trace.
Scream forward. Internet takes over the world. In forums for Ducati riders I am blaster for misspelling. In a Classic Mini Cooper chat-room I am told to get a spell checker or stop posting. Ahhhh, I invent LysdexicWriter. A screen name that tell others “I can’t spell, so what?” The good folks of netdome lay off.
Pleas don’t misinterpret this to mean I don’t believe in perfect spelling in my novels, or anyone elses, I do. And I am willing to drive copy editors mad, and toss my long suffering first reader, Erika under the word bus, to make sure my writing is spelled right or is that rite I’m damn sure it isn’t write. Spell checkers don’t speak no homophone.
What is this ramble leading to? You are reading it this moment. To keep life interesting I have started to blog, forcing myself to write without a safety net. If after reading it for a while you discover yourself losing the ability to spell correctly don’t blame me. I warned your asses.
I wasn’t always dyslexic, oh no, as child my mother was told I just wasn’t as bright as the other 1st graders. She didn’t know I heard. Though I didn’t really need to. See I knew it every time I got up to read in front of the class and mumbled gibberish came spill out, I was reminded I wasn’t like the other kids. Waaa poor me, right? Nope, screw that self-pity noise, save it for some one with a real problem. See my brain is different than what they call normal, but really who’s isn’t? Normal, never met it.
My biggest fear as a 21 year old father was I wouldn’t be able to read to my kids, so I would stumble my way through Where The Wild Things Are and follow it up with a talking story. I made up entire universes each night. Intricate word sand castles that would live in their minds and then the tide would roll in and leave no trace.
Scream forward. Internet takes over the world. In forums for Ducati riders I am blaster for misspelling. In a Classic Mini Cooper chat-room I am told to get a spell checker or stop posting. Ahhhh, I invent LysdexicWriter. A screen name that tell others “I can’t spell, so what?” The good folks of netdome lay off.
Pleas don’t misinterpret this to mean I don’t believe in perfect spelling in my novels, or anyone elses, I do. And I am willing to drive copy editors mad, and toss my long suffering first reader, Erika under the word bus, to make sure my writing is spelled right or is that rite I’m damn sure it isn’t write. Spell checkers don’t speak no homophone.
What is this ramble leading to? You are reading it this moment. To keep life interesting I have started to blog, forcing myself to write without a safety net. If after reading it for a while you discover yourself losing the ability to spell correctly don’t blame me. I warned your asses.
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Fibe, i love the Pooh quote, I think I'll have it tattooed on my arm! I had one teacher early on who got me, and I know I wouldn't be the self assured writer I am today without her.
This is so great to read. In a previous life I was a high school English teacher and I remember reassuring students with dyslexia that it does not have to be an impediment to a literary career, and I'd tell them about Terry Goodkind, who is a fantastic fantasy writer, but who, like you, relies heavily on editors and others to polish the grammatical aspects of his writing because he suffered from dyslexia. It does not get away from the fact that he is a great storyteller. And that's what books are all about. Story. And that's what you've got nailed too, Josh. :-)
Monique, I have an essay coming out in CrimeReads this month about the need for neurodiversity in crime fiction. As kid they had no label for dyslexics or so many different ways brains work. A great gift of writing has been getting to know and become friends with some stunning writers. Many of who have "different" brains. Jamie Mason puts words together like no other write working. Her voice clear and sings to me. She has or is Aphantasia, I thinks that is a key to her writing. Jay String is dyslexic and writes funny tight novels that are driven by punchy prose. I think globally about problem, but am total crap at linear processing. I feel my way through a novel never knowing where I'm headed until I get there. There truly is no wrong way to think or write. I wish some one had told me when I was young that not being able to remember rules would be a blessing in the creative fields.
And thank you for the thoughtful review. Knowing someone is getting and enjoying the words means the world.
Josh wrote: "Monique, I have an essay coming out in CrimeReads this month about the need for neurodiversity in crime fiction. As kid they had no label for dyslexics or so many different ways brains work. A gr..."
You're welcome. I'm looking forward to reading one of your earlier novels. I'll look out for the essay too, so be sure to post the link.
On the publication of Tricky, CrimeReads has published an essay I wrote on neurodiversity and crime fiction. With discussions of some writers who got it right, Elizabeth Little, Mark Haddon and Jonathan Lethem.https://crimereads.com/crime-fiction-...
Did it hold me back? did it heck! Does it make me a better teacher - oh yes!
Most children find spelling difficult. But there is alsways one or two - no more in a class who think they are superior human beings because they can just spell!
On purpose, I have not sorted any of my spelling mistakes in the above - be creative and proud! Or as Winnie the Pooh says,
"I've got all the right letters; they are just in the wrong places."
I explain to the clas that this has nothing to do with how clever you are, it was just that when they were born the spelling fairies sprinkled spelling fairy dust over them. I say that every child is given a talent or sometimes many talents at birth. The trick is finding out what fairy dust was sprinkled over you. So what? I didn't get the spelling fairy dust but I got the 'sense of humour' fairy daust, I got the 'stick with it' fairy dust, I got the 'empathy' fairy dust.etc
So it's just pot luck what you get.....
I do try to get my spelling right and thank goodness for wordprocessing but after 26 years of reading kids' writing....you do end up wondering if it is right or write or rite......