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Writing Neurodivergent Characters with Jenna Grinstead

By on January 8, 2024   /   For Writers  

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Jenna Grinstead

I am honored to bring Jenna Grinstead to the blog today. I could go on and on about Jenna. She’s a great friend, a talented businesswoman, and a leader in her community. Jenna is also a talented author. Her current work-in-process is about a musically gifted teenager who, like Jenna, has Tourette Syndrome. Reading her manuscript really made me think about writing neurodivergent characters. I asked her, and she graciously agreed, to answer questions on how a neurotypical author might approach creating a neurodivergent character.

Advice on Developing Neurodivergent Character

Do you have advice for an author who is developing a neurodivergent character for their novel?

How to Co-Author a Book: 8 Tips You Should Consider When Co-Writing

Writing a neurodivergent character is an awesome way to make sure that all kids can see themselves in stories, so first I want to applaud anyone who is considering bringing this level of inclusivity to their stories. It is important as you consider creating this character that you understand the neurodivergence that you are depicting. Has this character been diagnosed with Autism, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, OCD, or one of the other myriad diagnoses that make up neurodivergence? It’s important to understand the diagnoses, even if your character isn’t aware of theirs, as well as to do the research to understand the different ways that the diagnoses may affect different people. Sometimes girls are impacted differently than boys. I also suggest understanding the most updated language used within the community your character may belong to. And lastly, it is important to have more than one person from the community your character is from read your work and provide feedback. For example, even though I have Tourette Syndrome, for my latest work I had two members of the TS community provide insight and feedback on my main character and my story. It’s especially important to do this when depicting communities you don’t belong to in your stories.

Pitfalls

Are there common pitfalls you’d like to warn authors to look out for when writing neurodivergent characters?

8 Pitfalls on the Path to Success | Inc.comThree key pitfalls I’d encourage authors to avoid include:

  • Leaning too much into stereotypes—this is a common one when folks write based on what they think or see in popular media versus what they know personally or find out through research. If your character is based on Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory it’s probably a good bet you may be leaning into stereotypes without realizing it. Many types of neurodivergence are on The Good, Bad And Ugly Of Empathyspectrums, which means they show differently for each individual person. Not every neurodivergent person is unaware of other’s feelings or afraid of germs, though some can be. Create well fleshed out characters through solid research and feedback from those within the community.
  • Depicting only the good or only the bad—neurodivergence can be as much a super-power as it can involve working through issues. It is especially important for kids to be able to see the positive. For example, my Tourette Syndrome allows me to hyperfocus. However, it’s also important not to create a saintly character that kids can’t relate to at all, or worse, a character that only exists to teach other kids a lesson or to inspire other kids. Show your neurodivergent characters as well-rounded kids who have both strengths and struggles.
  • Using neurodivergent characters as the punch line—this is something I see a lot. Neurodivergence should never be used to bring the comic relief to a story. It’s okay if it’s sometimes fun or even funny, but there is a line where the humor comes from the reader or other characters laughing at the neurodivergent character, and that is a harmful depiction, especially for children.

Research

Quick Start - Research Strategies - Abell Library at Austin College

Do you have any advice for researching the unique characteristics of neurodivergent characters?

The internet is so useful, but we must learn how to use it properly - YP | South China Morning Post

The internet is a great place to start. Take the time to find reputable sources and check through your own searches whether there is controversy around a given source. For example, Autism Speaks, can be considered a controversial source by many within the autism community. It can also be helpful to find influencers in places like Instagram or TikTok who are focused on educating about their neurodivergence, but tread carefully into spaces that are meant for neurodivergent people to find each other. You may learn from those spaces but be respectful about communicating within them. It’s also helpful to find sensitivity readers in the area you are focusing on who can provide feedback. They are well worth the cost.

Insight

How can an author gain insight into how a neurodivergent character might view their uniqueness?

What is Insight? Insight Definition Explained

Reading or listening to first-hand accounts is a good way to start. Some resources, such as Tourette Association of America offer first person essays. There are also many influencers on Youtube, Instagram and TikTok who share their personal experiences, and there are many documentaries that interview people with lived experiences. If you have people in your life who are willing to share their experiences that can also be great, but tread lightly by first asking them if this is something they feel comfortable sharing.

Neurodivergence and Plot

Is it important that the characteristics that make a character neurodivergent impact the plot of the book?

Screenwriting 101: The Relationship Between Plot, Character and Story - The Script Lab

I don’t think it is important that neurodivergence serve the plot of the book any more than I think the book’s plot must be driven by a character’s race, ethnicity, geography or any other myriad characteristics that make up identity. In some cases, the plot may be interconnected with neurodivergence, such as when a child is starting a new school and must make new friends, for example. But I also think it’s very important to show neurodivergent characters living their lives like anyone else—solving mysteries, seeking friendships, basically all the things we humans do day-to-day.

Fully Formed Neurodivergent Characters

Do you have suggestions for how to flush out a full neurodivergent character?

Creating Fictional Characters

Each of us have a different approach to how we create our characters. For those who do detailed character sketches prior to writing, I suggest including neurodivergence as an element of those sketches. How does it impact the characters strengths, their world view, their childhood, their relationships, their approach to life? For pantsers, it may mean an edit round focused on that character’s neurodivergence, deepening how it contributes to the strengths and opportunities that the character deals with as the plot carries them through the story.

Important to Understand

Understanding Yourself and Others - Human ResourcesWhat is one thing you wish all people who write neurodivergent characters understood?

Many neurodivergent folks are not looking for cures to our condition. Many of us see neurodivergence as a super-power—a defining way of thinking that is essential to who we are and how we operate in the world. If I didn’t have Tourette Syndrome, I would likely not be the person I am today. My fingers and lips often move in ways I can’t control and that can be difficult to deal with on some days. Not everyone understands it or is kind about it. It takes a great deal of energy to manage my tics and suppress them in situations where I feel like I must. However, my Tourette Syndrome also allows me to hyperfocus to get things done. It may be part of why I’m good at writing. It took me way too many years to see and understand the positive parts of this disorder because I never heard or saw characters with anything but negative outcomes, when I saw them at all. Writers have a chance to change that, so I wish that every person writing a neurodivergent character understood that.

Mistakes

What is something people who write neurodivergent characters tend to get wrong?

5 Rookie Mistakes Nearly Every Budding Professional Makes (And How to Avoid Them)

Not all neurodivergence is the same. There are people who struggle to make friends or have social interactions, and many others who do not. Authors need to be specific, at least in their own mind, about what they are depicting and take the time to understand that every individual person has a slightly different experience.

No photo description available.Thank you for considering how to bring more neurodivergent characters to life. We, as authors, have a unique opportunity to write stories that allow all children to see themselves in a positive light!

Book Recommendations:

  • A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
  • Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught
  • Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
  • Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry

You can find Jenna on:

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The Importance of Arab Books plus an Arab MG Book list

By on January 5, 2024   /   Book Lists  

The importance of Arab books plus an Arab MG Book List

With the world news being full of conflict, it can be hard for young people, as well as educators and parents to know how to approach tough topics.

How do we acknowledge the sadness that comes with seeing conflicts and war as well as grapple with the very real struggles our young people face in growing up in a society in which they might feel helpless and scared.

For Muslims and Arabs, and specifically for Palestinians, that fear and grief can feel extra debilitating, especially when facing racism and stereotypes that seem pervasive in mainstream media and public opinion.

Arabs and Muslim have long faced stereotypes such as the slur “terrorist” (a word that seems to only apply to those who are deemed criminal with Muslim or Arab heritage), the misconceptions of hijab and the idea that it is oppressive (although millions of Muslim women proudly choose to wear it), and even the Arabic language (which is feared and seen as dangerous). I myself have faced these very stereotypes, and it broke my heart every single time to feel like I have to defend my heritage and religion, to ask people to view me as a normal human like anyone else.

As an Arab Muslim myself, and as an avid reader growing up in a post 9/11 world, I learned to find healing in words. I learned to love books and stories, and yet it was only until 2019 that I finally found a book with Syrian and Muslim representation- OTHER WORDS FOR HOME, and with tears running down my face, I realized that I had been searching for a story that reflected my own experiences my whole life. I felt seen.

And it started my own yearning to become an author as well.

Arabs are still very underrepresented in literature. A recent survey conducted by Lee and Low books in 2019 showed Arab books at less than one percent of all books.

For Palestinian Americans, seeing their own people on their phone screens and on tv undergoing a crisis that has gripped the world and the United Nations, a crisis that has garnered headline after headline, with no end to the suffering- can feel like the worst reality to live in. Facing increased Islamaphobia and anti-Arab racism domestically can cause that feeling of pain grow wider. Palestinian American students are facing increased challenges in school settings among peers, and even with misinformed educators. Dehumanization of Palestinian lives has led to many viewing the death toll as a number…and not a real tragedy worth stopping.

And even with peers, many are trying to understand- what does it mean to be Palestinian? Who are Palestinians? Who are Arabs? And how do educators and peers work together to help everyone in society feel included and safe.

Books can help bridge that gap.

Informational books and even fictional books written by own voice Palestinian writers and Arab writers help increase compassion and humanity.

Middle Grade Book List by Arab Authors

  1. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Publisher description:

New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book!

A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed.

Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.

At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US–and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before.

But this life also brings unexpected surprises–there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.

This lyrical, life-affirming story is about losing and finding home and, most importantly, finding yourself.

2. Farrah Rocks Fifth Grade by Susan M Darraj (younger MG)

Publisher description:

Farah and her best friend, Allie Liu, are getting excited to turn in their applications to the Magnet Academy, where they both hope to attend sixth grade. But when new girl Dana Denver shows up, Farah’s world is turned upside down. As Dana starts bullying Farah’s little brother, Samir, Farah begins to second-guess her choice to leave him behind at Harbortown Elementary/Middle School. Determined to handle it on her own, Farah comes up with a plan–a plan that involves lying to those closest to her. Will her lies catch up with her, or can Farah find a way to defeat the bully and rock fifth grade?

 

3. We are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition by Reem Kassis and Nouha Elouti

Publisher description:

A stunning non-fiction children’s book celebrating everything Palestinian!

From culture and food, to music and literature, We Are Palestinian is a celebration of Palestinian heritage. Brought to life by award-winning writer Reem Kassis, every spread is filled with wonderful anecdotes, fascinating facts, and memorable quotes. It is beautifully illustrated by Noha Eilouti, an emerging Palestinian-Canadian illustrator.

Discover ALL about the history of iconic Palestinian symbols like tatreez embroidery, or the inspiration behind Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry. As you turn every page, you’ll find yourself lost in the world of Dabke (the folk dance of Palestine) and amazed by its famous old cities; you’ll try traditional food like knafeh, explore the different religions, and find out much more. Each spread of We Are Palestinian is accessible, richly inspiring, and visually stunning.

Young readers are going to love discovering more about Palestine. This is the perfect book for parents, educators, and caregivers wishing to explore new worlds of culture and custom with children.

4. Ida in the Middle by Nora Lester Murad (Nora is a Jewish American married to a Palestinian Muslim)

Ida, a Palestinian-American girl, eats a magic olive that takes her to the life she might have had in her parents’ village near Jerusalem. An important coming of age story that explores identity, place, voice, and belonging.

Every time violence erupts in the Middle East, Ida knows what’s coming next. Some of her classmates treat her like it’s all her fault–just for being Palestinian! In eighth grade, Ida is forced to move to a different school. But people still treat her like she’ll never fit in. Ida wishes she could disappear.

One day, dreading a final class project, Ida hunts for food. She discovers a jar of olives that came from a beloved aunt in her family’s village near Jerusalem. Ida eats one and finds herself there–as if her parents had never left Palestine! Things are different in this other reality–harder in many ways, but also strangely familiar and comforting. Now she has to make some tough choices. Which Ida would she rather be? How can she find her place?

Ida’s dilemma becomes more frightening as the day approaches when Israeli bulldozers are coming to demolish another home in her family’s village…

An empowering young readers edition of We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders, the memoir by Women’s March coorganizer and activist Linda Sarsour that’s “equal parts inspiring, emotional, and informative” (Kirkus Reviews).
You can count on me, your Palestinian Muslim sister, to keep her voice loud, keep her feet on the streets, and keep my head held high because I am not afraid.
On January 21, 2017, Linda Sarsour stood in the National Mall to deliver a speech that would go down in history. A crowd of over 470,000 people gathered in Washington, DC, to advocate for legislation, policy, and the protection of women’s rights–with Linda, a Muslim American activist from Brooklyn, leading the charge, unapologetic and unafraid.
In this middle grade edition of We Are Not Here to be Bystanders, Linda shares the memories that shaped her into the activist she is today, and how these pivotal moments in her life led her to being an organizer in one of the largest single-day protests in US history. From the Brooklyn bodega her father owned to the streets of Washington, DC, Linda’s story as a daughter of Palestinian immigrants is a moving portrayal of what it means to find your voice in your youth and use it for the good of others as an adult.
Publisher description:
Out of the revolutions across the Arab world comes this inspirational story of hope, freedom, and belonging, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and A Good Kind of Trouble.
Kareem Haddad of Damascus, Syria, never dreamed of becoming a graffiti artist. But when a group of boys from another town tag subversive slogans outside their school, and another boy is killed while in custody, Kareem and his friends are inspired to start secretly tag messages of freedom around their city.Meanwhile, in the United States, his cousin, Samira, has been trying to make her own mark. Anxious to fit in at school, she joins the Spirit Squad where her natural artistic ability attracts the attention of the popular leader. Then Kareem is sent to live with Sam’s family, and their worlds collide. As graffitied messages appear around town and all eyes turn to Kareem, Sam must make a choice: does she shy away to protect her new social status, or does she stand with her cousin?Informed by her time as a journalist, author Rhonda Roumani’s Tagging Freedom is a thoughtful look at the intersection between art and activism, infused with rich details and a realistic portrayal of how war affects and inspires children, similar to middle grade books for middle schoolers by Aisha Saeed, The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandi, or Refugee by Alan Gratz.

Publisher description:

From two incredible rising talents comes the fantasy graphic novel Molly Knox Ostertag calls “instantly compelling.” A New England Book Award and Harvey Award winner!

Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It’s the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program.

It’s not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the “greater good” that Bayt-Sajji’s military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.

In this breathtaking and timely story, Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.

8. Where the Streets had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah (audio-book)

Publisher Description:
Thirteen-year-old Hayaat is on a mission. She believes a handful of soil from her grandmother’s ancestral home in Jerusalem will save her beloved Sitti Zeynab’s life. The only problem is the impenetrable wall that divides the West Bank, as well as the checkpoints, the curfews, the permit system and Hayaat’s best friend Samy, who is mainly interested in football and the latest elimination on X-Factor, but always manages to attract trouble. But luck is on their side. Hayaat and Samy have a curfew-free day to travel to Jerusalem. However, while their journey may only be a few kilometres long, it may take a lifetime to complete.
Publisher Description:
In this coming-of-age graphic novel with a fantastical twist, Nayra Mansour, a Muslim American girl, is helped on her journey to selfhood by a djinn.
Nothing is going right for Nayra Mansour. There’s the constant pressure from her strict family, ruthless bullying from her classmates, and exhausting friendship demands from Rami -the only other Muslim girl at school. Nayra has had enough. Just when she’s considering transferring schools to escape it all, a mysterious djinn named Marjan appears.
As a djinn, a mythical being in Islamic folklore, Marjan uses their powers and wisdom to help Nayra navigate her overwhelming life. But Marjan’s past is fraught with secrets, guilt, and trouble, and if they don’t face what they’ve done, Nayra could pay the price.
In this beautifully illustrated graphic novel, Iasmin Omar Ata has created a realistic coming-of-age story with an enchanting dose of the fantastical about strength, identity, and, most of all, friendship.

Check out this Ramadan article and booklist for more Muslim book inspiration.

Praying for 2024 to be a year in which peace reigns and people of all backgrounds live together in happiness and health.

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STEM Tuesday Special New Year’s Edition 2024

By on January 2, 2024   /   Articles, STEM Tuesday  

So this is the new year?

“People like us who believe in physics know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”  – Albert Einstein

So this is the new year?

Huh? I thought it would be more shiny. Maybe even have a few sparkles here and there.

It just looks like any other recent day. It’s eerily similar to any other recent year.

Truth be told, though, that’s not a bad thing at all. 

Time and dates are human constructs. They are our method of drawing lines in the universal sand to give our lives a sense of order. We need our constructs of time so we can work together, show up on time, hit our STEM Tuesday deadlines, etc.

But, as Einstein so famously touted, time is an illusion. 

However, we’ve demarcated this time illusion of ours to give us a new year, a new month, a new week, a new day, a new hour, and so on. These are times to reflect, reload, and plan where we are and where we want to be.

Time is the present moment.

We have this time. We have this moment. 

Now, what are we going to do with it?

It’s a question that strikes the core of being human. Its answers are as varied as individual humans are varied. There are almost infinite opportunities available to us.

What will we do with the moments we are given in 2024 and beyond? 

One Day or Day One?

I heard this snippet a few months back regarding procrastination and goals. I can’t exactly remember the source and it’s driving me bonkers. Nevertheless, it has become my new philosophy for trying new things or starting new projects. It has also become a central theme of my school and library presentations to young creators.

For decades, I lived in a “One Day” world. I wanted to be a writer but I didn’t do the one thing necessary to be one. I didn’t write. Then came my “Day One” when I started a thing. I wrote a word. I wrote another one. I wrote a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter until I wrote an entire story! It was an amazing feeling!

If you find yourself saying, “One day I want to do _____”, then start this new year by saying, “I’m going to start _____ on this day.” and then do it.

The STEM Tuesday New Year’s post theme for 2024 is:

One Day or Day One?

One Day vs Day One. Try it and see how it works!

Create. Inspire. Improve. Share.

The Day One philosophy expanded into four steps for getting to the brass tacks and making stuff.

  1. Create – It all starts with an idea, a word, or a mark on a piece of paper. Just do it and see what happens. Make the thing only you can make. Make the thing only your brain can construct. Make the thing and throw it away or take another stab to remake the thing. There is no perfect. The important thing is to get your ideas down. Download the words or images from your brain onto paper and they become real.
  2. Inspire – Investigate and discover what makes you excited. What are the stories or the information that ignites a desire to tell others? If you’re struggling for inspiration, pay attention to where your mind goes when it wanders. It might be trying to tell you something.
  3. Improve – One gets better at doing a thing by doing the thing over and over intentionally. Intentional practice works! As with the creation, once the words or images are downloaded from your brain, they exist. If something exists, it can be improved. Do the work and then do it again.
  4. Share – This step can be the most difficult. It tends to be the most uncomfortable for a creator. Putting creative work out into the world indeed opens one up to criticism and judgment but you can learn so much from showing your work. What works? What doesn’t? What feedback is offered to improve the work? There’s also the inherent reward of developing connections with like-minded creators through the sharing of work. We’re all riding this creativity train together so we might as well make the ride a joy and a celebration. Writing and illustrating help us understand our place in our space. This understanding of our place is enhanced through sharing. 

Technology = Tools 

Although there were amazing STEM advances this past year, like inching closer to a return to the moon or the first FDA-approved gene-editing therapy for sickle-cell anemia, an end-of-year wrapup on one of the news channels called 2023 the “Year of AI”. There has been much talk and even more justifiable concern from the creative community about the use and abuse of artificial intelligence. 

Technology doesn’t create. Creators create. As loyal STEM Tuesday readers, we realize the fact technology is a tool. We know one can use tools positively or negatively. The choice of how we use AI is in our creative hands. If a technology is directly used to create something, that’s stealing. AI is powerful but we must remember AI does what it does by training itself on human creations, often without attribution or compensation. It learns how to write or create by mashing up all the inputs in its database.

Bottom line, 2024 will see an explosion of AI implemented with both good and bad intentions. It’s up to us to decide how we’ll use it and how others use our work.

Happy New Year from the STEM Tuesday Team! Enjoy every “Day One” of your creative journey throughout your entire “stubbornly persistent illusion” that is 2024. 

 

Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky) via Wikimedia Commons

 

Mike Hays has worked hard from a young age to be a well-rounded individual. A well-rounded, equal-opportunity sports enthusiast, that is. If they keep a score, he’ll either watch it, play it, or coach it. A molecular microbiologist by day, middle-grade author, sports coach, and general good citizen by night, he blogs about life/sports/training-related topics at:  www.coachhays.com and writer stuff at:  www.mikehaysbooks.com. Two of his science essays, The Science of Jurassic Park and Zombie Microbiology 101, are included in the Putting the Science in Fiction collection from Writer’s Digest Books. He can be found roaming around the X-sphere under the guise of @coachhays64 and on Instagram/Threads at @mikehays64.
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