Let's rip the bandaid off. Being a neurodivergent writer is hard.

I mean, writing is hard. Being a neurodivergent person is hard. A neurodivergent person who decides to be a writer is undertaking a grand, treacherous quest. Sometimes I wonder how the hell even I manage to do it. How do any of us au/DHD kids – especially those of us who are late-diagnosed – manage to do something that even many neurotypical people throw in the towel on?

Yet somehow, we still have this dream. We pursue it, even when it's hard, painful even. We keep going, and we write the book. We publish our stories, our poems, our essays. We get the book deal, or we strike out on our own and build an author platform from scratch. We start our own magazines and indie presses. We organize book festivals and conventions and live readings and create a place for other weirdos to share their art with a world that so desperately needs new narratives. In short: as neurodivergent writers, we can do hard things – and we can accomplish so much.

But in order to get there, we need to have a serious discussion on what it takes to succeed as a neurodivergent writer. The cold hard truth is that the majority of traditional writing advice floating around in the ether simply does not work for us. It's not a matter of discipline, or laziness, or not "wanting it" badly enough. It's that we are Macs expected to work like PCs. Just as you cannot turn a Mac into a PC, you cannot force an au/DHD brain to work like a neurotypical brain. This means that we must build writing practices that work with our brains instead of against them.

So much of figuring out writing (and life) as a neurodivergent person is just throwing things at the wall and hoping they stick. We usually figure out our own special way of doing things through trial and error. Even if if might seem odd or counterintuitive to other people, the only thing that matters is that it works for us. The creative process is no different. So, while results may vary, I am here to present you with seven hacks that have helped me as an au/DHD writer.

Happy World Goth Day, Darklings!

If you’re unfamiliar with the holiday, it’s exactly what it sounds like — a day for goths all over the world to celebrate our subculture and let our little black hearts shine bright. Even though many people today are more accepting of alternative folks than in past decades, with the current political climate in the US and elsewhere, I believe that having the bravery to be openly and unapologetically “different” is one of the most radical things we can do to resist authoritarianism.

A common misconception is that goth is merely an aesthetic. While goth encourages self-expression and creativity, and aesthetics are certainly a way for goths to identify ourselves to the world and to one another (and we have the most beautiful styles, if I do say so myself), black lipstick and fishnets do not a goth make. Goth is a musical subculture, and everything else revolves around the tuneage. That being said, goth music is part of a long, rich tradition of Gothic art and literature in the Western world. (I was lucky enough to take not one, but *two* Gothic literature classes in undergrad that changed my life.)

To celebrate this most excellent of holidays, I thought I would share a list of 10 Gothic Literature Recommendations, both fiction and nonfiction. You may recognize a few from your high school or college English classes, while others might be completely new to you. Some are classics, some contemporary, but each offers something darkly delightful for the curious and open-minded (and maybe a tad morbid) reader.

Welcome to the inaugural post of the official Nori Rose Writes Blog! I won't lie, I feel a little like it's 2007 and I'm coming home from my first day of high school to write about all of my Very Big Feelings – and maybe an angsty poem or two – in my DeviantArt journal. (Tell me you're a Millennial without telling me, amiright?) The difference is that I'm now 32, a published author, and my poetic skills have improved immensely. (I hope you're proud of me, 15-year-old Nori!)

Aside from my high school-era dA account, I have been blogging on and off since 2015. I started with a Blogspot in college, where I would share questionable vegan recipes that I literally cooked up in my tiny student apartment kitchen. Later, I started a WordPress site that featured a jumble of posts about mental health, witchcraft, a variety of musings on books and movies, and random baking projects. Nowadays, I use my Tumblr as a personal blog, where I write horror film reviews and post about whatever strikes my fancy. And this lovely blog you're reading now? It's part of my ever-growing author platform! This is where you'll find updates on my books, events, and upcoming projects, but I'll also take you behind the scenes for a sneak-a-peek of my writing life and share my best tips and advice for writing and publishing!
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Let's kick things off by allowing me to introduce myself with five random facts about me as a writer!