Cultural Tendency: Sorting People Into Tiny Boxes

Spectrum “kids” and parents will know that thumbnail image. Many hours are spent sorting by color, shape, type, etc. to build fine motor skills and teach generalized concepts of same/different. In every early education school setting, we’re taught to notice the differences. The idea of noticing how each difference might be of value isn’t always emphasized. A circle and a square are different but both are good in their own way.

As I approach publication, there are many decisions to make. It’s exciting and scary. The current question is how to “shelve” the book. Is it for Adults or Young Adults? People who are familiar with 80s pop culture might appreciate some of the humor more, but the characters are dealing with issues that apply those who relate to the struggle for identity, independence, and acceptance. Parents of older teens and adults on the spectrum might enjoy it. Anyone who’d like to step outside of themselves and peek into a different way of life might like it. In the digital age, it should be easy to have a book appear on all kinds of virtual shelves. And it is—until we consider the social shorthand (categories and keywords) to help people find it.

Maybe society will have to expand its concept of which characteristics are key in determining what people like and dislike? Something beyond our body parts, skin tone, and how many times the earth has orbited a fixed star while we’ve been alive….

All of the experts agree, “If you want to be successful, pick a popular genre. Follow the tropes. Keep it simple.” They’re right. That path is simplified and convenient, but still super hard to rise to a particular level of popularity.

I chose to write a story that I’d want to read, with the sort of characters who interest me. Something just a little (or maybe a lot) off-center. It’s imperfect. It’s for anyone but won’t be enjoyed by everyone. I hope I’ve completed this book in a way that’s accessible to a wide audience. (I hope. stares at an imaginary version of Jay and hides his imaginary thesaurus)

This isn’t like other fictional books that are available…yet. And that’s ok. I mean, that’s usually my point, right? Different is good.

So to sum up my time of thinking “out loud,” I know—I’m doing it wrong. (And so is society . No collection of labels can tell anyone’s entire story. We use social shorthand to assume, to save time, and in a vain attempt to simplify the complexity of a beautifully diverse population. I get it.)

Those are the words that will probably end every note: I’m doing it “wrong.” Ha! How’s that for a snappy marketing slogan? Doing it differently. When I think of it in those terms, I probably accidentally got on the right track. Because I don’t believe different translates to wrong. Not. At. All.

Time to stop talking to myself and write the next story.