1. FinalStar

    FinalStar New Member

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    Dyslexic writers

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by FinalStar, Apr 19, 2011.

    Hello,

    I was wondering if there was any other dyslexic writers on this forum? Have you ever run in to a problem in a writing group where you are made fun of for it?
     
  2. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    I am dyslexic and no I haven't but then I wouldn't see it as a problem I'd turn round and walk out. Was brought up that bullies were the one with the problem. Anyone who is dyslexic and trying to write, is trying to improve. That is not something to make fun about.
     
  3. FinalStar

    FinalStar New Member

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    yeah I tried to ignore people. as someone that is dyslexic have you been published? Do you send it to someone else to look over before sending it to a publisher? Have you been rejected from a publisher because of your dyslexia?
     
  4. Smoke

    Smoke New Member

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    The most I've done to someone is to tell them they need to have their stories beta'd before posting on a story-sharing site. I don't think those people were dyslexic, probably the opposite. They just forced me to stop too often to figure out what word they meant to use.
     
  5. Froggy

    Froggy New Member

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    My hubby's dyslexic and writes short stories all the time. - I think it helps that i am not a native English speaker - it's easier to guess which words he meant because they sound the same (seen them all before when learning it).

    I guess his is a mild form of dyslexia though - I used to think he just wasn't paying attention. I still have to work hard at not thinking that way, because my mind just works differently. I can't stand it when he doesn't use a space after a comma etc, but he just doesn't see it.

    When he gives me a text for the website, i just correct what's needed without saying anything...
     
  6. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    Technically I am published but long time ago and really was only in field journals, occasional articles. I usually say no.

    I do get help but not much - I seem to have adapted fairly well and even my punctuation is improving. Like for everyone it is just practising. My problems come when I am tired and I actually watch the letters move round, change positions on the page etc and it goes from words to gobbledegook.

    I have never included any of my various conditions in an introductory letter and have no intention of telling anyone.
     
  7. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    since it's only a visual/reading disorder, being dyslexic should have no effect on one's writing abilities other than in re spelling... which can easily be overcome by a good computer spell-check program backed up by having someone check the final draft for spelling errors those programs miss [such as misspelled words that are actually correctly spelled other words, like to/too]...

    one of my daughters had it and did poorly in math, as a result... the simple 'cure' was to use graph paper for her math work, so she could keep the numbers lined up properly, which she was unable to do on plain paper...
     
  8. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    That's not necessarily true. There's a whole range of challenges that come within the umbrella term "dyslexic", and dyslexia often (though not always) includes difficulties with short term memory and with organisation of information, both of which can give difficulties in maintaining a sustained narrative. There are workarounds, though, and some dyslexics have had notable success as authors, notably John Irving (but although he is quite open about his dyslexia I don't know whether he has the sort that gives memory/organisational challenges).
     
  9. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    That's not necessarily true. There's a whole range of challenges that come within the umbrella term "dyslexic", and dyslexia often (though not always) includes difficulties with short term memory and with organisation of information, both of which can give difficulties in maintaining a sustained narrative. There are workarounds, though, and some dyslexics have had notable success as authors, notably John Irving (but although he is quite open about his dyslexia I don't know whether he has the sort that gives memory/organisational challenges).
     
  10. James Berkley

    James Berkley Banned

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    dyslexic as hell personaly. can be fun, i my GF thinks i can guess the twists on her TV shows way ahead of everyone else for that reason. i dont think so myself
     
  11. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    To get a diagnosis of dyslexia you gave to be way ahead of the curve in some other area (otherwise the diagnosis would be "general learning difficulties", in UK terminology at least). You might well be using those other skills to guess the twists on her TV shows way ahead of everyone else, so it might well be indirectly related to your dyslexia.
     
  12. Deleth

    Deleth New Member

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    ^^^--- THIS!!! ---^^^

    That out of the way, I was diagnosed in teh 2nd grade back in 1990 as riddled with ADD as well as a minor form of lysdexia (thats the joke) that makes me confuse the letters S and D and B when writing by hand. Thankfully I can touch type and have the power (and annoyance) of Word's spellcheck. :D

    What I really want to add to this is a point that I cannot stress enough. These are not learning "disabilities", being diagnosed with something like does does not mean you are disabled, it means you think differently than what could be concidered "the rest of the world." You are learning different, not learning disabled.

    On a lighter note I also am able to guess the twists of TV shows and movie plots far enough ahead of my friends and wife that I don't like watching TV or movies anymore. lol.
     
  13. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    well, i'm not dyslexic at all, but have always been able to figure out [rather than 'guess'] the twists, turns, 'surprise' endings of written [stories/books] or visual [movies/tv] mystery/suspense plots ahead of most others...to me, it seems to be merely the product of having a logical-thinking/reasoning mind, while some would say it comes with being a 'virgo' [though i can't see the logic in that! ;-) ]...
     

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