What do people mean by an "Aspergian style of writing"?

Post Reply New Topic

I know there have already been threads which have discussed this, but I find it curious how there seems to be a particular style of writing commonly associated with those on the spectrum.

What exactly about the way someone writes could suggest such?

Perhaps a heavy attention to details, overly formal, a detached/ objective nature, and lots of sensory information? What do you think?

Are we talking fiction or nonfiction? My fiction has been described as extremely detail-oriented, and that's what I associate with Aspie-like writing. Not merely in regard to sensory information or world-building but also when it comes to character or scene establishment. Say my characters are eating dinner. Nine times out of ten I'll let you know exactly what they're eating, and how each character's plate differs, too. Are they walking through a neighborhood? I'll supply a run-down on its history and population demographics. Sounds a little dry, but some writers make it work. There's a lot to be said about nonfiction, too, and I'd like to point out a member on WP who has a stereotypical Aspie-like style, but I don't like to name names. The same basics apply. Attention to detail and perhaps a preoccupation with one angle that appeals to special interests. I've seen the same in my own writing, to a lesser extent.

There is a tendency, in "Aspergian" writing, to make sure the writer "covers all bases." Meaning that they put any potential detail, and anything contradicting that detail, into what they write. They "leave no stone unturned," so to speak.

The result can be very lengthy posts on WrongPlanet.

Last edited by kraftiekortie on 15 Mar 2018, 7:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I do not believe that there is such a thing as an "Aspergian style of writing". The thought that "no two people on the spectrum are the same" comes to mind.

To be brutally honest, I hate writing.

When I was at university, my assessments were mostly essay writing. I aced nearly every single one. But I never found release from the feeling that I could not get down on paper what I truly wanted to write. My expression simply failed me - as if there were some disconnect between my thoughts and my hands.

Everything I wrote felt like BS - well polished, well structured and well justified BS, sure. But it never felt "right".

At uni, pre-diagnosis, I was always told I had a 'refreshing style of writing' on essays I did well in, and 'needs to simplify writing - too convoluted' on essays I did less well in, and I never knew what they meant, because it felt like I was doing the same thing. Perhaps I was but different people receive that differently. If I write anything, I find it very hard to keep it brief. My husband has commented, looking over my shoulder at WP posts, on the similarity of forum posts on here (esp in the women's forum) and my writing. I usually write about 13,000 words for each essay when studying and have to spend a day or two carving it down because I find it hard to know what is strictly relevant (I see links with everything, and everything feels like it matters).

I prefer to communicate by writing than in person, especially if it's a tricky thing to talk about. I experience very strong emotions, so I like the way that writing allows me to think about the different ways I can say something, and how it might be read. Unfortunately, like kraftiekortie says, it can result in waaaay too much information. At uni in the days before smartphones, people used to hate that my text messages were far too long and detailed, and written in long form.

I definitely trended to the long/detailed side of things in work emails. In earlier years customers would sometimes give feedback that my emails were way too detailed to even be readable.

Over time I learned things like remembering to consider my audience and what they need to know in their context, as well as keeping emails to one page.

In high school, my English teacher once wrote on one of my essays, "Your writing style is a dinosaur!" By which she meant that it sounded like something from a couple of centuries ago.

I don't think there's such a thing as 'Aspergian style of writing'. Everyone is different; some Aspies don't write with too much detail, some NTs do.

I know I like to write posts without any mistake, so if I see a typo in my post after I submit it I immediately edit it to correct it. Obviously some typos I have missed, but generally I do like to avoid them. But that probably boils down to my joy in writing, not Asperger's.

My writing can be extremely long winded, really detailed, and if I don't go through the whole process can be pretty scattered. Sort of stream of consciousness. I have to go through and edit and rearrange it most of the time. I have a process that works for me, although I haven't been able to do much writing since I've been here.

Sometimes I get pretty side tracked. I was writing a note to a friend of mine once, about a year ago, and ended up starting the note with a page and a half explanation of and apology for any potential spelling errors I might make. I think that part was longer than the rest of the note.

Maybe they mean lack of emotion in characters, too much detail, lack of plot, too much irrelevant things, maybe the social stuff is wrong in it.

I like to write, I don't know if it's aspie writing or "normal" writing but the feedback I have gotten from one of my readers was he couldn't see a plot and he described it as Grand theft Auto where you just discover the world and that is what my story is like and he also said it had details, he has described it as a diary, another reader said my character was hard to relate to.

So I guess I am not as good of writer as I thought I was.

If we are talking about any writing like reports or essays for school assignments or just posts, I have been told I am very articulate in my posts. I always had a hard time with doing reports because I never knew where to start and what to write, and my mom always helped me with it and I thought I would be able to do it on my own when I am older but that never happened.

I hole-hardedly agree

.....but allow me to play doubles advocate here for a moment. For all intensive purposes I think you are wrong. In an age where false morals are a diamond dozen, true virtues are a blessing in the skies. We often put our false morality on a petal stool like a bunch of pre-Madonnas, but you all seem to be taking something very valuable for granite. So I ask of you to mustard up all the strength you can because it is a doggy dog world out there. Although there is some merit to what you are saying it seems like you have a huge ship on your shoulder. In your argument you seem to throw everything in but the kids Nsync, and even though you are having a feel day with this I am here to bring you back into reality. I have a sick sense when it comes to these types of things. It is almost spooky, because I cannot turn a blonde eye to these glaring flaws in your rhetoric. I have zero taller ants when it comes to people spouting out hate in the name of moral righteousness. You just need to remember what comes around is all around, and when supply and command fails you will be the first to go. Make my words, when you get down to brass stacks it doesn't take rocket appliances to get two birds stoned at once. It's clear who makes the pants in this relationship, and sometimes you just have to swallow your prize and accept the facts. You might have to come to this conclusion through denial and error but I swear on my mother's mating name that when you put the petal to the medal you will pass with flying carpets like it’s a peach of cake.

When I saw the title my first thought was that we pay extra attention to correct grammar and the like, but it left my mind pretty quick. I've always been like that and my mom always tended to say it was an autism thing, but looking at how some people here write I just can't accept the explanation anymore... unless many here simply have bad grammar of course. Not that that's somehow a really bad thing or anything, especially since there are many (myself included) here that don't speak English as their first language.

Other than that, all I can think of is that some of us might use unusually correct language void of any accents and such. You know, the way that would get you full points in a very formal language test but a way no one really uses when speaking (except maybe some of us.)

When it comes to creative writing, I've been told that I'm the opposite. Apparently, I descripe the enviroment too little... I think it's because I can build the image so strongly in my mind when I write that I forget that the readers probably aren't cabable of doing so.

Thanks A laugh before breakfast is a good thing.

Even in magazine articles a writer will say that something "sounds aspergian" in a flippant way that has little to do with diagnosing anyone's actual neurology.

Usually means "pedantic", or "overly formal", or perhaps "too bogged down in detail".

Bravo, Kip!

Very witty and flexible.

My writing tends to be mostly fact and information-based. My posts on most sites are typically related to the main purpose of the site (cats, tennis and the like). I don't often share personal information unless I can help someone by sharing an experience.