This year, I have been focusing on short fiction. And… I have a pair of anthologies with my name in the table of contents! Let me introduce you to these books.
First, you can order a copy of Well, This is Tense, an anthology of horror shorts all in second person. My piece, “Crawling Back,” is a take on attachment disorder that is sure to unsettle. It was announced as one of the top three of the collection overall.
Second, you can preorder a copy of Rewired: Divergent Experiences of Horror. This is an anthology I’m especially proud to be a part of, as a large portion of it is dedicated to neurodiverse experiences. My piece, “The Seams in Your Skin,” is autism + Carrie + my experience of sensory discomfort + feelings of alienness in high school.
I know; I’m as surprised as you! I never thought horror was for me. But after the global upheaval of the past two or three years, I’m finding something deeply cathartic in the genre, both as a reader and a writer. My pieces aren’t gratuitously horrific. They are quieter, more aimed at psychological discomfort in a literary tone. While there is violence, it is minimally described.
The year of short fiction has more to give! Stay tuned! There are more links and announcements on the horizon…
Here we are, just vibing in the apocalypse…and I hope to distract from the arguably grim national and international current events with some updates regarding my upcoming short story publication, FOOTNOTES ON A SPACE OPERA!
Cover Reveal!
I have a finalized cover design!
I was very intimidated by this aspect of the indie publication process. I couldn’t find anything on pre-made cover websites that fit. And I knew I couldn’t design a professional-looking cover myself.
I tried anyway, though. I played around on Canva (free online design software easy enough for the *ahem* design-challenged to figure out). I came up with a concept I liked, and then passed it along to the brilliant Danica Redfern, a fellow writer and pro designer, who gave it movement and brought it to life.
Ready?
Here it is!
What I love about it
(apart from everything)
The whimsy and fun of the colors
The movement of the sound waves across the back
That the sound waves look like the lines of a musical grand staff
The font, which reminds me of those good old marquee signs and neon lights
So if you just can’t wait (or if you’re absent-minded like me and want to make sure you don’t forget) head over to Amazon, put in that pre-order, and on September 6, when the short story is officially published, it’ll download right to your device. All ready for some Labor Day alien invasion.
I am thrilled to announce to you beautiful humans that I’m launching a new project! NEURODIVERSION: a monthly newsletter with curated articles, research, and current events that center neurodiverse stories and topics.
Here are my goals for NEURODIVERSION:
1. To provide a shortcut to useful, interesting information neurodivergent readers may find interesting, from a neurodivergent curator.
Navigating the sea of the internet can be extremely overwhelming, especially when ND content is by no means mainstream. I’m going to dive in headfirst and bring up the best, shiniest, most interesting treasure, so you don’t have to!
As I adjusted (and continue to adjust) to an ND paradigm, I find myself doing a ton of internet deep-dive research on neurodiversity in all of its forms. Like many of you, I have a burning desire to share what I learn. And so, rather than ranting about it to my family 24/7 or tweeting about it, I thought I’d package it up and send it to the people who’d be most interested.
2. To provide a potential tool for education and sharing knowledge.
I see this unfolding in two ways.
First, for late-identified neurodivergent adults.
A ton of the information out there (on autism and ADHD in particular) is focused on children and is written for parents of ND children. This is due in no small part to the misconception that these are “children’s disorders” that can be grown out of. I’ll focus on information adults would find interesting, useful, and educational.
For an adult grappling with a recent realization or assessment that is causing a paradigm-identity shift (been there, still doing that), having a regular source of information about neurodiversity in manageable pieces rather than trying to drink from the fire hydrant of the internet all at once may be useful.
Second, for the neurotypical crowd.
I’ve noticed one of the major efforts of ND individuals is education of mainstream neurotypical folks in order to promote inclusive and empathetic practices. I’m not saying this SHOULD fall on our shoulders, but I am passionate about doing any work that will move society toward a future in which neurodiversity is celebrated, invited, and included in ways that respect everyone’s needs.
The information I’ll share will be useful for any NT individual looking to educate themselves about the ND population and our experiences.
Who is this newsletter for?
Anybody who’s interested in learning more about neurodiversity, what’s going on in the world of neurodiversity right now, and ways to support this community.
Anybody who’s interested in finding new friends they can connect with and relate to around the topic of neurodiversity. (Each issue will contain a “Connect” section in which I’ll share the social media accounts of real-life neurodivergents you can connect with in the wild!)
What will it look like?
Here’s a screenshot of the first page of Issue 1. (Note that none of the links will be active in the screenshot; you’ll have to get a copy of NEURODIVERSION in order to get access to the links.)
How do I get a copy?
Issue 1 of NEURODIVERSION is in pdf form below! Click the “Download” button to get your copy.
Each subsequent issue will be delivered directly to the email inboxes of those who sign up to receive it.
You can sign up to receive monthly issues of NEURODIVERSION by entering your email address below. I promise never to use your email for any other purpose than this newsletter, or to give away or to sell your email address to anyone.
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I am so excited to be starting this new venture, and to learn and grow along with all of you in the wonderful ways of neurodiversity!
Allison Wall 