Autistic POV

Barbara Graver

My late-diagnosed autistic ADHD journey with AuDHD author Barbara Graver. barbaragraver.substack.com

  1. Aug 11

    Autistic POV: Reading Roundup 2 (Video)

    In the episode I look at two books in Amazon’s Disability Fiction category. Both had a neurodivergent FMC. One autistic. The other a little less clearly identified. I discuss different aspects of the books, including spice level, neurodivergent representation, and the degree of “overcoming” neurodivergent traits. Spoiler: To me, overcoming in neurodivergent fiction usually isn’t a good thing! I also talk two books (with neurodivergent FMCs) I’m currently serializing on Substack, my thoughts on character arc, masking in fiction and more. You can find the books mentioned in the video here: * Wicked Deception 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Deborah Garland (Irish Mafia Romance) Neurodivergent FMC - on Amazon * Quiet Please 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Sara Hazel (Contemporary Romance) Autistic FMC - on Amazon * Trancing Miranda 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Barbara Graver (Vampire Romance) PTSD, Autistic FMC - on Substack (coming soon to Amazon) * Madison Revisited 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Barbara Graver (Second Chance Romance) Autistic FMC - on Substack Other resources mentioned in the video: * You can find the Amazon Disability fiction category at Amazon > Literature & Fiction > Disability Fiction * You can check out my serialized romance, AuDHD memoir and related content at barbaragraver.substack.com Things I forgot to mention: Please read the trigger warnings in ALL books covered. The Irish Mafia book is pretty violent (torture, sexual assault, and more) and my vampire romance isn’t always an easy read either. If you haven't started my vampire romance you can find episode one here: https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/trancing-miranda-vampire-story-ch-1 Get full access to Writing After Dark at barbaragraver.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Jun 24

    What I Learned at the Hay House Writers' Workshop

    What I learned at the Hay House Writers' Workshop and why learning to honor the spirit of my book was my biggest takeaway. This idea is valuable for anyone but I think it's especially helpful for neurodivergent creators who struggle to fit their creative work into predefined categories. Get full access to Writing After Dark at barbaragraver.substack.com/subscribe

  3. May 19

    Perfectionism, Neurodiversity and Writing

    In this episode of the podcast, I talk about my own struggles with perfectionism and how that relates to fiction writing, neurodiversity and trauma. Get new episodes via my newsletter at barbaragraver.substack.com or follow the show wherever you listen! Get full access to Writing After Dark at barbaragraver.substack.com/subscribe

    Perfectionism, Neurodiversity and Writing

  4. Apr 24

    Autism, ADHD and the Many Layers of Masking

    Autism and ADHD and how a dream and a couple of synchonicities helped me identify another layer of masking. My strong autistic special interests and the way hyperactive present for me, make me different. Every time I think I've got to the bottom of that I haven't! Episodes and Articles Mentioned in the Podcast My publication: https://barbaragraver.substack.com Autism / ADHD overlap: https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/autism-adhd-and-faith Jung and the Age of Aquarius: https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/carl-jung-and-the-age-of-aquarius Dreams, Tarot and the Age of Aquarius https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/dreams-tarot-and-the-age-of-aquarius Get full access to Writing After Dark at barbaragraver.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Mar 27

    Living a Symbolic Life Through Special Interests?

    This morning I met with a Jungian analyst and she interpreted one of my dreams. In this video, I focus on a comment she made about living a symbolic life and how it might intersect my autistic special interests. I’ll be exploring what it means to live a symbolic life more in future posts, so if you have an interest please check back. Here are links to the dream I shared, the Jungian Dream School I attend and my publication: * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/how-one-dream-explained-another * https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/ * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/ Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Writing After Dark at barbaragraver.substack.com/subscribe

    Living a Symbolic Life Through Special Interests?

  6. Jan 24

    How Autism and ADHD Overlap

    About This Episode In this episode of the podcast I talk about how autism and ADHD overlap and sometimes complicate each other. I focus mostly on what is problematic for me—having my special interests derailed—and realize that other autistic people with ADHD might face completely different issues. If so (or if not) I’d love to hear about how this works in your life. I decided to talk about faith because I am going to see how that might help me. By help I mean, either help me become just a little less obsessive (and a bit more effective) or maybe just help me come to terms with my super annoying AuDHD nature. Or both. Links for Further Reading Some of links promised in the podcast are: * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/ * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/charting-my-autistic-traits * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/getting-diagnosed-with-adhd * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/autism-and-the-narrative-process ___________ Autistic POV theme music by the Caffeine Creek Band Get full access to Writing After Dark at barbaragraver.substack.com/subscribe

  7. 12/30/2025

    Neurodivergent Memoir and Self-Acceptance

    Writing our neurodivergent memoir isn’t always easy but it has some very real benefits. For me, it has been a path to insight and self-acceptance. In this episode I talk about some of the reasons why people on the spectrum may not fully understand events as they unfold and how memoir writing can help us understand the past AND cut ourselves some slack. Apologies for the audio on this episode! Other episodes are okay. I’m not sure what happened with this one. The first podcast on the topic can be found at Writing About Difficult Experiences in My Autism Memoir Sign up for my newsletter at barbaragraver.substack.com Thanks for reading Writing on the Spectrum! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. My apologies for the audio quality. I don’t know what I did wrong but most episodes come out okay 🙁 I promise! Autistic POV theme music by the Caffeine Creek Bank. Get full access to Writing After Dark at barbaragraver.substack.com/subscribe

  8. 11/28/2025

    Writing about Difficult Experiences in My Autism Memoir (Podcast + Post)

    What is the difference between memoir and autobiography? What is the actual point of sharing our experience? What happens when that experience is difficult or dark? This episode of the podcast talks about all of these questions but mostly focuses on my experience with difficult material. So I wanted to answer the first couple of questions, below, in text format. Subscribe to my newsletter: barbaragraver.substack.com Memoir vs. Autobiography An autobiography and a memoir are not the same thing. An autobiography focuses on a person’s entire life. Memoir covers a slice of life in a topical way. While that slice can span decades, it should reflect the memoir’s overarching topic or theme. What doesn’t reflect the theme is extraneous. For me, this was the first sticking point (more about that in the podcast), because even though I was writing an autism memoir, I found it impossible to talk about autism in isolation. Knowing what did and didn’t relate to the autism theme was tricky. In some instances (like trauma) the relationship was clear, in others (like supernatural experience) it was not. I had trouble figuring out what was relevant and what wasn’t, so I just decided to write the thing. Then I got stuck again. Sharing Our Experience According to NYT’s journalist and memoirist, Marion Roach, there’s a reason why we share our personal experience in memoir. And that reason isn’t catharsis or getting even with people or even making sense of things. It’s illustrating a point. In memoir our life experience, per Roach, is an anecdote that helps explain the theme. While I’m not sure I agree with that completely, there is no doubt that Roach knows how to make her life experience work that way. Roach’s book The Memoir Project contains some lovely examples of transcendence in writing. There is reason she is successful. It’s worth stressing, however, that Roach isn’t an amateur and while writing examples of the type that she shares in The Memoir Project that can illustrate a point than also make us feel a little outclassed. My writing is sloppy, compared to someone who writes for the NYT, but I do find meaning through doing it. I feel that has worth, even when—or probably especially when—it’s difficult. Whether or not, I can produce a readable memoir remains to be seen. For more on this topic, please check out the podcast! It is a separate thing, not a rehash of what you just read :) Listen to my Sharing Our Story podcast here: https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/sharing-our-autism-story-ep-6-7fb Get full access to Writing After Dark at barbaragraver.substack.com/subscribe

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About

My late-diagnosed autistic ADHD journey with AuDHD author Barbara Graver. barbaragraver.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Barbara Graver
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Barbara Graver
  • Show Website
    Autistic POV