Olen Holm
Olen Holm
Aug 26, 2017 · 2 min read

I don’t know. Have you written a TV show about you?

I understand your point because I, too, have a condition that has been used in this same way, but I am also a TV writer and would not call this a “plot device.”

Novels are not the same thing as dramatic literature and are dependent on different narrative structures, so your comparison doesn’t really work.

Did you you read this?: http://www.vulture.com/2017/08/atypical-showrunner-robia-rashid-interview.html

Did you watch the whole show?

Even if a person with autism were to write on a TV show (and probably someone has ) AND if the subject were autism, then there is no way around its objectification. If it is even mentioned it becomes a thing. If the writer has autism, it becomes a thing. The only way autism (or any other condition) would not be considered a thing and objectifiable in a television show is that if it were never even mentioned at all and no one ever knew about it. If you were to write a television show about autism, it would still be considered what you call a “plot device” and I would argue that it would be no more “authentic and real” than if it were written by someone without autism.

I am writing a television show about my condition. I have seen material in the past about my condition written by people who did not have the condition. Sometimes I felt offended. Sometimes I felt respected and honored. Legitimized, even.

I would encourage you to pursue the creation of your own artistic endeavors so that you may feel your voice is heard out there in the world. This piece is a good start.

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    Olen Holm

    Written by

    Olen Holm

    screenwriter and actor, storytelling entertainment

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