Aphantasic Author

I'm new to the Aphantasia Network community and am looking to make connections with authors who have aphantasia. I found this discussion from three years ago, but better late than never, eh? I realize the initial post is for writers of fiction, but I resonate with some of what the fiction writers here are saying. I write creative nonfiction and have just finished a memoir. I rely heavily on emotions and feeling to describe what I'm going through. Oddly, people who have read parts of it describe it as visually evocative. I often start writing from a sense memory. My writing style is rhythmic and sometimes rhymey, which seems to help carry over the feelings/memories into language. Once the words are on the page, I can see what I'm creating and I can build on it. For basic descriptions of objects, I too search Google for images. I struggle with finding the precise words to describe something and rely on Google for that too (but make up plenty of my own words as well). I've also needed to pantomime doing something to more accurately write a scene (put my body through the motions then translate that into words). To remember what I've written in previous sections, I have an excel spreadsheet with summaries and details, otherwise I'd never be able to keep track of everything. I haven't heard of the Scrivener app cork board, but it does sound useful. Ideas for what and how to write often come when I'm walking (maybe that's why my creative writing is so rhythmic?). What I lack in a visual mind's eye, I make up for in motion, sense, and emotion.

I'm part of a writing group and in the process of writing a novel. The feedback so far seems positive, but I still have a lot to learn. I have discovered that I do things a little different to many of the people in my group. As Elliot Finer below said, I too search for images on Google when required to describe even the most basic of objects or scenes. For specific location settings throughout my story, I have assigned them to real life locations nearby and have visited them with a note pad taking down real time observations, noting the sounds, sights, smells etc. In regards to plot and storyline, I wrote the whole thing from start to finish with no thought to structure and then once finsihed the first draft spent a lot of time planning, cutting and moving things around to make it work. I find that the Scrivener app cork board is very useful for this.

I can’t imagine writing fiction it would be so frustrating for me.  I hate reading books for me it’s just plain wall of (mostly) boring text. My girlfriend told that for her it’s similar to watching a movie but in her mind and I’m so jealous.

Yes, I write fiction for fun - and in the hope that my readers will enjoy the books, which, fortunately, does seem to be the case. See elliotfiner.com. My experience exactly mirrors yours, vio88.  Details of the plot seem to be driven by what has just happened, what the characters say and think, and, as you say, what just comes to me - sometimes in the middle of the night! Sometimes the plot takes an unexpected turn - unexpected to me as I'm writing, let alone to the eventual readers. An unexpected benefit of writing fiction has been what it reveals (or hints) about the working of the subconscious. The only problem caused by my aphantasia is in describing locations. I use online pictures to help, but above all I try to convey how the place feels rather than describe details of how it looks. To my surprise, readers have praised the sense of place in my novels.  I say more about some of this on my website.

I also write for fun, though I would love to be published one day.  My process is similar to yours.  It just comes to me.  I do think my description could be better if I could visualize, but I think I do well with words because I rely on language to fill in for the lack of the visual.  

Hello, It's great to hear from more aphantasic authors! We've had a few authors share their experience writing fiction with aphantaisa. Perhaps some of their experiences and techniques will resonate. Writing with aphantaisaBeing a Writer When you Literally Cannot Visualize a Scene And this one you might find interesting on how to enjoy reading more with aphantasia.