Autistic Culture | Where autism meets identity!

Local Color with Tim Clare (Episode 136) - Writing Prompt #29

May 30, 2025

Tim Clare, an acclaimed author and creative writing podcaster, joins to share insights on finding one's creative calling. He discusses overcoming writer's block, his unique writing methods, and how board games have profoundly influenced his storytelling. Tim opens up about writing as a personal journey and the joy of special interests, revealing how his experiences shaped his recent autism diagnosis. The conversation also celebrates contest winners, showcasing the emotional depth of their writing and the healing power of creative expression.

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ANECDOTE

Tim Clare's Early Writing Calling

Tim Clare knew from age four he wanted to be a writer and never imagined any other profession. - His early awareness framed his lifelong dedication to making words work harder than usual.

ADVICE

Reject Guilt-Driven Writing

Avoid forcing writing through guilt or rigid rules; it's okay to find writing difficult. - Neurotypical writing advice often worsens difficulty for autistic writers and should be reconsidered.

ADVICE

Write Your Own Way

Don't obey rigid writing commandments that ignore diverse brain wiring or personal contexts. - Allow yourself to find your own way; there's no single right method for writing.

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An episode that doesn’t have to travel far to tell a story worth sharing!

In Episode 136 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr Angela Kingdon sits down with fellow author, poet, and performer Tim Claire, to dive into something every Autistic writer calls to: finding your creative calling.

Plus, we announce our amazing winners from our third writing contest. You showed us the joy, the obsession, the comfort, the heartbreak, and the magic of falling in love with the thing that makes life worth living!Here are our top two entries.

OUR WINNER 🥇"To my dearest, softest, pastel sage finger weight yarn…”by Kaleigh E

THE RUNNER UP 🥈

“The Written Word” by Katie Robin.

Congrats to our winners! You can see their stories here.

Here’s what we cover in today’s episode:

* We read our winners from the third writing prompt for Neurodivergent Narratives and announce our 1st and 2nd prize winners. We received dozens of Epistolaries, which showed us the joy, obsession, comfort, heartbreak, and the magic of your special interests.

* Dr Angela and Tim discuss Tim’s career as a writer, his advice on working through writer’s block, his methods for creative writing, and why games have inspired his creative writing style.

* Tim shares his love for board games. He discusses his new book about why the history of board games is really the history of human civilisation, and reveals how writing it resulted in his Autism diagnosis.

* They discuss when he first recognized writing as his creative calling and what advice Tim would give someone unsure about following their own.

* Tim performs his poem ‘In Portishead’ to inspire our writers for the next contest.

Tim Claire is the author of The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too, The Honours, The Ice House, and We can’t all be Astronauts (winner Best Biography/Memoir – 2009 East Anglian Book Awards).

He presents the creative writing podcast DEATH OF 1000 CUTS for anyone who wants to know how to write a novel, write great fiction, and get published.

He is a stand-up poet with several award-winning 5-star shows under his belt. He has performed his work on BBC 1, 2, Radio 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, and has written for The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The Big Issue and Writing magazine, amongst others.

Neurodivergent Narratives Presents: The “Local Color (Colour!)” Contest

Write where you are. No, literally.

Inspired by a creative technique known as local color (and by the wise writing of Tim Clare), this week’s prompt brings us back to the ground, literally. You don’t have to travel far to tell a story worth sharing. The details you notice are worth writing about. The way you see the world is worth capturing. So lace up your shoes—or open your window—and take a closer look!

PROMPT: Take a walk within just a few hundred meters of your home. Write about what you observe.

⚠️Your travel writing may not be any longer than 500 words.

This isn’t therapy.This is voice reclamation.

Submit entry.Let Your Voice Be Heard.

💌 Good luck, writers. We’re saving you a seat.

THE ESSENTIALS:🖊️ Open to: Everyone🗓️ Deadline: Wednesday, June 4th at 12 PM ET / 5 PM UK💷 Prize: £10 each week📘 Publication: Winning entries go on our Substack and in the annual Neurodivergent Narratives anthologyTHE RULES:No PlagiarismNo Hate SpeechNo Explicit or Graphic ContentSubmit as many times as you wishYou do not need to be present or subscribe to participateEntries after the deadline will not be consideredAll decisions are finalFull Contest Rules are here.

Use the hashtag #localcolor on social media to share this contest.

Submit Your Entry Here: https://forms.gle/FVK4p11Kmip6T7G2AResources:

Tim Claires website

Tim’s podcast - Death of 1000 cuts (for anyone who wants to know how to write a novel, write great fiction, and get published)Tim’s writing in the Guardian on his latest book and his love for Board games

Amazon link to Tim’s book: The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too

Related Episodes:

Neurodivergent Narratives (Episode 84)

Introducing the Weekly Writing Contest (Episode 130) - Writing Prompt #26

I'm So Confused (Episode 132) - Writing Prompt #27

Recovering from Burnout (Episode 134) - Writing Prompt #28

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