Member Spotlight: Miya Sae

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is crucial, both as a method of communication and as an art form. As an autistic person who struggled with verbal communication most of my life, writing has always been an empowering saving grace. Weaving words together paints pictures in unique ways that other forms of media can’t.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I either push through it and start pounding out incoherent word vomit just to get the gears turning, or I take breaks and find distractions to keep my mind company for some time. As a neurodivergent who hyperfixates on special interests, this usually isn’t too difficult to do.

What is your favorite time to write? No specific time of day. Sometimes I can sit down for hours for a writing grind, and sometimes random sentences or chunks of text will come to mind when I’m out and about. I always jot them down in a notes app.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Don’t get married to your early drafts. I can’t tell you how often I’ve looked back at old, rushed fanfiction I’ve written and cringed to the point of deletion—even though I thought those pieces were flawless at the time of posting. The same goes for writing books. Give it time, be open to constructive criticism, and when needed, leave it alone for a while and come back with fresh eyes.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? It’s a privilege to get to use my voice this way. I love the versatility of writing, from sharing my story in raw vulnerability in my memoir to writing informative articles to creating silly, nerdy fanfiction. The possibilities are endless, and I hope, for anyone who desires to read what I have to offer, that it will add color to their lives.

Miya Sae’s The Autistic Whosoever: Autism, Confusion, and Following Jesus is out now with Ambassador International.