From labels to layers how fiction helped me see my brain

Seeing Ourselves in Fiction: Neurodivergent Characters That Actually Feel Real with Author Luna Westish

Representation isn’t just about labels—it’s about feeling seen. Today, I sit down with debut author Luna Westish to explore how fiction can shift how we understand Autism, ADHD, anxiety, and ourselves.

You’ll hear how Luna wrote a character readers either relate to deeply or find frustrating and why both reactions matter. I reveal the surprising moments that made me rethink labels, we compare “token” characters to fully human ones, and you’ll discover how inner monologue, sensory detail, and own voices storytelling can change empathy without turning pain into plot armor.

We also talk about growth that doesn’t erase struggle, the lines between honest depiction and drama, and why reading outside our comfort zones prepares us for real life at home, in classrooms, and in community.

If you’ve never seen yourself on the page, this conversation offers a starting point and a few questions that might change what you pick up next

About the Guest

Luna Westish is the author of Meet Me at the Ruins, a character-driven novel that threads anxiety, relationships, and messy growth with care. She’s also taught business to kids and adults, worked in federal policy, and made jewelry because one lane was never going to cut it.

Key Timestamps

• 0:03 – Why fiction can change how we see our own minds

• 2:06 – The first time a character felt “too familiar”

• 6:49 – What representation gets wrong (and what’s finally improving)

• 10:01 – Sensory layers that make characters believable

• 11:22 – Real vs. tokenized: the role of inner life

• 13:07 – Do labels help—or do subtleties matter more?

• 15:19 – Writing Meet Me at the Ruins: when representation found her

• 19:10 – Writing as healing (and why it can feel like therapy)

• 24:27 – Honoring struggle without exploiting it

• 29:04 – Showing growth without minimizing the hard stuff

• 32:50 – Why “just a story” isn’t just a story

• 44:14 – Readers who felt seen—and why that matters

• 51:46 – Where to find Luna’s book and connect

Resources: lunawestish.com • bookshop.org • Available via libraries on Hoopla and Libby

If this episode resonated, subscribe, rate, and share it with a parent, educator, caregiver, or friend. Your support helps our community grow.

#Neurodiversity #Fiction #MentalHealth #Autism #ADHD

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.

🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: [email protected]

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.