# From labels to layers how fiction helped me see my brain

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-neurodivergent-connection-the-curious-storyteller-4254621/from-labels-to-layers-how-fiction-helped-me-see-my-brain
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-neurodivergent-connection-the-curious-storyteller-4254621/from-labels-to-layers-how-fiction-helped-me-see-my-brain.md
Podcast: [The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-neurodivergent-connection-the-curious-storyteller-4254621)
Published: 2026-04-10T17:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergentconnection-thecuriousstroyteller/from-labels-to-layers-how-fiction-helped-me-see-my-brain
Audio file: https://pdcn.co/e/https://audio.ausha.co/qrkXZu4GK9O6.mp3?t=1775330360
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-neurodivergent-connection-the-curious-storyteller-4254621/episodes/from-labels-to-layers-how-fiction-helped-me-see-my-brain
Duration seconds: 3381

## Resource

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…

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