Chapter 14 of "Friends with Autism" (outline) is now posted!

See full outline here: https://patreon.com/posts/43115929

The comic strip I recently posted cost $145 (https://www.furaffinity.net/view/39494030/). The illustration I recently posted cost nearly $120 (https://www.furaffinity.net/view/39297389/).

If you love what you see, then I invite you to my Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/Starponys87). I’m offering special benefits for supporters pledging $10 or more. What benefits would you like to receive?

For my Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/Starponys87), here is my current draft:

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Starponys: Friends with Autism ("The Spectrum of Friendship")

Nightlight is an autistic unicorn training to become a princess. She must learn to be a friend -- and build her own world of friendship. With the right attitude, Nightlight finds that autism is not her limiting factor! Anyone can learn how to connect with others. Moreover, she learns that social skills are not as natural as they're cracked up to be.

Along the way, Nightlight makes five autistic friends: David Starlyre (ground pony, stallion), Dragonshy (pegasus, stallion), Sparklefire (pegasus, mare), Precious Sapphire (unicorn, mare), and Applewood (ground pony, mare). These six friends represent the great spectrum of higher-functioning autism.

In addition, the "Rainbow 6" share one neurotypical friend: Flying Colors (pegasus, mare). In their experience, it's not always easier for autistics to get along with other autistics. Neurotypicals are often more predictable. In learning to help her autistic friends, "Fly" has realized she also has a lot to learn about social skills.

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Starponys: Friends with Autism ("The Spectrum of Friendship") © and ™ of M. Wayne Howell (starponys87@gmail.com), along with all characters therein.

The brony fanbase has helped many of different religions find common ground -- to share the love of friendship.

If I weren't Christian, I wouldn't care about friendship or forgiveness. In trying to be inclusive, I hope the staff doesn't forget about bronies such as me.

I feel much like Spike in Season 2. I'm caught between a right-wing group that definitively rejects me -- and a left-wing group that doesn't properly understand me.

The ponies think I'm one of the dragons. The dragons think I'm one of the ponies. I feel almost without a home.

If I am a dragon, then I'm one wishes to include others the way I want to be.

Like Spike in Season 6, I want to be an ambassador of friendship. There are changelings starving for love -- and some of them long to see the light. There are some dragons feeling the same way.

When we return hostility with hostility, we do nothing good. We only generate defensiveness, resentment, and rage. And then we ourselves start bullying one another.

With the "Season 10" comics, I accept inclusion of different people. I just hope new issues don't virtually demand me to endorse things against my religion. Then I would be excluded.

Given the Christian basis for friendship and forgiveness, that would be a great shame. If MLP is to remain truly inclusive, we cannot make relatively decent people feel left out for being "heretics".

As it turns out, my birthday is a federal holiday.

From a story I edited for a client -- but largely rewrote in the process.

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“Back when I had an angry temper," said Spotter, "I thought I was showing people they couldn’t mess with me. Instead … I just made myself a bigger target.”

“I guess standing up for yourself is not as simple as I thought,” remarked Scuttle.

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Moments earlier:

Lucky asked, “Will you be staying at the manor this evening?”

“Actually…,” replied Speckles. She looked toward her husband with a grin. “We’re going to be staying at my parents’ house.”

Spotter laughed. “Yep! Where I get to hear her dad remind me, once again, how — if it wasn’t for his daughter, I would be a lonely toothless Haposaur.”

“Oh, Spotter!” giggled Speckles. “At least he doesn’t still call you the ‘Haposaur punching bag’. Or ‘Toothless Temper’. Or —”

“I get it,” he interrupted. He waved his arms out in front of himself.

Here is a second sample of my writing. It comes from a story I edited for a client -- but I largely rewrote it in the process.

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As the two boys charged down the street, they had to dodge other Haposaurs. They also had to get around the occasional carriage. Some carriages were pulled by dino-horses. Others were pulled by big strong Haposaurs.

Scuttle brushed against one of the dino-horses. The creature gave a startled cry. The noise sounded somewhere between a “neigh” and a “roar”.

Lucky was gasping for air. He kept straining to get more speed, but his legs were already feeling sore. He was starting to feel the pain, and his face could no longer hide it.

Scuttle himself was starting to pant. Still, he was running strong. He looked back toward his smaller friend.

“Come on, Lucky!” he called. “I haven’t even reached my top speed yet!”

“Scuttle!” cried Lucky, pointing ahead. “Watch out!”

CRASH!

“My baby!” cried a frightened woman’s voice.

Scuttle fell flat on his back. The fall knocked the wind out of him.

“I got her!” cried a man’s voice.

A baby girl started to cry.

By this time, Lucky had caught up to the scene.

Scuttle lay motionless on the ground, his eyes closed. For the moment, all he could see was stars in his eyes.

“Scuttle!” cried Lucky. He kneeled down and lifted his friend’s head off the ground. “Are you alright?”

The orange Haposaur groaned in pain and confusion. His nose was red with soreness.

Scuttle had just crashed into a baby carriage. He crashed so hard that it flung the baby nearly ten feet away. The father dived toward the pavement — catching her just in time.

Here is a small sample of my writing. This comes from a story I edited for a client -- but I largely rewrote it in the process.

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The two boys rushed their way through the great big yard. They cut through the grassy hills, heading for the street.

“Slowpoke!” teased Scuttle, looking back at Lucky.

“We’ll see about that!” called Lucky. “I’m not out of the race yet!”

Lucky pushed his legs to go faster. Even so, he was already starting to pant. Scuttle gave him a big smirk.

“Let me see you do your best!” Scuttle called back. “Then you can see how fast I really am!”

For my project, I am starting to commission actual comic strips. As you might imagine, this can get a bit pricey.

For those who join my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/Starponys87), I offer special favors for pledges $10 and up. If you really love what you see, feel free to invite your friends, too!

As always, thank you very much for your support! I'm building big things -- one bit at a time.

As an autistic person, I have learned that autism is not my limiting factor. Anyone can be a friend -- and learn to make friends. In fact, social skills are not as natural as popularly thought! To share my discovery, I am developing the following book series: Starponys: Friends with Autism.

Right now, I am building the outline for my first story. In addition, I am developing concept art for the characters. Currently, I am raising money to commission more illustrations. For more details, see my Profile page!

This makes two in the same day.

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2020.....-3412.html?m=1

Original picture:
https://www.deviantart.com/starpony.....tiaa-843825036

One of my pictures featured before on Equestria Daily got featured again!

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2020.....-3404.html?m=1

Original picture: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/36866467/

As a Christian, I have long struggled to accept the way God works. It's been hard to admit it to myself, but my heart has not wanted to wait for God to handle injustice. Part of me has wanted to stop feeling dependent on him. I have wanted to take what God won't give me.

I must remind myself -- my mission is not to change the government. My mission is to care for others and show people how to do the same. When a critical number of people do this, the reforms we need will naturally unfold.

I cannot bring Heaven to Earth. But I can bring Heaven into my own heart.

Too many fighting for justice are defined by what they hate -- rather than friendship. As it turns out, the enemy of our enemy is not always our friend.

As you probably noticed, my work closely parodies parts of MLP. Nightlight is like an autistic Twilight.

For my parody of the Mane 6, I'm thinking of an "Autistic 6" plus a seventh character who is neurotypical.

Feel free to give me your suggestions!

https://www.patreon.com/Starponys87

On my Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/Starponys87), I have earned my first $10! (It was $13, but fees reduced it to $10.73.)

As mentioned before, my great project is a book series featuring autistic ponies. I am raising money to produce more concept art -- along with story illustrations. Here is the basic premise:

Nightlight is an autistic unicorn training to become a princess. She must learn how to be a friend -- and build a world of friendship. With the right attitude, Nightlight finds that autism is not her limiting factor! Anyone can learn how to connect with others. Moreover, she learns that social skills are not as natural as they're cracked up to be.

If you would love to support this project, I encourage you to check out my membership options. For those who pledge more than $10, I offer special rewards!

Something I have learned about peaceful co-existence is this: We must learn to love people we don't like. Love doesn't always mean we have to like someone. It just means we feel warm and charitable -- rather than bitter or spiteful.

People can have some clashing morals -- yet care for one another.

For example, I believe a husband and wife are to treat each other as family. Normally, as I think most agree with, we are not to abandon our children just for being a disappointment. It takes a lot more than that to warrant disowning them. As a Christian, I believe a similar rule applies between husband and wife.

When it comes to romance, my biggest problem is with men who cheat their wives -- and women who cheat their husbands. As I understand it, the great sin of Israel was adultery -- both physical and spiritual.

If I were a marriage counselor, I could not accept clients who I believe abandoned their spouses for no good reason. They would need to be transferred to someone who doesn't have that conflict of interest. For peaceful co-existence, we need this provision as a reasonable accommodation.

Starponys: Friends with Autism ("Unicorn Syndrome")

​Nightlight is an autistic unicorn, in training to become a princess. She must learn how to be a friend -- and build a world of friendship. With the right attitude, Nightlight finds that autism is not her limiting factor! Anyone can learn how to connect with others. Moreover, she learns that social skills are not as natural as they're cracked up to be.

To support this project, you can go to my Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/Starponys87. I offer writing commissions, and I offer special merch to celebrate autistic people!

Poverty knows no color. Neither does privilege. Any time one bloodline is considered greater than another, it is racist. Black versus white is a smokescreen that hides the true evil: aristocracy and its willing minions.

Every caste system is racist — even when the rich and poor look exactly the same. Such tends to be the case with aristocracy. Every time one family line is considered inherently superior to another, it is racism.

“White privilege” is misleading. The true privilege is class privilege. “White privilege” is something pushed by rich oppressors to give poor whites a false sense of superiority. Giving poor whites a way to feel superior helps keep poor people poor — both white and black.

Writing commissions? Role play (family friendly)? What are your thoughts?

For those of you who feel a lot like your mothers, I have a shirt for you: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/1.....-mom-with-love. (Fun fact: I share my mother's eyes and hair.) For other T-shirts (and other TeePublic merchandise), see here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/starponys.

Whenever you buy my merchandise, you help me create more of my Starponys content! Most of my artwork is commissioned, and it is really useful to have extra spending money. (In addition, I have opened my tip jar on FA.)

How many times have you read an article like this: “A loving mother killed her mentally handicapped child”?

See more here:

https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/9589238/

https://t.co/yqsUqis6Ws?amp=1

All my life, I have wanted to identify as normal. I have always been embarrassed or ashamed to identify as anything else. For me, it is a cultural shock to find a culture where people are proud to call themselves autistic. Meeting them for the first time, I could have made some the same basic social mistakes that many neurotypicals might make with them. For example -- person-first language.

I don't think I have ever liked to call myself "autistic" or an "aspie". For me, person-first language seems to be a way to brush off the part of me that I don't want to be noticed (i.e., "I have Asperger's Syndrome" -- rather than "I am autistic / an aspie"). My mother, who is neurotypical, seems to have been more familiar with autistic culture than I myself have been!

In addition, I have always preferred to say "I have AS" -- rather than "I have autism". I really have not cared to consider myself "autistic" or even "high-functioning autistic" -- despite accepting that I'm on the "autistic spectrum". Rather, I have liked to think of AS as almost its own thing (related but fundamentally different).

When I really think about it, I believe many neurotypicals may understand me better than many autistics would. Overall, I may be more in tune with the language of neurotypicals than the language of many autistics. I think many neurotypicals would actually have more patience with things that seem slightly weird to them. If my mother had been autistic, I believe she would have had a much more terrible time raising me.

My mindset kind of reminds me of black people who are fully integrated into the historically white culture. They may be so colorblind that they don't even think about their color. Such "colorblindness" has been something I've been trying to achieve with myself. Just as some blacks may be accused of acting "white", I might well get accused of acting "neurotypical" or something.

Apparently many of my fellow autistics don't want to integrate into the greater society as much as I thought. They want the right to -- but only for equal protection of the law. It reminds me of many blacks who don't care so much about integrating into the historically white culture. Again, they value the right -- regardless of how much they want to be part of the other culture. Some of the reasons are understandable, yet it is a shock to the colorblind culture that many civil rights activists have stood for.

The very thought of colorblindness -- rather than everyone being proud to identify their own color -- may be more of a white person's construct than I originally thought. Instead of being "colorblind", maybe we should celebrate the spectrum of colors -- and the different cultures that go with it. Along with the spectrum between autistic and neurotypical -- and their respective range of cultures.

This passage from a horrible article would sound laughable — if it weren’t so tragic:

On a windy, cold night this week, Elizabeth Hodgins, a devoted and loving mother from Sunnyvale, took a gun and shot her child and then herself. No note was found.

https://web.archive.org/web/2014062.....om/ci_20139097

Here is a poll that I have posted on DeviantArt:

Do you want a law that makes sure everyone can get the basic care they need?

This popular piece of artwork (https://www.furaffinity.net/view/36866467/) has made it to this page in Equestria Daily:

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2020.....-3404.html?m=1

By the way, I offer this picture as a print, a T-shirt, a phone case, and various other forms:

https://www.deviantart.com/starpony.....Bits-845969369

https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/1.....tore_id=336849

Your support would really help me in being able to produce more of these compositions. I have my visions, but I need to commission other artists to get the most professional execution.