THE CHALLENGE Alex had a powerful story about their late autism diagnosis but struggled with narrative structure, pacing, and finding the central theme. The raw emotion was there, but it needed shaping to reach its full impact.

MY SOLUTION I worked with Alex to identify the core emotional arc of 'From Confusion to Clarity,' then restructured their essay to build along this journey, strengthening metaphors and polishing language while preserving their authentic voice.

"I got my diagnosis at 35. It was weird. I always felt like an alien but now I had a reason. I cried that day. Relieved, that my whole life made sense suddenly. All the struggles in school, with friends..."

"The psychologist's words hung in the air: 'Autism Spectrum Disorder.' At 35, I expected to feel labelled. Instead, I felt located. For the first time, the map of my life had a legend, and all the treacherous paths I'd struggled to navigate—the social dead ends, the sensory avalanches—finally had a name. It all made sense now."

THE IMPACT The end result and impact in the changes produced a story with a little more cohesion, flow and narrative with a strong and clear voice that stayed true to Alex's original authentic voice.

If you would like to work together, reach out right here on Contra or find me through my email: mnatashabwalya@gmail.com. If you would like to read more from me, find me on Substack or Medium or connect with me on LinkedIn.