Different Minds Build Different Worlds: J.M. Shaw on Autism, ADHD & Fantasy Storytelling

Different Minds Build Different Worlds What happens when fantasy becomes more than escape? What happens when the worlds an author creates become places where identity, difference, strength, fear, belonging, and human struggle can be explored without limits? On this episode of The CJ Moneyway Show, CJ sits down with Canadian fantasy author J.M. Shaw, a neurodivergent storyteller, mother, martial artist, psychology enthusiast, and creator of the Callum Walker series. J.M. has built an expansive fantasy universe through: • Callum Walker: The Fractured Veil • The Ascension • The Convergence • Forsaken Souls Her stories move through magical wars, fractured realms, supernatural conflict, destiny, power, and survival. But the deeper story exists beyond the fantasy. J.M. has spoken openly about autism and ADHD diagnoses within her family and about the way neurodivergence has influenced how she understands herself and the people around her. That perspective does not simply exist outside her writing. It helps shape how she sees character, motivation, difference, internal struggle, and strength. IN THIS EPISODE CJ and J.M. explore: • Where her love of storytelling began • Why fantasy became her creative home • Building the Callum Walker universe • The inspiration behind The Fractured Veil • How autism and ADHD have influenced her creative perspective • Motherhood and understanding neurodivergence as a family • Why different minds can bring different strengths to storytelling • The connection between psychology and character development • How martial arts informs discipline, conflict, movement, and resilience • Creating magical wars that reflect recognizable human struggles • Writing characters who face identity, destiny, fear, and belonging • The discipline necessary to build a multi-book fantasy saga • What she hopes readers find inside the worlds she creates THE BIGGER MONEYWAY LESSON One of the most important ideas behind this conversation is simple: Difference is not the absence of ability. Sometimes the way someone processes the world differently becomes part of the way they contribute something the world has never seen before. J.M. Shaw’s journey invites us to reconsider the labels we place on people—and the assumptions we make about how intelligence, creativity, discipline, and strength are supposed to look. Your mind does not have to work like everyone else’s to build something meaningful. Sometimes the different perspective becomes part of the gift. That’s Built For Purpose. ABOUT J.M. SHAW J.M. Shaw is a Canadian independent fantasy author from Alberta whose creative interests include storytelling, psychology, martial arts, neurodivergence, and the construction of complex fantasy worlds. She is the creator of the Callum Walker series, which includes The Fractured Veil, The Ascension, The Convergence, and Forsaken Souls. Her work combines mythology, magical conflict, fractured worlds, internal struggle, destiny, and character-driven fantasy. CONNECT WITH J.M. SHAW Website: @J.M. Shaw Website LinkedIn: @J.M. Shaw LinkedIn Instagram: @J.M. Shaw Instagram Facebook: @J.M. Shaw Facebook YouTube: @J.M. Shaw YouTube Books: @J.M. Shaw Books CONNECT WITH CJ MONEYWAY Website: https://cjmoneyway.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themoneywayshow8493 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c-j-moneyway-show/id1707761906 Listen on All Platforms: https://pod.link/1707761906 Book CJ Moneyway: https://calendly.com/cj-cjmoneywayshow/60min Rate & Review The Show: https://ratethispodcast.com/cjmoneyway CJ MONEYWAY EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS Build Wealth — Protect Health You’re building financial freedom. Don’t neglect your physical foundation while doing it. ReadyRx provides accessible, modern treatment options designed for driven leaders who value long-term performance. Use the CJ Moneyway exclusive link below to receive a minimum of $40 off your order. Some products offer even greater savings. Access here: https://readyrx.com/treatments/se?coupon=cjmoney Minimum savings: $40 Some products include higher discounts. The Seidel Agency Referral: http://theseidelagency.com/Referral THE MONEYWAY MOVE Identify one thing about yourself that you have spent years trying to make look “normal.” Then ask a different question: What strength, perspective, creativity, or understanding might exist inside the very thing I have been trying to hide? Listen. Watch. Subscribe. Share. Rate and review. Then take one principle from the conversation and put it into action. Brick by Brick. That’s The CJ Moneyway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.