PRIDE MONTH FEATURE PITCH: HOW WRITING THE HOLLOW VALE SAVED MY LIFE: Queer Author Alexander Paul Burton on Mental Health, Masculinity, and the Power of Fantasy

PRIDE MONTH FEATURE PITCH: HOW WRITING THE HOLLOW VALE SAVED MY LIFE
Queer Author Alexander Paul Burton on Mental Health, Masculinity, and the Power of Fantasy

For Men’s Health, Mental Wellness & Pride Features

• Writing as Healing: Alexander Paul Burton opens up about estrangement from family, mental health struggles, and using storytelling as a form of psychological resilience.

• Neurodivergent and Proud: Living with focus and spelling challenges, he uses AI tools and alternative routines to stay productive — reframing tech as a support, not a crutch.

• Emotional Fitness for Men: Burton advocates for redefining masculinity through softness, vulnerability, and creative strength — a perspective inspired by his own journey.

What Is The Hollow Vale?

A queer fantasy novel set in a post-Roman Britain inspired by Burton’s childhood in Somerset. It blends myth, memory, and mental health in a lyrical, character-driven story about grief, survival, and chosen family.

“I didn’t write The Hollow Vale to be successful. I wrote it to stay alive.”

Masculinity, Reimagined as a Gay Male

• No macho posturing — just quiet bravery.

• Characters cry, make mistakes, heal.

• Fantasy that lets boys and men feel deeply.

• Queer identity and male tenderness are front and centre.

Topics Journalists Can Explore

• How self-publishing gave Burton a voice after years of silence

• The link between estrangement, depression, and creative breakthrough

• What it means to be a neurodivergent man in a hyper-competitive industry

• How fantasy worlds can offer therapy without stigma

• The rituals and routines he uses to stay mentally well — from music to movement

Quotes to Pull

“Masculinity doesn’t have to mean silence.”
“There’s no mental gym for young queer men — so I built one in a book.”
“Focus, grief, shame, survival — The Hollow Vale is where I put it all.”
“Self-publishing saved me. It gave me structure when nothing else did.”
“Being queer and neurodivergent doesn’t make you broken — it means you build things differently.”

Wellness Extras

• Burton has composed original music albums to accompany the book — soundscapes for meditation, emotional regulation, and focus.

• He’s launching a podcast called Marketing For New Musicians: Stop Pissing Your Money Up the Wall, discussing mental clarity, budgeting, and self-belief for creative men.

Interview Availability

Alexander now lives in Toronto and is available for interviews by Zoom or podcast, especially around:

• Male mental health

• Creative identity

• Writing as recovery

• Neurodivergence and masculinity

• Self-publishing as an act of self-worth