He’s not OCD. He’s just like me.

In discussing Something Missing with a book club last night, the subject of my protagonist’s obsessive-compulsive disorder arose, as it tends to do. I was asked if Martin’s OCD was difficult to sustain throughout the novel and if any research into the condition was required.

As I often tell people, I didn’t know that Martin had OCD until much later on, after people began reading the book and saying, “Wow. That poor guy has a serious case of OCD. Huh?”

“No,” I would think. “Martin doesn’t have OCD. He’s just systematic and organized. He’s acting like me.”

Granted, I do not think I suffer from OCD, and many people have told me that they do not believe that Martin suffers from the condition. But I’ve also received emails from more than a dozen readers who have obsessive-compulsive disorder thanking me for portraying Martin’s condition with such dignity.

So what gives?

When I set out to write Something Missing, I did not envision a protagonist with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Instead, I saw a man whose career choice would require him to be methodical, rule-oriented, and unwavering in his meticulous approach to life. And while I certainly don’t possess these qualities to the degree that Martin does, they are all a part of my life to one degree or another.

I tend to be meticulous and methodical in what I do. I establish patterns, rituals, and rules to improve my efficiency and speed in completing tasks. I, too, am hyper-organized and a minimalist, constantly eliminating unnecessary things to simplify my existence. Parents often ask me why I was given the biggest classroom in my school, and I have to point out that all the classrooms are the same size.

Mine is just a lot emptier than most.

But ask my friends and family if I suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder,r and I think they would say no. They might tell you that I possess some obsessive-compulsive traits, but not nearly enough to rise to the level of a disorder. And that’s what I think about Martin. If he’s obsessive-compulsive, it’s only because his career demands it. It’s a help and not a hindrance to his life, and therefore,e I have never viewed his condition as a genuine disorder.

Ironically, the protagonist in my second book, Unexpectedly, Milo, undoubtedly has obsessive-compulsive disorder, the debilitating version that can consume one’s life.

I wonder what people will think of Martin after getting to know Milo.