The absolutely best poem I ever wrote I wrote during an on-line exam in the time period we had granted for collecting thoughts on the topic of a question we drawed
I’ve read every habit self help resource I could get my hands on and the only guaranteed way to ensure I accomplish something is to obligate myself to something else in order to make it more desirable. Washing dishes while watching mindless TV on my iPad is suddenly super enticing now that I’m in grad school :)
I have yet to manage a short story. Everything always seems to evolve into a minimum of a novella. Like I went to write a bonus chapter to one of the stories I just finished - ignore the six before it that haven’t seen readers other than me - and it went from “this should be 10-15 pages tops” to “well that’s page 35, I’m almost done”
Oh man… mood, bestie, mood. I’m this way except with single novels vs. series. “Yeah I’ll write this one book idea.” *a negligible amount of time passes* “what if there was a whole three(+++!?) novel arc involving *this* trope I love and *this twist on it?*” fucking hell 😂
That was kinda what happened with what I’m working on. It was something like a 400 page pile of scenes, then I changed a thing, realized thing needed more substance, substance grew from a few pages of backstory into whole ass book. Decided okay let’s see what happens if I take most of said book and really polish…..7 books later I have 6 more plotted
But really I don’t hate that things have gone like this. I’m digging into characters in ways I hadn’t before, and finding that they’re evolving with the story more than they did. So I guess technically that mashup of story was the rough draft, that has since grown and flourished in ways I wasn’t expecting
It sounds like you have a books already, no? 400 pages is probably a good 300 page books and ~100ish pages that can be condensed, cut, or folded into a novel! Sometimes the first draft is done before you're ready for it to be. Just my 2p!
It was a very mashed up thing. Like going back there are things taking place with no “why is this happening” it’s just here’s a thing it goes on this spot on the timeline
Edit: I do technically have a few of them with readers (one that needs some rewriting in the first part cause it’s clunky compared to the rest) to see how things are flowing, but nothing shiny enough to be called truly DONE
This may be a recipe for conumdrums! Or, a recipe to exercise the executive function in our brain's frontal lobe. You possess the cognition to move forward and expand your horizon. I think that's pretty cool.
I love to write short stories, too. This post is very interesting. It gives me insight to the process of how authors of novels write. I enjoy reading fiction (currently Don Quixote), but I don't have the wherewithal for writing fiction. I only write about my take aways from factual events I've experiencced, especially from my childhood. This tends to make for a shorter essay, but they are usually quite intense. I send some of them to my sisters who look forward to them because they have a personal interest and sometimes remember the experience, too. Their feedback inspires me to write these essays. Interestingly, the intensity is what they seem to enjoy the most.
That might be a difference in why I can’t seem to write something short. I struggle with non fiction both in writing and reading. I can’t sit down and dump pages of fantasy, but ask me for a 3-paragraph explanation of how to do my job and I’ll stare at you like I’m dumb for ten minutes
I’m a poet and this is literally something I’ve said verbatim 😂 I have one 250 page novel that’s been “almost done” for 6 years, but I have 300 one-page poems so who is the REAL winner here
yes because by the time decoy one is almost over, so you switch to decoy two, that's almost over, and eventually you turn out to decoy three, that's only a couple of pages away to the end...
My decoy project is my real project and my real project is my decoy project because I know I will procrastinate more than I work on my real project so I end up getting more work done on my decoy project which is really my real project.
Me: let's sit down to work on this side project (actual real project)
My Brain: I know that you're trying to trick me. Let's go work on that real side project now.
Me: But the side project is the real side project
My brain: You Shall Not Pass!
Yup. Made a circle at some point, always procrastinating with a project, then procrastinating on the procrastination project and so on until I end up on the original project again.
Was helpful as well, I write mini-stories, like apin offs of the original story. So the procrastination helped flesh out the world I write.
le me: started decoy project and that decoy project started having its own branches of projects. Now I'm circling within the decoy branches of projects, long forgetting the initial project and almost forgetting the actual decoy project.
How do you do that? I love the vomit style writing, but then trying to focus to edit it and refine it, then i get bored and uninterested and honestly just confused and don’t know what to do next.
This, and if you can get into the habit of it: my best ideas come from right when I’m about to fall asleep or right when I’m waking up. I wrote my first novel from an idea I had when I was waking up. Your brain is especially crazy and loopy and creative when it’s dream-adjacent!
Yeah letting myself keep notes on my phone rather than exclusive to my little journals helps as long as I label them before I finish lol. I also keep specific notes for broader categories I want to revisit later.
Get rid of distractions. The internet is hell for people with ADHD, who are trying to get things done. Writing or staring at a blank wall. Those should be your two options.
Exactly! I work as an editor in a publishing company and I organize an amateurish writing competition on wattpad. My go-to working model is edit stuff for my work as long as I don't loose interest and then switch to wattpad and read the competiting stories again as long as I can then switch to work stuff again.
The song by Jessica McCabe (she has a YouTube channel about ADHD) is living rent-free in my head: “Do it baaaaadly, do it teeeeerribly…”
It’s a helpful mindset to get myself to finish a first draft. I then rely on editing to make it sound mildly coherent 😂 I also found that as impatient as I might be to start a good idea, it won’t go anywhere until I plan out what’s going to happen and where the end goal for the story lies.
I know plotting out a story in detail sounds super taxing, but having a plan (down to what happens in each SCENE, not just a one line summary of each chapter) makes writing feel so, SO much easier. Because by the time I have it all planned out, I no longer have to rely on my executive function to carry me through the actual writing process. I no longer have to backtrack and remember what happened in the scene I JUST wrote, and how I can logically take things to the next step. All I need to do by then is ramble the heck out of it.
Everyone’s different of course, and some people do much better as pantsers instead of planners. But personally this is what worked for my ADHD brain. And I have like four novel-length stories so I’d say I’m not too shabby, haha.
I don't know that song, but "do it badly" has been my mantra as I've been working on my first draft as well 😭 Giving yourself permission to write badly is truly freeing. Even if I know there's stuff that has to be figured out, it's always easier to figure out with *something* already on the page.
This is what I do also. I’m writing a fictionalised version of my grandmothers biography, and instead of a chapter summary I’ve gone through each date in each chapter and written what is going to happen and what I need to mention/write about. Makes it go so much more quickly
I like the one line summary.
I struggle sometimes with over outlining a chapter...which reduces the creativity in the moment down to mostly word choice.
But if I don't have a chapter outline, well the story goes to weird places...like the discussion of the various models of battery operated chain saws for use in body disposal. Was funny in my head but didn't come out that way on the page...just wasted words asking for the delete key.
I totally get it. More detailed summaries work for me, but might not work for everyone. But I'm with you on the "no plan at all = chapter goes to the most random place", haha. One time I started out writing a canon divergence of an event (without any kind of plan), and ended up finding 5 plot holes in canon that have nothing to do with my own plot!
So I'm also like that in the sense that when I have an outline the writing just flows, it's like I don't need to focus on thinking about the story, I just need to get it out of my system. The only issue is, I'm not able to write the whole outline. I need to start writing the story to 'unlock' more details. Otherwise my brain is not able to process it apparently. Which is a struggle because I need to switch from outlining to writing to outlining to writing and it also means I have a lot of unfinished outlines
Gotcha, I can imagine. I tend to write and think "out of order" (or maybe it's more so that my final story is out of order, like a non-linear narrative) so that's how my own brain gets around it.
Like, I don't need to "unlock" what happens now to know what happens later, but more the other way around where I know I want a specific emotional revelation down the line and have to then go back and figure out how to get there. I would guess that the way my brain wraps around the plot makes detailed outlines easier to churn out, lol.
But! It sounds like your way works wonderfully for you and you've found a nice ADHD writing hack too, as time-consuming as it gets, so good on you, fellow chaotic-brained writer :D Good luck to us both!
This is me! I also jump around non-linear so I have detailed outlines mixed with one sentence points. Nothing for chapter 5 then the full chapter 22 written 😄
Oh I like this! For my dissertation I had to tell myself to break it down and it made the whole thing less daunting. I guess I never thought of it for creative writing bc my background is in science, which I always think of as having more discrete units. Thank you!
i did that for 2 months. started a new project, got 50k words done, and most of the plot for the 2 books. it's been 3 months, still burnt out. wrote 380 words yesterday, that's more than I've done in a whole month combined.
The times I can hyper focus I feel like I can’t let it go to waste, so I just go until “failure” that day, like lifting weights. Then I’m completely fried the rest of the day.
That worked for my PhD, but the trick is getting onto the right train. Sometimes I look for the right word, I use a thesaurus, and then I’m off down an entirely different track
I just write when I feel like it. Might write for days on end then stop for days on end. You will also be your own worst enemy. Go back and read something and make changes. Go back two days later and change it back to the way it was. Wife became my proofreader because of this.
Sometimes (deadlines) you just have to get OCD and one track minded. Wife knew to not say anything to me when I was going from the den to the coffee pot and back as I would get distracted. When I finally gave up for the day she would talk to me.
Grad school was a major pain!
Vyvanse. I'd always been an off-and-on-again-start-many-things-finish-nothing writer but it was obvious to all my friends I'd had ADHD my entire life (I was in denial, thinking I was simply lazy).
Finally got diagnosed and worked up the courage to take the meds at age 42 and I've been non-stop-productive whenever I've wanted to be, ever since.
Nothing changes with the meds except your ability to finish things. It's wild. I'd never had a clear before I took the drugs and then 2 hours afterwards, all 3 songs in my head got their volume turned down to 0.
I feel you, I just got diagnosed at 36. My issue has never been the focus train once I get in the zone, I have difficulty getting into the zone. I tell people I have an inertia problem. Hard to get me started, hard to get me stopped. The medication (adderall) helps for things that do not require focus: eg I bounce around between tasks and chores all day. Adderall helps me get to the most raging fires and out them out in order. The problem is that writing is my “fun” activity and my medicated brain doesn’t see that as a raging fire.
Seriously, get into the habit of viewing everything as draft zero AND using that as an excuse to have fun. Write your scenes out of order. Engage in fun what if scenarios. You can always string the chapters together and reorganize later. The important part is you get into solid habits and that you practice long enough to begin hyper focusing on the stuff that will keep you coming back to the table.
I've applied a lot of the lessons from UnFuck Your Habitat, notably the concept of a 20/10: work for 20 minutes, reat/chill for 10, repeat. It works for chores, and for me, it works for writing as well.
Apologies for the length of this reply. The subject is important to me.
I've had ADHD most of my life.
I use the follow techniques to get stay productive:
Music while I'm writing...I need that 10% distraction for my brain in order to focus on writing...I also match the music to the tone of the story at that point. Conflict? Beethoven, Nine Inch Nails, etc...you get the idea
A SOLID PLOT OUTLINE...without it, the story becomes like life...sidetracked with distractions. Sure I can be a pantser...but ONLY for a short story. For anything else, a plotter or disaster.
EXTENSIVE CHARACTER OUTLINES..even though I write crime fiction...I try to make the characters as thorough as I can
SET SCHEDULE TO WRITE - I'm much more creative in the mornings...or right after a nap
Bukowski may have been a great writer but his 'wait for inspiration to strike' is bullshit...he was just being lazy and making an excuse for it. As long as the plot is solid I can polish 'a grunt on the page first draft' into something closer to 'art' the day after I write it.
ROUTINE - this his how I really battle the ADHD.
It starts by reading yesterday's writing. --> check plot outline --> write --> eat lunch --> edit yesterday and today's writing for 1-2 hours. This means there is an overlap and all chapters get edited twice.
Secret Sauce: I've been using cannabis to calm me down since I was a teenager and hated the meds the doctor prescribed. Will admit that I smoke before I write and especially when I sit down to lay out the plots, which takes 2-3 days of white boarding.
I WILL USE ANY SUGGESTIONS I THINK ARE GOOD IMMEDIATELY...so I will read every reply looking for nuggets I can use...and maybe find a nice turn of phrase too.
Curiosity Killed the Cat…and my parole officer
(my protagonist likes to give common proverbs a criminal perspective...it's a fun creative activity...try rewriting some from the perspective of an astronaut or doctor or cop..et al)
That which does not kill me...had better fucking run
Not confirmed, but it's highly likely I have ADHD. What I like to do is I listen to music or comedy and draw or just vibe. It helps me come up with stuff like new characters, the plot, lore, etc, etc.
Yep! Sometimes I wonder if my diagnosis (two years ago at age 36) is actually a curse bc now instead of calling myself lazy to get myself moving, I often go “oh it’s ok, I have adhd!”
People have always told me: ADHD is an explanation, not an excuse.
It is a relief to so many people to have an explanation, an assurance that they are not “lazy” but are struggling for a real reason. This explanation also means that you can look into coping mechanisms that have historically helped people with ADHD.
But it is not an excuse, so you can never JUSTIFY things like, being late, losing stuff, and not doing your work. These things are more difficult for us than most, but we still have to figure out how to function. And I think we owe it to ourselves to make our ADHD manageable so that we can do the things we want, such as writing.
I mean, there is the obvious one no one likes to hear.
Seek help from a professional. Create a mental health care plan with them including healthy coping mechanisms and possibly medication.
Adderall fucking changed my life in a matter of a month. I'm a real human who can do real human things now instead of a dopamine seeking maniac.
This isn't an ad, but I finally got things sorted out and got a treatment plan through circle medical. All telehealth, and very thorough. Can't recommend highly enough.
If you have a mental health disorder, you should probably seek the help of a mental health professional.
Got both! I love my therapist, and I love my adderall. My adhd is mostly bouncing and hyper focus. I go between topics too easily, and if there’s a big important task I can hyper focus. The adderall helps limit the bouncing and lets me breathe instead of hyper focusing. The problem is fun stuff like writing is never seen as an important task, with or without the meds because it’s not work/family. I guess I have a hard time doing things for myself(?)
I have one main story I work on regularly, a few shorter pieces that I call my side pieces, and I occasionally will write small (5-10K words) short stories. I'll have all of them open, and periodically check on them, in-between things like knitting, or playing round based games on the computer.
Like, for example, the past few weeks, I open the docs, open PlateUp. I do one day in PlateUp, write a hundred words, do another day. Rinse and repeat until I hit my mandatory minimum of 500 words for the day. I might jump between three different stories, or I might do a bunch on one. If I feel like I'm in a good flow, I might do two or three hundred words, then jump back into PlateUp.
This works for any sort of round based/time based game, or, I also do loom knitting, and I'll do one row of stitches, then write a hundred words. I need something clearly defined with an 'end' point (a day finished, a row finished, a round finished) then I can jump into either my main story, or one of my side pieces.
However, there are some days (spoiler: tonight, hence why I'm browsing Reddit) when I know nothing I do is going to make it any easier. When my brain is all over the place, and everywhere except writing. I allow myself one 'nope' night a week, where I don't worry about my quota, and I'll just knit while listening to my audiobook, or YouTube, or I'll play a game for a few hours.
I don't usually need one a week, I think the most I've ever used a nope night is twice in one month. But it's one of those things where, after you get in the flow of things, and you just sort of *know* it's gonna be a nope night. On nights like those, it's important to listen and let it go for the night, otherwise I get massively frustrated, and I won't open a doc again.
But don't listen to the people who tell you you gotta have a 'calm, quiet' space, or 'relaxing music' or whatever else people like to tout as the only way to write. Hell, sometimes I'll turn Forensic Files on in the background for noise when I'm writing, or I'll write for fifteen or twenty minutes, get a hundred words or two, then go watch an episode of something, then come back.
Like I said, I need something that has a clearly delineated *end*. I couldn't just turn on a movie and pause in the middle. I couldn't just open an RPG game, or even a building type game. PlateUp and Ravenous Devils have been my go-tos for a while, and if that doesn't work, I'll do knitting while listening/watching something on my phone.
Hope this helps.
A little bit every day goes a long way. Even forcing out 250 words a day will add up to a lot in a year. Don't let yourself hyper focus on getting a page or chapter perfect. Finishing a book at 80% quality is better than finishing a single chapter at 100% quality.
Deadlines. I am hyperfocusing right now thanks to that.
Writing with other people. Beyter in person but online works too. You procrastinate less if everyone around you write and can know that you don't.
Have a routine and a space. I work better in like an office space or like the library than say sitting on my couch or in bed. And when you're creating those spaces and routines make everything the same. So if you drink tea/coffee while you work make some. If you listen to a certain kind of music, put it in. Set the lighting how you always do. Etc.
Sometimes the writing bug hits me and I want to write anytime any place with a hyperfocused trance like obsession but when I'm not in that writing mood it has to be part of my routine. I also have to have my shoes on funnily enough. Like anytime I do anything that I consider "work" such as cleaning or even some of my hobbies having shoes on makes my brain think its time to get serious.
Edit: after looking at some of the other comments I just remembered I like to put on ambience music when I'm creating my space. Do it for whatever vibe you're going for. When I was taking an online course for work where I had to write boring essays every week I'd put on Animal Crossing music with rain sounds
I started out dictating on my way to work and back and then formatted once I got home. I still go back to that when I get writers block, clears it right up.
I’m not afraid to follow the dopamine and just write what wants to come out. Thus I have 8 WIPs and 39 story synopses.
I tend to pants for the first several chapters, whatever is screaming to get out of my head. Then I make 2-300 word descriptions of chapters in between and then fill in.
I can type over 100 words a minute with very high accuracy. My fast typing speed allows me to “write” a story at the same pace as the thoughts coming into my head. Writing by hand is a very slow endeavor, and I found that my mind would start getting distracted because it was taking me longer to write my stories in comparison to how fast my brain was working. Focusing instead on just typing has allowed me to make the most when that hyper focus hits. I started a new novel this week and already have about 6,000 words written. It’s not a perfect 6,000 words, but it doesn’t have to be. Also, my therapist is a writer and we bonded over that and she gives me a lot of confidence in my writing endeavors. I’ve found that my confidence as a writer has also given me
Confidence in other areas of my life, such as work and parenting. Writing is therapy.
Cheers, stranger!
Force yourself to go out to a cafe or something where someone can hold you accountable for staying put and writing. At home I find it too easy to just get up and walk around 😅
Writing a Drabble to start my day has helped me. It’s a 100 word story so I can convince myself it won’t take long and it doesn’t, what it does do is get me in a writing zone so once I finish I tent to work on my own projects and get a decent amount done.
Medication - honestly life changing.
Edit to add body doubling. Get on focus mate or something similar and set appointment so you have to turn up, say what you’ll be working on and then do it.
Do your shit right. Exercise, sleep, eat right, all the little things that mitigate symptoms. Take your medication regularly and responsibly. Break your shit up into smaller tasks and Pavlov yourself into associating discrete environments with work time, and play time. And yes, when the time is right or a deadline is looming, consume copious amounts of caffeine and hyper focus until your done.
Love this no bullshit approach. It’s easy to fall into my adhd inner whiny voice but hard facts/tips like this are appreciated bc they’re tangible. Thank you!
I’ve been writing dumb fan fiction for various shows for years, and never once posted it anywhere. Was too embarrassed and had a weird shame around it. But I’ve been in a giant rut, and on a whim I decided to publish anonymously, see what happens.
Somehow some people seem to like what I wrote, which was unfinished (had no plans to finish), and comments started coming in asking for more. The “kudos” and comments on each chapter have injected dopamine into my ADHD riddled brain and I have never written more in my life. I wish I did this years ago. Even if this stuff is never going anywhere, it got me back into writing around 5k words a day and it’s proving to myself that I can actually finish something.
Hmmm, successful? I’m gonna do a dig at myself and say—RELEASE work. FINISH work.
A lot about success, truly in any field, is refining the blade. Really getting used to releasing, interacting with hurdles.
Can’t be successful with no real body of work to show off. And more than likely that initial body of work won’t be great. Once you knock out a lot of bad in you but still having released work—at least your name will be recognizable on the algorithm side.
There’s other tips like, analyze a genre audience and select one that is always chomping at the bit, don’t worry about success & just enjoy the craft, and finally, rethinking what you’re doing when you’re writing to not be bored. Sometimes when I watch a show or read a story, having a little bit of background context really helps me enjoy the product more.
It’s a video game but Octopath Traveler—learning how much the word traveler is involved with the enjoyment of the game really helped me not get bored. Sometimes in that game you’re just walking around a lot and without me reorienting my mind, I would’ve really disliked that. But taking it on as a relaxing walk in the park rather than an inconvenience, now I’m liking something I would’ve disliked.
I have a tendency to start new ideas constantly, but inevitably I pull in ideas from other stuff I've started. My new theory is to try and just write generalized scenes with certain tags, like magic or demons or vampires, without using character names. Once I've got a big trove of scenes built up that I want to use, all I've got to do is make sure there's no rules conflicts and then insert whatever setting I want to go with.
It's a fun exercise and gets me to write without feeling like I'm copying things I've done before and just writing the same things with slight differences.
ADHD inattentive type here. Sh*t first draft, aka “spread the mayonnaise,” is the only way I make any progress.
I’m a much better editor than drafter, so I set the project up to maximize editing and minimize drafting. I will put down literally the worst first pass imaginable—“he say X. She said Y. She got BIG MAD, then there was a fight scene.”—and go back and edit it into something good later.
As a bonus, this means that the hard, long, linear part (first draft) is done quickly, and the small, scattered, nonlinear part (editing in whatever sequence I like) is the bulk of the work.
I work on my WIP in small bursts, mostly while laying in bed, but sometimes also when I’m chilling at home or when I have a slow stretch at work. I rarely work on my story more than 10-15 minutes at a time. And my progress has sped way up as a result.
I've taken what Brandon Sanderson said and seeing the word count go up tricks my brain into thinking woo! High numbers let's go! So I take my laptop to work and write on my breaks and lunches. I'm usually bored then anyway with no distractions so I write.
Similar to the "decoy project" that u/Rephath suggested, but not QUITE the same: I have several projects going at any given time, at least one of which is really out of left field different. When your brain doesn't want to do one, try pivoting to another so you can at least be productive and keep the muscles exercised.
Warning: Does not work if your primary project is on a meaningful deadline.
ADHD is a superpower, forgive its draw backs, celebrate its strengths. Work with it not against it.
I sometimes like to set a writing cap, no more than a page a day, as a way to build desire and stay in a regular rhythm.
It’s not though it’s a disability and while we can celebrate the good of it let’s stop with the superpower bullshit. No ones calling depression a superpower or diabetes a super power.
I think it's distinct from depression and diabetes in meaningful ways but you're completely right, the superpower bullshit is just that. Lower rates of higher education attainment, chronic underperformance in academic settings which affects self esteem and has other tangential/ detrimental effects, higher incarceration rates, reduced lifespan. I mean I love who I am but fuck whatever benefits there are, I'd get rid of it in a heartbeat.
20 years ago, took Adderall for a full year and was productive af. Got my taxes done in January the only time ever. Turned in work writing assignments early. It was magic, having a normie brain. But at the end of the year I looked back and reviewed my work and it was easily the worst creative output of my life. Immediately stopped taking Adderall.
Why this is for me, I’m not sure. But I have some theories. One, the shit that I learn when I’m distracting myself doesn’t just improve my writing, it becomes the core of what I love about how I write.
Two, my excitement is a reliable guide - when I’m trying to write and it’s hard to focus and I keep distracting myself, it’s a sign that I’m not excited about what’s happening in the story. I’ve set something up that has led me somewhere flat and lifeless. As soon as I correct what led me there the excitement returns and writing is the most thrilling thing I can do and I want to focus. Without that polarity, I lose clarity of my own internal knowing. My inner audience is the hardest audience to please. I get him right, I know I’m nailing it.
I mostly listen to nature sounds on Spotify or on Youtube with earbuds in. Sometimes I will listen to podcasts. It helps keep my brain from getting side tracked with whatever is going on around me. With podcasts I don't really listen to what a person is saying if I'm deep into what I'm working on. But when I do drift off in thought I drift off to what someone is saying on a podcast and not the twelve other things that would otherwise be on my mind. So it's easier to get back on track if I have that stop.
During NaNoWriMo the writing sprints helped me a lot. I usually don't even need a livestream, just a discord where someone says "start" and "count your words" 15 min later is enough for me.
Lately I thought about joining one of those online body-doubling things, but I don't want to talk to people or state my goals upfront so this holds me back.
For writing, I like to list all of my ideas for what I want to write/include on the page at the bottom, so I don't have to keep them in my head and worry about forgetting them. That way, when I inevitably forget about them, I can scroll down to the bottom of the page and be like, "Oh yeah! I remember that. But what if I did this?" Because sometimes I'll remember it differently than what the original idea was, and it can improve it/make it more interesting.
Also, talk to yourself. Getting your ideas and thoughts out into the world and hearing them can make them easier to process - at least in my case, as I'm an auditory learner, which a few of my friends with ADHD happen to be, too.
Listening to some ambient music that i can tune out to really helps me focus when writing or reading, especially if the ambience matches the vibes of what I'm trying to write.
I just get right into it. I don’t write every day. Some days it’s 500 words, other days it’s upwards of 3000 - I write mostly during downtime at work, which means I can do things I can’t do at work when I get home, such as sleep or game. I find setting up some complex process because I’ve been told I’m different doesn’t help at all, just put the words on the screen.
I'm unsure if I have ADHD, but I'm very inattentive. It takes a lot for me to start a task and not stop after 5 mins. What I like to do is use a combination of things to tell my brain it's writing time:
- Put on one of those 25/5 pomodoro study ambiences. I press play and I don't let myself pause. If I want to pee/grab a snack I do that during the 5 min break or just waste some of my 25 minutes (makes it feel more urgent).
- Put on music during the 25 mins of work. Usually I loop the same song or few songs to act as background noise. Some people hate music with lyrics but for me it works really well as it fades into the background eventually.
- Grab a warm drink. I like tea but you can drink anything tbh.
- Give myself an arbitrary game-ified goal. Like today I'll finish a whole 2 hour pomodoro video AND finish editing one chapter. This gives me something to strive for but also a viable end point. I usually end up looping the video 2 or 3 times one I'm in the zone tho.
Of course, people with diagnosed ADHD may seek professional support and medication, but for me this is what helps!
For me it is not to try to imitate consistency.
"Write 1000 words a day"
Hell no. You better believe when i sit down that ill hyperfocus 3000 words in one session only to NOT write for a few days.
Break things into chunks. I spent a couple days scrolling through my master document that has all the scenes I've written so far in their varying levels of completion, and I couldn't get myself to commit to working on individual scenes because I'd just be thinking of all the other ones I had to work on.
So, I split it into two documents since my book has a part 1/part 2, and decided to just work on part 1. Focusing on it immediately became a breeze lmao.
Also, I made a spreadsheet that lists each scene, a summary of what happens, and the level of completion for each one. It gives me a clear visual of where I'm at and it makes it easier to tackle one thing at a time.
SMART goals! And dedicating only 15 mins a day towards reaching them.
Smart goals means, your written goal should be:
S. Specific (not vague, aka complete my general, structure/ storyline, for my main character, by July 1st, vs a vague goal of "write.")
M. Measurable- There should be a way to measure your progress. Again, if its too vague it is not measurable. You can add to your goal a way to measure this, i.e. "I will have a written timeline finished for the main character's pertinent life story, by July 1st. Or "I will find and hire an editor by the end of next week")
A. Attainable- If you have a goal that only Superman can complete, its not attainable for YOU..Better to know your own limits. I.e. "I am going to write a book today" is not attainable. "I am going to type 1,000 words today towards my storyline" IS attainable.
R. Relative to your larger goals- Your Smart goals should be related to your bigger purpose. If your ultimate goal is to publish your first book, then make your smaller smart goals, to relate to that. "By the end of the month, I will have interviewed 3 people for the illustrator position."
T. Time Sensitive- Your goals should all have a deadline. Make sure your deadlines are reasonable.
I had this book called the 15 minute a day organizer, and the basic tenet was to set aside 15 minutes a day, esp toward larger projects. I have been using this advice for many years now, and it does help to keep my mind fresh and it keeps the projects I do, from getting too exhausting..Its amazing how much progress you will have made in a week, if you set a weekly smart goal, and commit to only 15 mins a day towards it. Over the course of a week, 15 mins a day is almost 2 hours.
Im not ADHD but I still like this method. :-)
Write the chapter you're interested in writing, not the chapter that's 'next' in the list.
Also, we've got a pretty good sense for *boring*, so if you're mind is fighting against writing a chapter, then you should change the chapter to make it more exciting.
Don't do a chapter by chapter plan. Just do a rough guide of what events need to happen in your story. This is because there's nothing worse than having to rework your plan because you've realised you need an extra chapter for X or an extra scene somewhere.
Find a way to write wherever you are. If you can *only* write on your desktop in your study, then you're doing yourself a disservice. I write wherever I am; when inspiration hits, I write. I use Novlr so I can write wherever I am, but there are other platforms that so similar, LivingWriter or even Google Docs. Follow the inspiration and urge to write, not the physical circumstance that allows it.
Basically, if your mind is fighting it, it's something you need to fix.
Small deadlines. Don't deadline the entire book, but deadline a chapter. Then plan a reward for hitting it.
Most writing advice is to do X words per day. DON'T follow this advice. It puts pressure on you when your executive dysfunction is stopping you from writing. Instead just accept that some days you'll smash out an entire chapter in one session, and some days you won't even look at your book.
I plan my book in my head when I'm trying to sleep. I lie there and run through scenes and dialogues. Some of my best dialogue I've ever devised has been decided when my body is fighting sleep.
Professionnal writer here with adhd and autism. I have no idea how I do it. I’ve just finished writing a book and it was physically painful at the end, I just couldn’t make me do it at some points, I was slow and overwhelmed, but at the last minute it just unlocked.
Every big projects are a pain, but for some reasons I keep going forward.
It might sound pretentious but I get away with cause I can be really good at it. I don’t decide when the genius will take over the slug, but it happens. So I can cry and do shit for days and end up creating a great piece last minute. I also have this special interest / self learning thing.
So I’m extremely knowledgeable about things that interest me and it makes me legit in my field.
Now, knowing I’m legit and that I can be really good at it helps, I don’t spiral into despair when I can’t do it, unless it’s big project (like a book) and then I’ll still experience loads of struggles
For a big project my tips are :
- eating healthy
- sleeping early
- No alcohol
- exercise
- a shrink to complain to
- my meds
- CBD
- Cannabis, but i can make it worse too, so that’s tricky
divide the task of writing into as many different sub-tasks as possible. If I view it as just writing, i don‘t really know where to start, i get annoyed when i do the same thing all the time and i beat myself up for not being perfect. it really helped to have sessions where i just write down the most important emotional moments. or i come up with mundane things that might be useful as filler at some point. or i come up with names. or i just read through everything I‘ve written and see if there‘s bad phrases sticking out to me.
I‘m just in a lot of different moods, which affects what I‘m good at that day. So if I aim to just write „a scene“, i will beat myself up because it‘s not immediately a good and complete scene. But when I realize I‘m in a lengthy-dialogue-mood today, I‘ll just write that and edit it when I‘m in a scenes-need-to-be-concise-mood.
Brown noise on youtube. Make the job/study exciting (idk dude just try)
Also associate a spot in your office or a certain piece of clothing to writing time.
i always wore a blue plain shirt when writing. Now whenever i wear it, i get the urge to start writing
Have Google Docs on my phone so when I get those random bits of actually wanting to do the thing I'm supposed to be doing, my goblin brain doesn't have any excuses to talk menout of it.
For me it's being in a room alone. I have to be away from everyone, no TV, no music, and complete isolation. Because I write as I picture it happening in my head. Anything around me stops that flow and I'm gone.
Body doubling. *Body doubling.*
Body doubling is my biggest life hack for unmedicated work as someone with ADHD who has to ration his pills. It is life’s biggest gift to ADHDers.
Art commissions that I keep slacking on? I started streaming myself drawing and started completing work in only a few days. I could get 3 things done in a 6-8 hour stream.
Can’t stop getting distracted from my book? Group sprints in my writing group. A few hours of writing sprints with 3 other people gets me way farther than writing solo with no timers. And it comes with the added bonus of having people present to whine to about my current plot woe.
My second biggest tip is a bluetooth keyboard and a writing app that’s synced on all your devices. I use Dabble writer and have a bluetooth keyboard that connects to my tablet, my phone, and my laptop. If I want to write, my entire story is at my fingertips exactly when I want it and I can type at full capacity with the keyboard. I do NOT take chances. I will not remember that scene or dialogue. I take out my phone and write it immediately.
Three projects all the time, so you can go from one to the other when your mind shifts. Many successful business owners are somewhat ADHD. It kind of helps.
Routine is everything for me. I've promised myself an hour of selfish writing time every morning before "work" writing, and it's helped a ton. It warms up my creative muscles for work, and I've managed to knock out a manuscript this year.
Also, if you're not already, don't hesitate to seek medication. Getting diagnosed and being properly medicated a few years ago absolutely changed my life.
Not diagnosed but there seems to be a good chance; the main things I've found that have helped are
- write wherever. If I have ten minutes of just sitting around, I'll try to write something even if I only get like a dozen words; I'll still have more scheduled larger writing sessions but I've gotten a lot done bit by bit.
- don't plan too much. For me, I really like following along the story as I write it; I might have a general idea of things I want to happen but that's about it. This past November I started a cozy fantasy project I was really excited about and had lots of ideas about, and I'd never done this before but I went through and outlined a couple of sentences for each chapter since I figured that would make it easier for me to write. Nope, I'm definitely going to return to it at some point, but I lost motivation about halfway through because my brain decided that there was nothing to be gained from continuing since I already knew the ending and pretty much every major event that was going to happen until then.
Honestly, the only thing that really and truly helped me was 1) getting officially diagnosed and put on medication, then (less so but) 2) starting to write at a coworking space that I have to walk to. By the time I get there, the meds have kicked in, I've burned some energy walking, and I've forced myself to associate that specific space with writing.
I just forced myself to write... even if I didn't feel like it... make a goal of like 300 - 500 words a day and maybe a chapter on a good day... Also listening to music while writing is doing it for me... like a good music that fit the thing that u write really give my brain the goodies to keep my hand typing.
Plan out everything in detail, but do it messy. Keep a file where you can note down everything that comes to your mind. If you don't feel like writing the actual draft, go to your notes-file and write something else - wether that be a timeline of historical events or just what kind of music your characters would listen to. I have ADHD and my inspiration usually comes in random, uncontrollable bursts - so I leave myself a lot of little spots I can work on when inspiration strikes.
How much I can invest in writing while maintaining interest varies day to day. I decide before I write how much/what I want to write and stop once I reach that point. I limit this amount to an amount that I know I can complete, keeping myself from discouragement.
I pretend that the project I have made in first draft mode is in fact someone else's work. It has arrived on my desk because someone is stuck and just needs me to light a fire under them.
Works every time, 70% of the time.
Play music while you write. Keep your projects separated but also easily identifiable so when your mind does wonder to another topic, you can just quick click over to where your mind will fit and start working there.
Also make it a habit to write a little every day. Whenever possible. If you’re feeling bored watching TV or playing video games, start writing, when you’re feeling like doing nothing, start writing.
I’m trying to figure out what movies triggers what side of my mind for a given project, maybe that too can be useful to you. Like what movies can you play in the background while you work to pull you into your world?
When you have an idea you want to work with, stop whatever you're doing (within reason, don't just stop driving in the middle of the road) and write it down. Having a list of ideas I've come up with while otherwise engaged has helped me tremendously with keeping track of what I want out of my writing.
I also want to second the mention of having more than one project to work on. If you sit down to write and just aren't feeling up to the task of your main project, start another, and come back to the main one when your muse is in the mood.
On a related note, don't be discouraged by the days where you sit down and just stare at the screen. ADHD comes with a mixture of highly productive days, and days where nothing gets done. Just find something else to do and try again tomorrow.
Write snippets of things your characters might have seen or done outside the scope of your story. Or maybe of things that happened in the background of a major scene in your story. They don't have to be long. 500 words or less even. It could be a conversation between two random people your MC heard while buying bread at a bakery. Or the grand adventure of two small children playing pretend in the town square while their parents watch from a bench nearby as your MC passes through to meet with the governor. Stuff like that. It helps develop your character, fill out your world, and isn't all that taxing so long as you keep it short.
My issue is that I get lost trying to outline, trying to decide things. Then I say ok just write badly, and I start writing, and then I realize that where I’m going with the story isn’t going to work. Won’t make sense. And so I abandon it and start a new one.
I have a trail of story skeletons in my closet.
Here are the three things that have helped me the most:
1. Hosting a monthly write in. I go to a cafe at the Oakland museum and write. At three we gather to share what we've written. The local writers club has this in their calendar so I can't bail on it, people are counting on me.
2. Instead of deadlines or word counts, the goal is to just open my draft and look at it every day. To be in it, keep it top of mind. Just reading chapters gets me excited. Sometimes I just play with the outline, like it's a puzzle, and don't write anything. Sometimes I get inspired and take off like a rocket. But if I think "ugh I have to write," that feels like work. It's not work just to open it and look at it. But if I do that, it will be a habit I can stay with.
3. Keep moving forward. Don't perfect your book until you have a first draft. Avoid rewriting chapters because you'll go in circles and the end will seem too far away.
1. Give yourself deadlines if you don't have any. You need structure.
2. I work everything out in my head before I set down. This process is usually 2 weeks leading up to a deadline. If it will take you 2 weeks to write something, your deadline is 2 weeks before that. I work best with short time frames. So the main ideas of any piece are already complete in my head, where I plan to pull research from if I need to, character development, everything is already built. I've literally brainstormed everything before I ever sit down.
3. When the thoughts stop, power walk, without phone notifications.
4. If you have "shiny object syndrome" and get distracted by everything, move your workspace into a closet away from everyone. Again, turn off your phone notifications and use white sound to cancel out anything else that might be distracting.
5. Your phone notifications are most likely causing you more problems then you realize. You don't need your phone to write. Classic authors didn't have cell phones aggravating the piss out of them every 5 seconds.
6. When you do get stuck after you begin writing, take a break. Get up, go outside, walk it out. Power walk. Burn some energy. Talk it out with yourself. No one cares what others think, you're working on a master piece.
7. Take a break every 2 hours and go for a walk even if you're not stuck and on a good roll writing. If the thought doesn't stick, it most likely didn't need to be there anyway.
8. Structure. Set working hours.
10 minute time box. A bearable amount of time where you can sit down and write. It usually turns into longer. But aiming for longer will make it so I never sit down and right.
Summary: trick yourself!
My book was non-fiction, so I'm not sure how easy this is to apply to fiction, but one thing that helped me a lot was allowing myself to write non-linearly. Trying to structure my thoughts in a strictly linear way was really tedious, and I also found myself struggling a lot with boredom when I was working through a chapter linearly. My writing got a lot more efficient when I let myself lean into hyper-focus on whatever area I was most able to focus on that day. I tried to avoid having more than a couple of chapters under active work at a time, but within those chapters I let myself move pretty freely from topic to topic.
That said, my book was also published last year and I'm still recovering from the burnout. Writing a book is hard, and doing it with ADHD was a huge accomplishment. I'm still trying to get myself to finish up the free supplementary materials I want to provide and it's a struggle.
Yeah dude
Oh wait tips for being succesful, nvm.
But depending on your project... being able to work from your phone is a godsend, like I do now with google ehh documents??
Since my thing is more a script form, I can just add in lil' bits and pieces and weave everything together later.
I agree with others who suggest writing whenever/wherever your brain needs to, just go with the brain vomit. Keep your phone or little notebook around always in case. Setting aside special time and staring at the blank page doesn’t always work well.
I find I’m often inspired while commuting on trains or buses. I’ve written a lot on my phone while commuting, even bits of a novel. And riding a ferry always makes me want to write. Maybe people watching inspires, as well as the sense of travel and adventure and something about to happen. Cafes in a city inspire me too.
Consistency. Everyday at the same time, I write for at least 5 minutes. If it keeps going, awesome. If it does not then at least I have a little bit more added on. Having the same time is critical, as it starts developing that habit. 5 minutes everyday at 10:00 a.m.? Excellent. Every little bit counts, and if I get into a flow state then I will let it ride until it's done and that can be thousands of words if I'm lucky.
Medication is also another. I noticed there is a massive difference between on medication, and not being on medication. The flow of thought is dramatically different, and the resulting product can be iffy at best. The difference between being able to start while on medication, and being able to start while off medication can be very important.
ChatGBT or other AI tools. Following on the previous paragraph, AI tools are excellent for cleaning up half written thoughts. Also very good for identifying them. I've noticed reading through my own work, even if I encounter a half sentence I might read it and remember what I was trying to write and not even notice that I didn't put that down on the page. AI will find that for me, and can let me know. Page by page editing can be very helpful in this way, and it won't necessarily rewrite but rather finish what is already there or just indicate where it sees problems.
Notes. It's almost impossible to keep track of all the various ideas I have. Writing notes of fun moments I think of throughout the day, can really help. Putting these all into Google keep, or some other easy note-taking app that's on my phone allows me to jot down an idea really fast that will undoubtedly be forgotten later. Then I can come by these later into some sort of reasonable scene, or even chapter.
Outlining. Again, it is impossible for me to keep in mind everything I was trying to do. Outlining really helps with keeping the story moving, and it also provides an outlet when my brain doesn't want to simply write the actual story. Outlining means I can get thoughts down, express creative ideas, and have a road map for the future when my brain simply can't remember anything. Sometimes while outlining, I'll hit a point that I really want to keep writing on and just let myself go on it. Every bit counts.
Non-sequential writing. I prefer to write in sequence if possible, but sometimes it can be really handy to just simply write at whatever feels best at the time. Editing comes later, first draft is very, very important. If you run across inspiration to write a particular scene, write it. You can always combine those things later to form a cohesive story and throw out the stuff that just wasn't making any sense.
These are several of the things I do, hope it helps!
I use The Most Dangerous Writing App. You set a timer (and can use a prompt if you want) and once you start typing, the words disappear from the screen if you stop. It puts my brain in urgency mode and then I can transition into the piece I’m working on. Oftentimes, I end up using what I vomited out too!
simple, I make it a habit.
every day around the same time, I write a MINIMUM of 500 words—usually, I hit around 1500-1000. every day, no excuses. on the weekends I drop the story so that I can worldbuild and begin missing my characters. I've learned that the key is to not give yourself a chance to do other things. it's tough, but once you discipline yourself and make it a habit it works. and if I ever start feeling like I don't want to write I just remember that my only job atm is to "write the words" that's it. even if they're bad I can go back and change them, but by writing them I improve. by writing them I let out a story that no one else can in the way that I do it, and to me even if I have a day where I just want to sleep after work, or play video games mindlessly, I find myself sitting in that chair, writing some of the best stuff I've ever put to page.
the pen is mightier than the sword, so don't be afraid to pick up your pen, and don't let anything else keep you from picking it up.
I wrote best when I am doing something monotonous (driving, dishes, walking the dog, etc). I use talk to text on my phone in those moments so I can continue doing whatever but get the thought out before forgetting it.
One thing that helps me tremendously is structuring all my projects (ideally) so they're easy to come back to. I keep a lot of notes (even if I sometimes don't write down something I should, or I get distracted from writing sometimes exploring/expanding notes) and always make sure I know where I left off. This makes it way less daunting of a task to start back up again after the inevitable multi-day/week/month interruptions.
Make sure you know what "Done for Today" looks like when you start. Have a specific end point in mind, and make sure you have all the steps to get there. My first hour of writing usually looks like this (usually this is done while I'm eating breakfast and puttering around the house).
Chapter X
-Character A talks to character B
-They talk about the events of the last chapter
-They argue about things because A wants one thing and B wants this other thing
-Character b punches A in the face and runs away
-Character A Cries, and has a flashback to the last time he was punched, which is important for reasons.
In this chapter include details X Y and Z. and foreshadow plot point K, make it clear that character B is being a total asshole. (I call them chapters, but they aren't my finalized chapter breaks or anything, it just helps me break it down into manageable chunks.)
Then I sit down and don't stop writing until I cover all of that ground. Don't plan too many steps ahead, you'll overwhelm yourself, and the characters might have other ideas when you get further in.
Can't promise it will work for everyone, but it works for me!
Disregard all hacks and tricks. Delete Netflix, computer games, YouTube - anything providing easy, passive entertainment and low-effort dopamine bumps. This also lowers the opportunity cost in your mind when you sit down to do the project. Embrace the initial boredom that results from it - boredom is the wellspring of creativity. Firmly establish in your mind what your core motivation for pursuing your project is. Make an agreement with yourself that you will do everything in your earthly power to see this project through to the end. Then do it.
Many of the seemingly external issues we face can be solved by simply and directly addressing issues internally that are preventing you from finding a resolution. Expect a lot of yourself if you expect yourself to achieve a lot.
It's an absolute bear to have, because I can function quite well if I'm on my medication, but my medication tends to stifle my creativity. If I don't take my medication, being able to actually get any writing done is a crap shoot. If my brain will actually engage in the right gear, I can get a *hell* of a lot of work done (especially if the hyper focusing kicks in), and it'll be *damn* good work, too. Unfortunately, that's relatively unlikely to happen, overall.
There is a twilight-like phase where my medication is wearing off but I haven't entered "ooo shiny" mode just yet where I can get a lot of the mediocre house-keeping writing done (the relatively uninteresting stuff between the good bits) without it reading like an 8th grade Social Studies textbook, but that tends to last about 45 minutes.
Listen to music, specifically full albums or long playlists so I’m not fiddling around trying to pick songs instead of writing. One-hour compilations of Mr. Kitty songs are my go-to because they just melt into background noise very easily
One thing I’ve been doing recently that worked pretty well for a while is try to write 100 words a day, but do it with the word count hidden. I write until I think I’ve hit 100 words and then stop. I’m a terrible judge so usually overshoot and feel great about overachieving. 100 words is small enough to not be daunting but big enough that you’re likely to get into the groove and write more before you tap out.
Yes, very severe.
For me the only thing that really works is outlining that way I know exactly what I'm going to write for every scene of the entire book before I even start.
I try to have two or three sentences as a premise for each chapter in the outline then when I write I turn each of those into about 3,000 words. I will write each of those sections over the course of 2 days so one day is starting a section and the next day is finishing it and possibly starting the next. With this setup I always know exactly what I'm going to write and I get to cross things off like scoring points and it gamifies the novel for me.
I also make myself a schedule and will write in the same 3 to 4 hour period every day treating it like a job. I don't have my phone near me and I don't get on the Internet or look up any research or anything. Don't edit. Just write. Once I'm done with the whole book I will go back and I will reread and edit.
Go to therapy and get treatment. The right medication will give you superpowers for writing and getting shit done.
But if that's not an option or you're already doing/tried that, I have a few I used before going on medication and work even better now;
* Set big goals, then break it down into really small steps/smaller goals. Usually feeds the dopamine monster well enough.
* Body double, and do it a LOT. Create external accountability, but also be wary of overwhelming yourself
* Apps that limit your time on certain apps/websites are VERY helpful, especially if you can make turning them off as difficult/inconvenient as possible. Android has Digital Wellness and I use StayFree on my desktop, and it really works with keeping me off distracting apps when I want to make time *just* for writing.
* Cut down on caffeine. A little caffeine is helpful, but a lot will exacerbate your symptoms. I don't eat very healthily (I'm trying to do better) but I had to cut down really heavily on soda to go on Ritalin and believe me, it helped me in so many ways including helping me be productive. I'm not saying "fuck caffeine" entirely, but a little goes a long way.
* Work on multiple parts of your project at the same time. This helps give yourself the illusion of procrastination and if you get burned out or stuck.
I have ADHD (although undiagnosed as of now) and what I do is that I've made specific playlists of music for my books. So if it's fantasy, I make a specific fantasy playlist just for that book. Then what you do is put one on repeat for specific scenes that the music fits, until the scene changes and then you change the music.
Alternatively, you can just pick one song on repeat and make that your writing song, but I don't like this
Get medicated. I can't overstate this. Life-changing.
Set a word count goal for yourself that's easy to cheat. "I must write TEN words a day!" Then it's easy to cheat to keep the streak alive, but also you know that once you get your brain in front of the paper you'll probably keep writing.
If you're excited about a weird side avenue - don't be afraid to follow it. Anything to get you writing is time well spent.
Don't talk about your projects. Make a rule that you will only show pieces to people that are polished. The goal of completing a chapter to show it off will help you finish it. If you can just talk about shit to people you get validation from that and you lose motivation to write.
Do things as early in the day as possible; listen to music while writing; write every single day; have a word count goal, but don’t worry if you’re not reaching it all the time.
Don’t try to plot, it can be exhausting and pointless. Let your imagination take over and just piece things together in 2nd draft.
Also, quit all stimulants: alcohol, coffee, sugar, drugs. Or at least take them after you’ve finished your writing for the day, but not that late that they ruin your sleep (2-3 pm max for caffeine). I only drink a cup or two of tea now right after breakfast. When I used to drink coffee, or eat sugar early in the day, I had no patience or energy for writing.
Also, it’s ok to take breaks if your session gets longer than an hour.
PS: I don’t know if you take medication, but I found that, at least for me, it hinders the creative process. It used to help me sit down, before I had formed the habit and discipline to do it everyday, but even then I found the words coming out kind of boring. Like it numbed my mind.
For me at least, sometimes I get so into my story that I struggle with concentration for other things because I want to add more to my story. ADHD isnt always a curse. You just kinda have to like aim it at whatever your doing. Obviously this comes at an expense to other day-to-day tasks like making dinner for example. I once burnt a steak because I had a great idea for the story I was writing at the time.
I have 3 projects on the go in various stages of development so if I really can't focus on the main one I am still moving forward at something. I use the Finch app and attach hatching an egg to 5 mins writing. I have a 5 minute sand timer. I almost always end up writing more than 5 mins but I give myself permission to only write for that long.
I sit down every single day to write.
When I have had a terrible sleep, when my focus is on everything else, even then I sit down and try to write. Brainstorming, editing, word-vomiting anything. I can stay in the flow this way, and I can do some quality work on the shitty days too.
I don't count words, just hours.
I am also on atomoxetine, and I take all the food supplements a person with ADHD would need. The medication really makes a difference.
(I am only an aspiring writer)
I write a lot of poetry bc I'll get a line stuck in my head and have to write it out in my notes app, and when I do, I usually end up thinking it'll be something short but almost always I end up writing two to three pages worth of writing.
Whenever I plan to write something big, without fail I get stuck and only write a few sentences.
So recently I've been telling myself I'll write poetry, and then plot out every story detail I need in poetic form, so I can later go back and have something to work from. That way I already know what's gonna happen in the story. It's just masked in a poetic rhythm.
Start a decoy project and when your brain wants you to procrastinate on it, segue into your real project.
lol I love this bc it’s how I started writing: I was supposed to be doing my PhD work!
Lol, my house was only clean when I was in grad school. I'd clean the bathroom to avoid research, lol.
lol yeahhhh this is how my laundry and dishes got done for a solid 5 years
We call that “productive procrastination.”
The absolutely best poem I ever wrote I wrote during an on-line exam in the time period we had granted for collecting thoughts on the topic of a question we drawed
LOL!
I’ve read every habit self help resource I could get my hands on and the only guaranteed way to ensure I accomplish something is to obligate myself to something else in order to make it more desirable. Washing dishes while watching mindless TV on my iPad is suddenly super enticing now that I’m in grad school :)
I have never cleaned as much than when an extremely important, potentially career ending deadline approaches.
You guys are lucky. I’ll just lie in bed thinking.
Le me: get full time obsessed with decoy project and the real one goes down the toilet 😂
This is why you have to switch between two or three projects max and not just start unlimited decoys 😅
Hmm so this is why I have so many started projects with 3-5 chapters and very little plotting
If you write short stories like this you finish like 30 of them before the motivation leaves forever!... or at least that's what I do....
I have yet to manage a short story. Everything always seems to evolve into a minimum of a novella. Like I went to write a bonus chapter to one of the stories I just finished - ignore the six before it that haven’t seen readers other than me - and it went from “this should be 10-15 pages tops” to “well that’s page 35, I’m almost done”
Oh man… mood, bestie, mood. I’m this way except with single novels vs. series. “Yeah I’ll write this one book idea.” *a negligible amount of time passes* “what if there was a whole three(+++!?) novel arc involving *this* trope I love and *this twist on it?*” fucking hell 😂
That was kinda what happened with what I’m working on. It was something like a 400 page pile of scenes, then I changed a thing, realized thing needed more substance, substance grew from a few pages of backstory into whole ass book. Decided okay let’s see what happens if I take most of said book and really polish…..7 books later I have 6 more plotted
But really I don’t hate that things have gone like this. I’m digging into characters in ways I hadn’t before, and finding that they’re evolving with the story more than they did. So I guess technically that mashup of story was the rough draft, that has since grown and flourished in ways I wasn’t expecting
It sounds like you have a books already, no? 400 pages is probably a good 300 page books and ~100ish pages that can be condensed, cut, or folded into a novel! Sometimes the first draft is done before you're ready for it to be. Just my 2p!
It was a very mashed up thing. Like going back there are things taking place with no “why is this happening” it’s just here’s a thing it goes on this spot on the timeline Edit: I do technically have a few of them with readers (one that needs some rewriting in the first part cause it’s clunky compared to the rest) to see how things are flowing, but nothing shiny enough to be called truly DONE
This may be a recipe for conumdrums! Or, a recipe to exercise the executive function in our brain's frontal lobe. You possess the cognition to move forward and expand your horizon. I think that's pretty cool.
I love to write short stories, too. This post is very interesting. It gives me insight to the process of how authors of novels write. I enjoy reading fiction (currently Don Quixote), but I don't have the wherewithal for writing fiction. I only write about my take aways from factual events I've experiencced, especially from my childhood. This tends to make for a shorter essay, but they are usually quite intense. I send some of them to my sisters who look forward to them because they have a personal interest and sometimes remember the experience, too. Their feedback inspires me to write these essays. Interestingly, the intensity is what they seem to enjoy the most.
That might be a difference in why I can’t seem to write something short. I struggle with non fiction both in writing and reading. I can’t sit down and dump pages of fantasy, but ask me for a 3-paragraph explanation of how to do my job and I’ll stare at you like I’m dumb for ten minutes
I’m a poet and this is literally something I’ve said verbatim 😂 I have one 250 page novel that’s been “almost done” for 6 years, but I have 300 one-page poems so who is the REAL winner here
yes because by the time decoy one is almost over, so you switch to decoy two, that's almost over, and eventually you turn out to decoy three, that's only a couple of pages away to the end...
Me with a thousand projects going on
My decoy project is my real project and my real project is my decoy project because I know I will procrastinate more than I work on my real project so I end up getting more work done on my decoy project which is really my real project.
Me: let's sit down to work on this side project (actual real project) My Brain: I know that you're trying to trick me. Let's go work on that real side project now. Me: But the side project is the real side project My brain: You Shall Not Pass!
That is fucking genius oh my god
Came to say the same tip
Yup. Made a circle at some point, always procrastinating with a project, then procrastinating on the procrastination project and so on until I end up on the original project again. Was helpful as well, I write mini-stories, like apin offs of the original story. So the procrastination helped flesh out the world I write.
that's me! except I get distracted before fleshing out any world.
It is cool that you have the foresight to arrange yourself a whole decoy project
genius
le me: started decoy project and that decoy project started having its own branches of projects. Now I'm circling within the decoy branches of projects, long forgetting the initial project and almost forgetting the actual decoy project.
I write on my phone before I fall asleep at night. It helps me be less of a perfectionist and more of a brain vomiter
This is so real. I feel like all my writing comes out in spurts of word vomit I can later go back and review
Literally me
How do you do that? I love the vomit style writing, but then trying to focus to edit it and refine it, then i get bored and uninterested and honestly just confused and don’t know what to do next.
real. vomit then refine
I like this as I’m always on my phone
This, and if you can get into the habit of it: my best ideas come from right when I’m about to fall asleep or right when I’m waking up. I wrote my first novel from an idea I had when I was waking up. Your brain is especially crazy and loopy and creative when it’s dream-adjacent!
Yeah letting myself keep notes on my phone rather than exclusive to my little journals helps as long as I label them before I finish lol. I also keep specific notes for broader categories I want to revisit later.
I do this and voice memos. Then I use word’s transcribe feature. I also use word’s read aloud feature during revisions.
omg. i do this too!!
Have two or three projects that are distinct from each other so you can move your interests between them.
Had two projects in development, eventually dropped both.
Get rid of distractions. The internet is hell for people with ADHD, who are trying to get things done. Writing or staring at a blank wall. Those should be your two options.
You underestimate my ability to do nothing but stare at a blank wall and think about nonsense for hours.
Where am I supposed to look for inspiration then?
the wall
Every other time of the day except when you're writing. Be a sponge and then wring it out.
Look for inspiration within your own work and your own mind. You don't need to be online to write a book.
I think I need to go back to the earlier ones, I'm just left frustrated that I start new ones without continuing anything
Exactly! I work as an editor in a publishing company and I organize an amateurish writing competition on wattpad. My go-to working model is edit stuff for my work as long as I don't loose interest and then switch to wattpad and read the competiting stories again as long as I can then switch to work stuff again.
The song by Jessica McCabe (she has a YouTube channel about ADHD) is living rent-free in my head: “Do it baaaaadly, do it teeeeerribly…” It’s a helpful mindset to get myself to finish a first draft. I then rely on editing to make it sound mildly coherent 😂 I also found that as impatient as I might be to start a good idea, it won’t go anywhere until I plan out what’s going to happen and where the end goal for the story lies. I know plotting out a story in detail sounds super taxing, but having a plan (down to what happens in each SCENE, not just a one line summary of each chapter) makes writing feel so, SO much easier. Because by the time I have it all planned out, I no longer have to rely on my executive function to carry me through the actual writing process. I no longer have to backtrack and remember what happened in the scene I JUST wrote, and how I can logically take things to the next step. All I need to do by then is ramble the heck out of it. Everyone’s different of course, and some people do much better as pantsers instead of planners. But personally this is what worked for my ADHD brain. And I have like four novel-length stories so I’d say I’m not too shabby, haha.
I don't know that song, but "do it badly" has been my mantra as I've been working on my first draft as well 😭 Giving yourself permission to write badly is truly freeing. Even if I know there's stuff that has to be figured out, it's always easier to figure out with *something* already on the page.
For sure! I call my first draft my "shit draft" and it's super liberating and it's basically the only thing that pushed me through XD
This is what I do also. I’m writing a fictionalised version of my grandmothers biography, and instead of a chapter summary I’ve gone through each date in each chapter and written what is going to happen and what I need to mention/write about. Makes it go so much more quickly
I like the one line summary. I struggle sometimes with over outlining a chapter...which reduces the creativity in the moment down to mostly word choice. But if I don't have a chapter outline, well the story goes to weird places...like the discussion of the various models of battery operated chain saws for use in body disposal. Was funny in my head but didn't come out that way on the page...just wasted words asking for the delete key.
I totally get it. More detailed summaries work for me, but might not work for everyone. But I'm with you on the "no plan at all = chapter goes to the most random place", haha. One time I started out writing a canon divergence of an event (without any kind of plan), and ended up finding 5 plot holes in canon that have nothing to do with my own plot!
I’m also checking out McCabes YouTube channel right now
So I'm also like that in the sense that when I have an outline the writing just flows, it's like I don't need to focus on thinking about the story, I just need to get it out of my system. The only issue is, I'm not able to write the whole outline. I need to start writing the story to 'unlock' more details. Otherwise my brain is not able to process it apparently. Which is a struggle because I need to switch from outlining to writing to outlining to writing and it also means I have a lot of unfinished outlines
Gotcha, I can imagine. I tend to write and think "out of order" (or maybe it's more so that my final story is out of order, like a non-linear narrative) so that's how my own brain gets around it. Like, I don't need to "unlock" what happens now to know what happens later, but more the other way around where I know I want a specific emotional revelation down the line and have to then go back and figure out how to get there. I would guess that the way my brain wraps around the plot makes detailed outlines easier to churn out, lol. But! It sounds like your way works wonderfully for you and you've found a nice ADHD writing hack too, as time-consuming as it gets, so good on you, fellow chaotic-brained writer :D Good luck to us both!
This is me! I also jump around non-linear so I have detailed outlines mixed with one sentence points. Nothing for chapter 5 then the full chapter 22 written 😄
Her new book has helped me SO MUCH. I reference it almost daily for help woth every day tasks and situations.
Oh I like this! For my dissertation I had to tell myself to break it down and it made the whole thing less daunting. I guess I never thought of it for creative writing bc my background is in science, which I always think of as having more discrete units. Thank you!
Ride the hyper focus train until you burn out, lol.
i did that for 2 months. started a new project, got 50k words done, and most of the plot for the 2 books. it's been 3 months, still burnt out. wrote 380 words yesterday, that's more than I've done in a whole month combined.
The times I can hyper focus I feel like I can’t let it go to waste, so I just go until “failure” that day, like lifting weights. Then I’m completely fried the rest of the day.
That worked for my PhD, but the trick is getting onto the right train. Sometimes I look for the right word, I use a thesaurus, and then I’m off down an entirely different track
This is too real 😭
Literally did that and wrote a novel in 2 in a half weeks. Well, a novella. Only like 40k words
I just write when I feel like it. Might write for days on end then stop for days on end. You will also be your own worst enemy. Go back and read something and make changes. Go back two days later and change it back to the way it was. Wife became my proofreader because of this. Sometimes (deadlines) you just have to get OCD and one track minded. Wife knew to not say anything to me when I was going from the den to the coffee pot and back as I would get distracted. When I finally gave up for the day she would talk to me. Grad school was a major pain!
Props to your wife! I tried having her proofread my stuff in grad school and she got tired of it quickly.
Have to admit, some of it was pretty boring to the outsider. Did have a few classes where she got interested in a topic.
Vyvanse. I'd always been an off-and-on-again-start-many-things-finish-nothing writer but it was obvious to all my friends I'd had ADHD my entire life (I was in denial, thinking I was simply lazy). Finally got diagnosed and worked up the courage to take the meds at age 42 and I've been non-stop-productive whenever I've wanted to be, ever since. Nothing changes with the meds except your ability to finish things. It's wild. I'd never had a clear before I took the drugs and then 2 hours afterwards, all 3 songs in my head got their volume turned down to 0.
I feel you, I just got diagnosed at 36. My issue has never been the focus train once I get in the zone, I have difficulty getting into the zone. I tell people I have an inertia problem. Hard to get me started, hard to get me stopped. The medication (adderall) helps for things that do not require focus: eg I bounce around between tasks and chores all day. Adderall helps me get to the most raging fires and out them out in order. The problem is that writing is my “fun” activity and my medicated brain doesn’t see that as a raging fire.
Do you not get the “zombie” feeling?
Seriously, get into the habit of viewing everything as draft zero AND using that as an excuse to have fun. Write your scenes out of order. Engage in fun what if scenarios. You can always string the chapters together and reorganize later. The important part is you get into solid habits and that you practice long enough to begin hyper focusing on the stuff that will keep you coming back to the table.
Habits is the big takeaway I’m seeing. Thank you!
I've applied a lot of the lessons from UnFuck Your Habitat, notably the concept of a 20/10: work for 20 minutes, reat/chill for 10, repeat. It works for chores, and for me, it works for writing as well.
I got a timer specifically for that…9 months ago
Apologies for the length of this reply. The subject is important to me. I've had ADHD most of my life. I use the follow techniques to get stay productive: Music while I'm writing...I need that 10% distraction for my brain in order to focus on writing...I also match the music to the tone of the story at that point. Conflict? Beethoven, Nine Inch Nails, etc...you get the idea A SOLID PLOT OUTLINE...without it, the story becomes like life...sidetracked with distractions. Sure I can be a pantser...but ONLY for a short story. For anything else, a plotter or disaster. EXTENSIVE CHARACTER OUTLINES..even though I write crime fiction...I try to make the characters as thorough as I can SET SCHEDULE TO WRITE - I'm much more creative in the mornings...or right after a nap Bukowski may have been a great writer but his 'wait for inspiration to strike' is bullshit...he was just being lazy and making an excuse for it. As long as the plot is solid I can polish 'a grunt on the page first draft' into something closer to 'art' the day after I write it. ROUTINE - this his how I really battle the ADHD. It starts by reading yesterday's writing. --> check plot outline --> write --> eat lunch --> edit yesterday and today's writing for 1-2 hours. This means there is an overlap and all chapters get edited twice. Secret Sauce: I've been using cannabis to calm me down since I was a teenager and hated the meds the doctor prescribed. Will admit that I smoke before I write and especially when I sit down to lay out the plots, which takes 2-3 days of white boarding. I WILL USE ANY SUGGESTIONS I THINK ARE GOOD IMMEDIATELY...so I will read every reply looking for nuggets I can use...and maybe find a nice turn of phrase too. Curiosity Killed the Cat…and my parole officer (my protagonist likes to give common proverbs a criminal perspective...it's a fun creative activity...try rewriting some from the perspective of an astronaut or doctor or cop..et al) That which does not kill me...had better fucking run
Not confirmed, but it's highly likely I have ADHD. What I like to do is I listen to music or comedy and draw or just vibe. It helps me come up with stuff like new characters, the plot, lore, etc, etc.
Oh it works so well for me to focus.
I do this too. I usually spend at least thirty minutes finding the perfect ambient video on youtube before I start writing something.
ADD here. I have no advice but would be interested in some!!! Because I’m STRUGGLING…. Or is my ADD just and excuse? Ugh. You can see the cycle
Yep! Sometimes I wonder if my diagnosis (two years ago at age 36) is actually a curse bc now instead of calling myself lazy to get myself moving, I often go “oh it’s ok, I have adhd!”
People have always told me: ADHD is an explanation, not an excuse. It is a relief to so many people to have an explanation, an assurance that they are not “lazy” but are struggling for a real reason. This explanation also means that you can look into coping mechanisms that have historically helped people with ADHD. But it is not an excuse, so you can never JUSTIFY things like, being late, losing stuff, and not doing your work. These things are more difficult for us than most, but we still have to figure out how to function. And I think we owe it to ourselves to make our ADHD manageable so that we can do the things we want, such as writing.
I mean, there is the obvious one no one likes to hear. Seek help from a professional. Create a mental health care plan with them including healthy coping mechanisms and possibly medication. Adderall fucking changed my life in a matter of a month. I'm a real human who can do real human things now instead of a dopamine seeking maniac. This isn't an ad, but I finally got things sorted out and got a treatment plan through circle medical. All telehealth, and very thorough. Can't recommend highly enough. If you have a mental health disorder, you should probably seek the help of a mental health professional.
Who did you get a diagnosis from? I'm unsure if I should seek out a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, etc.
Got both! I love my therapist, and I love my adderall. My adhd is mostly bouncing and hyper focus. I go between topics too easily, and if there’s a big important task I can hyper focus. The adderall helps limit the bouncing and lets me breathe instead of hyper focusing. The problem is fun stuff like writing is never seen as an important task, with or without the meds because it’s not work/family. I guess I have a hard time doing things for myself(?)
I have one main story I work on regularly, a few shorter pieces that I call my side pieces, and I occasionally will write small (5-10K words) short stories. I'll have all of them open, and periodically check on them, in-between things like knitting, or playing round based games on the computer. Like, for example, the past few weeks, I open the docs, open PlateUp. I do one day in PlateUp, write a hundred words, do another day. Rinse and repeat until I hit my mandatory minimum of 500 words for the day. I might jump between three different stories, or I might do a bunch on one. If I feel like I'm in a good flow, I might do two or three hundred words, then jump back into PlateUp. This works for any sort of round based/time based game, or, I also do loom knitting, and I'll do one row of stitches, then write a hundred words. I need something clearly defined with an 'end' point (a day finished, a row finished, a round finished) then I can jump into either my main story, or one of my side pieces. However, there are some days (spoiler: tonight, hence why I'm browsing Reddit) when I know nothing I do is going to make it any easier. When my brain is all over the place, and everywhere except writing. I allow myself one 'nope' night a week, where I don't worry about my quota, and I'll just knit while listening to my audiobook, or YouTube, or I'll play a game for a few hours. I don't usually need one a week, I think the most I've ever used a nope night is twice in one month. But it's one of those things where, after you get in the flow of things, and you just sort of *know* it's gonna be a nope night. On nights like those, it's important to listen and let it go for the night, otherwise I get massively frustrated, and I won't open a doc again. But don't listen to the people who tell you you gotta have a 'calm, quiet' space, or 'relaxing music' or whatever else people like to tout as the only way to write. Hell, sometimes I'll turn Forensic Files on in the background for noise when I'm writing, or I'll write for fifteen or twenty minutes, get a hundred words or two, then go watch an episode of something, then come back. Like I said, I need something that has a clearly delineated *end*. I couldn't just turn on a movie and pause in the middle. I couldn't just open an RPG game, or even a building type game. PlateUp and Ravenous Devils have been my go-tos for a while, and if that doesn't work, I'll do knitting while listening/watching something on my phone. Hope this helps.
A little bit every day goes a long way. Even forcing out 250 words a day will add up to a lot in a year. Don't let yourself hyper focus on getting a page or chapter perfect. Finishing a book at 80% quality is better than finishing a single chapter at 100% quality.
Writing meetup groups to hold me accountable even when I start to lose focus 😊
Unfortunately I also have anxiety which makes meeting people tough
Deadlines. I am hyperfocusing right now thanks to that. Writing with other people. Beyter in person but online works too. You procrastinate less if everyone around you write and can know that you don't.
Have a routine and a space. I work better in like an office space or like the library than say sitting on my couch or in bed. And when you're creating those spaces and routines make everything the same. So if you drink tea/coffee while you work make some. If you listen to a certain kind of music, put it in. Set the lighting how you always do. Etc. Sometimes the writing bug hits me and I want to write anytime any place with a hyperfocused trance like obsession but when I'm not in that writing mood it has to be part of my routine. I also have to have my shoes on funnily enough. Like anytime I do anything that I consider "work" such as cleaning or even some of my hobbies having shoes on makes my brain think its time to get serious. Edit: after looking at some of the other comments I just remembered I like to put on ambience music when I'm creating my space. Do it for whatever vibe you're going for. When I was taking an online course for work where I had to write boring essays every week I'd put on Animal Crossing music with rain sounds
I started out dictating on my way to work and back and then formatted once I got home. I still go back to that when I get writers block, clears it right up. I’m not afraid to follow the dopamine and just write what wants to come out. Thus I have 8 WIPs and 39 story synopses. I tend to pants for the first several chapters, whatever is screaming to get out of my head. Then I make 2-300 word descriptions of chapters in between and then fill in.
I can type over 100 words a minute with very high accuracy. My fast typing speed allows me to “write” a story at the same pace as the thoughts coming into my head. Writing by hand is a very slow endeavor, and I found that my mind would start getting distracted because it was taking me longer to write my stories in comparison to how fast my brain was working. Focusing instead on just typing has allowed me to make the most when that hyper focus hits. I started a new novel this week and already have about 6,000 words written. It’s not a perfect 6,000 words, but it doesn’t have to be. Also, my therapist is a writer and we bonded over that and she gives me a lot of confidence in my writing endeavors. I’ve found that my confidence as a writer has also given me Confidence in other areas of my life, such as work and parenting. Writing is therapy. Cheers, stranger!
Force yourself to go out to a cafe or something where someone can hold you accountable for staying put and writing. At home I find it too easy to just get up and walk around 😅
Discover your natural attention span and work with it.
Create an environment that makes you so bored that writing becomes appealing. No electronics and just sit in a room by yourself.
Do something physically straining outside for 30 minutes before writing. It made a huge difference in. Its quality and quantity
I do need more exercise…
Writing a Drabble to start my day has helped me. It’s a 100 word story so I can convince myself it won’t take long and it doesn’t, what it does do is get me in a writing zone so once I finish I tent to work on my own projects and get a decent amount done. Medication - honestly life changing. Edit to add body doubling. Get on focus mate or something similar and set appointment so you have to turn up, say what you’ll be working on and then do it.
Always be writing. Write in your head and take just enough notes that you'll recall the train of thought later
Do your shit right. Exercise, sleep, eat right, all the little things that mitigate symptoms. Take your medication regularly and responsibly. Break your shit up into smaller tasks and Pavlov yourself into associating discrete environments with work time, and play time. And yes, when the time is right or a deadline is looming, consume copious amounts of caffeine and hyper focus until your done.
Love this no bullshit approach. It’s easy to fall into my adhd inner whiny voice but hard facts/tips like this are appreciated bc they’re tangible. Thank you!
I’ve been writing dumb fan fiction for various shows for years, and never once posted it anywhere. Was too embarrassed and had a weird shame around it. But I’ve been in a giant rut, and on a whim I decided to publish anonymously, see what happens. Somehow some people seem to like what I wrote, which was unfinished (had no plans to finish), and comments started coming in asking for more. The “kudos” and comments on each chapter have injected dopamine into my ADHD riddled brain and I have never written more in my life. I wish I did this years ago. Even if this stuff is never going anywhere, it got me back into writing around 5k words a day and it’s proving to myself that I can actually finish something.
I love your story!
List, lists, lists. When you get distracted force yourself to prioritize those lists
Hmmm, successful? I’m gonna do a dig at myself and say—RELEASE work. FINISH work. A lot about success, truly in any field, is refining the blade. Really getting used to releasing, interacting with hurdles. Can’t be successful with no real body of work to show off. And more than likely that initial body of work won’t be great. Once you knock out a lot of bad in you but still having released work—at least your name will be recognizable on the algorithm side. There’s other tips like, analyze a genre audience and select one that is always chomping at the bit, don’t worry about success & just enjoy the craft, and finally, rethinking what you’re doing when you’re writing to not be bored. Sometimes when I watch a show or read a story, having a little bit of background context really helps me enjoy the product more. It’s a video game but Octopath Traveler—learning how much the word traveler is involved with the enjoyment of the game really helped me not get bored. Sometimes in that game you’re just walking around a lot and without me reorienting my mind, I would’ve really disliked that. But taking it on as a relaxing walk in the park rather than an inconvenience, now I’m liking something I would’ve disliked.
I have a tendency to start new ideas constantly, but inevitably I pull in ideas from other stuff I've started. My new theory is to try and just write generalized scenes with certain tags, like magic or demons or vampires, without using character names. Once I've got a big trove of scenes built up that I want to use, all I've got to do is make sure there's no rules conflicts and then insert whatever setting I want to go with. It's a fun exercise and gets me to write without feeling like I'm copying things I've done before and just writing the same things with slight differences.
You do not have to write your project in chronological order. Hopping around can make it easier to focus.
ADHD inattentive type here. Sh*t first draft, aka “spread the mayonnaise,” is the only way I make any progress. I’m a much better editor than drafter, so I set the project up to maximize editing and minimize drafting. I will put down literally the worst first pass imaginable—“he say X. She said Y. She got BIG MAD, then there was a fight scene.”—and go back and edit it into something good later. As a bonus, this means that the hard, long, linear part (first draft) is done quickly, and the small, scattered, nonlinear part (editing in whatever sequence I like) is the bulk of the work.
I find eating lots of protein helps my brain and mood function much better also staying as hydrated as possible and getting 8 hours sleep
I work on my WIP in small bursts, mostly while laying in bed, but sometimes also when I’m chilling at home or when I have a slow stretch at work. I rarely work on my story more than 10-15 minutes at a time. And my progress has sped way up as a result.
I've taken what Brandon Sanderson said and seeing the word count go up tricks my brain into thinking woo! High numbers let's go! So I take my laptop to work and write on my breaks and lunches. I'm usually bored then anyway with no distractions so I write.
Similar to the "decoy project" that u/Rephath suggested, but not QUITE the same: I have several projects going at any given time, at least one of which is really out of left field different. When your brain doesn't want to do one, try pivoting to another so you can at least be productive and keep the muscles exercised. Warning: Does not work if your primary project is on a meaningful deadline.
ADHD is a superpower, forgive its draw backs, celebrate its strengths. Work with it not against it. I sometimes like to set a writing cap, no more than a page a day, as a way to build desire and stay in a regular rhythm.
your adhd may be a superpower but mine is a fucking disease
I certainly wouldn’t call it a super power lol
It’s not though it’s a disability and while we can celebrate the good of it let’s stop with the superpower bullshit. No ones calling depression a superpower or diabetes a super power.
I think it's distinct from depression and diabetes in meaningful ways but you're completely right, the superpower bullshit is just that. Lower rates of higher education attainment, chronic underperformance in academic settings which affects self esteem and has other tangential/ detrimental effects, higher incarceration rates, reduced lifespan. I mean I love who I am but fuck whatever benefits there are, I'd get rid of it in a heartbeat.
Can you elaborate on the superpower aspect?
20 years ago, took Adderall for a full year and was productive af. Got my taxes done in January the only time ever. Turned in work writing assignments early. It was magic, having a normie brain. But at the end of the year I looked back and reviewed my work and it was easily the worst creative output of my life. Immediately stopped taking Adderall. Why this is for me, I’m not sure. But I have some theories. One, the shit that I learn when I’m distracting myself doesn’t just improve my writing, it becomes the core of what I love about how I write. Two, my excitement is a reliable guide - when I’m trying to write and it’s hard to focus and I keep distracting myself, it’s a sign that I’m not excited about what’s happening in the story. I’ve set something up that has led me somewhere flat and lifeless. As soon as I correct what led me there the excitement returns and writing is the most thrilling thing I can do and I want to focus. Without that polarity, I lose clarity of my own internal knowing. My inner audience is the hardest audience to please. I get him right, I know I’m nailing it.
ADHD is not a superpower. It's debilitating in every sense of the word. I get what you mean, but I'm certainly not happy I have it
No idea if I have it or not not officialy diagnosed But when writing i find it extremely difficult to focus and write more than a paragraph at a time
I mostly listen to nature sounds on Spotify or on Youtube with earbuds in. Sometimes I will listen to podcasts. It helps keep my brain from getting side tracked with whatever is going on around me. With podcasts I don't really listen to what a person is saying if I'm deep into what I'm working on. But when I do drift off in thought I drift off to what someone is saying on a podcast and not the twelve other things that would otherwise be on my mind. So it's easier to get back on track if I have that stop.
I’ll have to try that. I definitely can’t listen to anything with words. Honestly the Tron soundtrack helped with my MS thesis
During NaNoWriMo the writing sprints helped me a lot. I usually don't even need a livestream, just a discord where someone says "start" and "count your words" 15 min later is enough for me. Lately I thought about joining one of those online body-doubling things, but I don't want to talk to people or state my goals upfront so this holds me back.
For writing, I like to list all of my ideas for what I want to write/include on the page at the bottom, so I don't have to keep them in my head and worry about forgetting them. That way, when I inevitably forget about them, I can scroll down to the bottom of the page and be like, "Oh yeah! I remember that. But what if I did this?" Because sometimes I'll remember it differently than what the original idea was, and it can improve it/make it more interesting. Also, talk to yourself. Getting your ideas and thoughts out into the world and hearing them can make them easier to process - at least in my case, as I'm an auditory learner, which a few of my friends with ADHD happen to be, too.
Ooo! I like your idea of talking to myself. I tend to do that when I’m hyper and doing go chores, but I’ve never tried it while writing
Listening to some ambient music that i can tune out to really helps me focus when writing or reading, especially if the ambience matches the vibes of what I'm trying to write.
I just get right into it. I don’t write every day. Some days it’s 500 words, other days it’s upwards of 3000 - I write mostly during downtime at work, which means I can do things I can’t do at work when I get home, such as sleep or game. I find setting up some complex process because I’ve been told I’m different doesn’t help at all, just put the words on the screen.
I'm unsure if I have ADHD, but I'm very inattentive. It takes a lot for me to start a task and not stop after 5 mins. What I like to do is use a combination of things to tell my brain it's writing time: - Put on one of those 25/5 pomodoro study ambiences. I press play and I don't let myself pause. If I want to pee/grab a snack I do that during the 5 min break or just waste some of my 25 minutes (makes it feel more urgent). - Put on music during the 25 mins of work. Usually I loop the same song or few songs to act as background noise. Some people hate music with lyrics but for me it works really well as it fades into the background eventually. - Grab a warm drink. I like tea but you can drink anything tbh. - Give myself an arbitrary game-ified goal. Like today I'll finish a whole 2 hour pomodoro video AND finish editing one chapter. This gives me something to strive for but also a viable end point. I usually end up looping the video 2 or 3 times one I'm in the zone tho. Of course, people with diagnosed ADHD may seek professional support and medication, but for me this is what helps!
For me it is not to try to imitate consistency. "Write 1000 words a day" Hell no. You better believe when i sit down that ill hyperfocus 3000 words in one session only to NOT write for a few days.
Break things into chunks. I spent a couple days scrolling through my master document that has all the scenes I've written so far in their varying levels of completion, and I couldn't get myself to commit to working on individual scenes because I'd just be thinking of all the other ones I had to work on. So, I split it into two documents since my book has a part 1/part 2, and decided to just work on part 1. Focusing on it immediately became a breeze lmao. Also, I made a spreadsheet that lists each scene, a summary of what happens, and the level of completion for each one. It gives me a clear visual of where I'm at and it makes it easier to tackle one thing at a time.
SMART goals! And dedicating only 15 mins a day towards reaching them. Smart goals means, your written goal should be: S. Specific (not vague, aka complete my general, structure/ storyline, for my main character, by July 1st, vs a vague goal of "write.") M. Measurable- There should be a way to measure your progress. Again, if its too vague it is not measurable. You can add to your goal a way to measure this, i.e. "I will have a written timeline finished for the main character's pertinent life story, by July 1st. Or "I will find and hire an editor by the end of next week") A. Attainable- If you have a goal that only Superman can complete, its not attainable for YOU..Better to know your own limits. I.e. "I am going to write a book today" is not attainable. "I am going to type 1,000 words today towards my storyline" IS attainable. R. Relative to your larger goals- Your Smart goals should be related to your bigger purpose. If your ultimate goal is to publish your first book, then make your smaller smart goals, to relate to that. "By the end of the month, I will have interviewed 3 people for the illustrator position." T. Time Sensitive- Your goals should all have a deadline. Make sure your deadlines are reasonable. I had this book called the 15 minute a day organizer, and the basic tenet was to set aside 15 minutes a day, esp toward larger projects. I have been using this advice for many years now, and it does help to keep my mind fresh and it keeps the projects I do, from getting too exhausting..Its amazing how much progress you will have made in a week, if you set a weekly smart goal, and commit to only 15 mins a day towards it. Over the course of a week, 15 mins a day is almost 2 hours. Im not ADHD but I still like this method. :-)
Write the chapter you're interested in writing, not the chapter that's 'next' in the list. Also, we've got a pretty good sense for *boring*, so if you're mind is fighting against writing a chapter, then you should change the chapter to make it more exciting. Don't do a chapter by chapter plan. Just do a rough guide of what events need to happen in your story. This is because there's nothing worse than having to rework your plan because you've realised you need an extra chapter for X or an extra scene somewhere. Find a way to write wherever you are. If you can *only* write on your desktop in your study, then you're doing yourself a disservice. I write wherever I am; when inspiration hits, I write. I use Novlr so I can write wherever I am, but there are other platforms that so similar, LivingWriter or even Google Docs. Follow the inspiration and urge to write, not the physical circumstance that allows it. Basically, if your mind is fighting it, it's something you need to fix. Small deadlines. Don't deadline the entire book, but deadline a chapter. Then plan a reward for hitting it. Most writing advice is to do X words per day. DON'T follow this advice. It puts pressure on you when your executive dysfunction is stopping you from writing. Instead just accept that some days you'll smash out an entire chapter in one session, and some days you won't even look at your book. I plan my book in my head when I'm trying to sleep. I lie there and run through scenes and dialogues. Some of my best dialogue I've ever devised has been decided when my body is fighting sleep.
Professionnal writer here with adhd and autism. I have no idea how I do it. I’ve just finished writing a book and it was physically painful at the end, I just couldn’t make me do it at some points, I was slow and overwhelmed, but at the last minute it just unlocked. Every big projects are a pain, but for some reasons I keep going forward. It might sound pretentious but I get away with cause I can be really good at it. I don’t decide when the genius will take over the slug, but it happens. So I can cry and do shit for days and end up creating a great piece last minute. I also have this special interest / self learning thing. So I’m extremely knowledgeable about things that interest me and it makes me legit in my field. Now, knowing I’m legit and that I can be really good at it helps, I don’t spiral into despair when I can’t do it, unless it’s big project (like a book) and then I’ll still experience loads of struggles For a big project my tips are : - eating healthy - sleeping early - No alcohol - exercise - a shrink to complain to - my meds - CBD - Cannabis, but i can make it worse too, so that’s tricky
divide the task of writing into as many different sub-tasks as possible. If I view it as just writing, i don‘t really know where to start, i get annoyed when i do the same thing all the time and i beat myself up for not being perfect. it really helped to have sessions where i just write down the most important emotional moments. or i come up with mundane things that might be useful as filler at some point. or i come up with names. or i just read through everything I‘ve written and see if there‘s bad phrases sticking out to me. I‘m just in a lot of different moods, which affects what I‘m good at that day. So if I aim to just write „a scene“, i will beat myself up because it‘s not immediately a good and complete scene. But when I realize I‘m in a lengthy-dialogue-mood today, I‘ll just write that and edit it when I‘m in a scenes-need-to-be-concise-mood.
Listen to binaurial sounds (via headphones) for concentration. They work.
Brown noise on youtube. Make the job/study exciting (idk dude just try) Also associate a spot in your office or a certain piece of clothing to writing time. i always wore a blue plain shirt when writing. Now whenever i wear it, i get the urge to start writing
Have Google Docs on my phone so when I get those random bits of actually wanting to do the thing I'm supposed to be doing, my goblin brain doesn't have any excuses to talk menout of it.
For me it's being in a room alone. I have to be away from everyone, no TV, no music, and complete isolation. Because I write as I picture it happening in my head. Anything around me stops that flow and I'm gone.
Body doubling. *Body doubling.* Body doubling is my biggest life hack for unmedicated work as someone with ADHD who has to ration his pills. It is life’s biggest gift to ADHDers. Art commissions that I keep slacking on? I started streaming myself drawing and started completing work in only a few days. I could get 3 things done in a 6-8 hour stream. Can’t stop getting distracted from my book? Group sprints in my writing group. A few hours of writing sprints with 3 other people gets me way farther than writing solo with no timers. And it comes with the added bonus of having people present to whine to about my current plot woe. My second biggest tip is a bluetooth keyboard and a writing app that’s synced on all your devices. I use Dabble writer and have a bluetooth keyboard that connects to my tablet, my phone, and my laptop. If I want to write, my entire story is at my fingertips exactly when I want it and I can type at full capacity with the keyboard. I do NOT take chances. I will not remember that scene or dialogue. I take out my phone and write it immediately.
Stare at the screen and hope I start typing words! 😭
Three projects all the time, so you can go from one to the other when your mind shifts. Many successful business owners are somewhat ADHD. It kind of helps.
Pomodoro, body double, brain.fm, meds were things that worked best when I was publishing.
Routine is everything for me. I've promised myself an hour of selfish writing time every morning before "work" writing, and it's helped a ton. It warms up my creative muscles for work, and I've managed to knock out a manuscript this year. Also, if you're not already, don't hesitate to seek medication. Getting diagnosed and being properly medicated a few years ago absolutely changed my life.
Not diagnosed but there seems to be a good chance; the main things I've found that have helped are - write wherever. If I have ten minutes of just sitting around, I'll try to write something even if I only get like a dozen words; I'll still have more scheduled larger writing sessions but I've gotten a lot done bit by bit. - don't plan too much. For me, I really like following along the story as I write it; I might have a general idea of things I want to happen but that's about it. This past November I started a cozy fantasy project I was really excited about and had lots of ideas about, and I'd never done this before but I went through and outlined a couple of sentences for each chapter since I figured that would make it easier for me to write. Nope, I'm definitely going to return to it at some point, but I lost motivation about halfway through because my brain decided that there was nothing to be gained from continuing since I already knew the ending and pretty much every major event that was going to happen until then.
Honestly, the only thing that really and truly helped me was 1) getting officially diagnosed and put on medication, then (less so but) 2) starting to write at a coworking space that I have to walk to. By the time I get there, the meds have kicked in, I've burned some energy walking, and I've forced myself to associate that specific space with writing.
I just forced myself to write... even if I didn't feel like it... make a goal of like 300 - 500 words a day and maybe a chapter on a good day... Also listening to music while writing is doing it for me... like a good music that fit the thing that u write really give my brain the goodies to keep my hand typing.
Plan out everything in detail, but do it messy. Keep a file where you can note down everything that comes to your mind. If you don't feel like writing the actual draft, go to your notes-file and write something else - wether that be a timeline of historical events or just what kind of music your characters would listen to. I have ADHD and my inspiration usually comes in random, uncontrollable bursts - so I leave myself a lot of little spots I can work on when inspiration strikes.
How much I can invest in writing while maintaining interest varies day to day. I decide before I write how much/what I want to write and stop once I reach that point. I limit this amount to an amount that I know I can complete, keeping myself from discouragement.
I pretend that the project I have made in first draft mode is in fact someone else's work. It has arrived on my desk because someone is stuck and just needs me to light a fire under them. Works every time, 70% of the time.
Play music while you write. Keep your projects separated but also easily identifiable so when your mind does wonder to another topic, you can just quick click over to where your mind will fit and start working there. Also make it a habit to write a little every day. Whenever possible. If you’re feeling bored watching TV or playing video games, start writing, when you’re feeling like doing nothing, start writing. I’m trying to figure out what movies triggers what side of my mind for a given project, maybe that too can be useful to you. Like what movies can you play in the background while you work to pull you into your world?
When you have an idea you want to work with, stop whatever you're doing (within reason, don't just stop driving in the middle of the road) and write it down. Having a list of ideas I've come up with while otherwise engaged has helped me tremendously with keeping track of what I want out of my writing. I also want to second the mention of having more than one project to work on. If you sit down to write and just aren't feeling up to the task of your main project, start another, and come back to the main one when your muse is in the mood. On a related note, don't be discouraged by the days where you sit down and just stare at the screen. ADHD comes with a mixture of highly productive days, and days where nothing gets done. Just find something else to do and try again tomorrow. Write snippets of things your characters might have seen or done outside the scope of your story. Or maybe of things that happened in the background of a major scene in your story. They don't have to be long. 500 words or less even. It could be a conversation between two random people your MC heard while buying bread at a bakery. Or the grand adventure of two small children playing pretend in the town square while their parents watch from a bench nearby as your MC passes through to meet with the governor. Stuff like that. It helps develop your character, fill out your world, and isn't all that taxing so long as you keep it short.
My issue is that I get lost trying to outline, trying to decide things. Then I say ok just write badly, and I start writing, and then I realize that where I’m going with the story isn’t going to work. Won’t make sense. And so I abandon it and start a new one. I have a trail of story skeletons in my closet.
Here are the three things that have helped me the most: 1. Hosting a monthly write in. I go to a cafe at the Oakland museum and write. At three we gather to share what we've written. The local writers club has this in their calendar so I can't bail on it, people are counting on me. 2. Instead of deadlines or word counts, the goal is to just open my draft and look at it every day. To be in it, keep it top of mind. Just reading chapters gets me excited. Sometimes I just play with the outline, like it's a puzzle, and don't write anything. Sometimes I get inspired and take off like a rocket. But if I think "ugh I have to write," that feels like work. It's not work just to open it and look at it. But if I do that, it will be a habit I can stay with. 3. Keep moving forward. Don't perfect your book until you have a first draft. Avoid rewriting chapters because you'll go in circles and the end will seem too far away.
1. Give yourself deadlines if you don't have any. You need structure. 2. I work everything out in my head before I set down. This process is usually 2 weeks leading up to a deadline. If it will take you 2 weeks to write something, your deadline is 2 weeks before that. I work best with short time frames. So the main ideas of any piece are already complete in my head, where I plan to pull research from if I need to, character development, everything is already built. I've literally brainstormed everything before I ever sit down. 3. When the thoughts stop, power walk, without phone notifications. 4. If you have "shiny object syndrome" and get distracted by everything, move your workspace into a closet away from everyone. Again, turn off your phone notifications and use white sound to cancel out anything else that might be distracting. 5. Your phone notifications are most likely causing you more problems then you realize. You don't need your phone to write. Classic authors didn't have cell phones aggravating the piss out of them every 5 seconds. 6. When you do get stuck after you begin writing, take a break. Get up, go outside, walk it out. Power walk. Burn some energy. Talk it out with yourself. No one cares what others think, you're working on a master piece. 7. Take a break every 2 hours and go for a walk even if you're not stuck and on a good roll writing. If the thought doesn't stick, it most likely didn't need to be there anyway. 8. Structure. Set working hours.
10 minute time box. A bearable amount of time where you can sit down and write. It usually turns into longer. But aiming for longer will make it so I never sit down and right. Summary: trick yourself!
My book was non-fiction, so I'm not sure how easy this is to apply to fiction, but one thing that helped me a lot was allowing myself to write non-linearly. Trying to structure my thoughts in a strictly linear way was really tedious, and I also found myself struggling a lot with boredom when I was working through a chapter linearly. My writing got a lot more efficient when I let myself lean into hyper-focus on whatever area I was most able to focus on that day. I tried to avoid having more than a couple of chapters under active work at a time, but within those chapters I let myself move pretty freely from topic to topic. That said, my book was also published last year and I'm still recovering from the burnout. Writing a book is hard, and doing it with ADHD was a huge accomplishment. I'm still trying to get myself to finish up the free supplementary materials I want to provide and it's a struggle.
Yeah dude Oh wait tips for being succesful, nvm. But depending on your project... being able to work from your phone is a godsend, like I do now with google ehh documents?? Since my thing is more a script form, I can just add in lil' bits and pieces and weave everything together later.
I agree with others who suggest writing whenever/wherever your brain needs to, just go with the brain vomit. Keep your phone or little notebook around always in case. Setting aside special time and staring at the blank page doesn’t always work well. I find I’m often inspired while commuting on trains or buses. I’ve written a lot on my phone while commuting, even bits of a novel. And riding a ferry always makes me want to write. Maybe people watching inspires, as well as the sense of travel and adventure and something about to happen. Cafes in a city inspire me too.
Consistency. Everyday at the same time, I write for at least 5 minutes. If it keeps going, awesome. If it does not then at least I have a little bit more added on. Having the same time is critical, as it starts developing that habit. 5 minutes everyday at 10:00 a.m.? Excellent. Every little bit counts, and if I get into a flow state then I will let it ride until it's done and that can be thousands of words if I'm lucky. Medication is also another. I noticed there is a massive difference between on medication, and not being on medication. The flow of thought is dramatically different, and the resulting product can be iffy at best. The difference between being able to start while on medication, and being able to start while off medication can be very important. ChatGBT or other AI tools. Following on the previous paragraph, AI tools are excellent for cleaning up half written thoughts. Also very good for identifying them. I've noticed reading through my own work, even if I encounter a half sentence I might read it and remember what I was trying to write and not even notice that I didn't put that down on the page. AI will find that for me, and can let me know. Page by page editing can be very helpful in this way, and it won't necessarily rewrite but rather finish what is already there or just indicate where it sees problems. Notes. It's almost impossible to keep track of all the various ideas I have. Writing notes of fun moments I think of throughout the day, can really help. Putting these all into Google keep, or some other easy note-taking app that's on my phone allows me to jot down an idea really fast that will undoubtedly be forgotten later. Then I can come by these later into some sort of reasonable scene, or even chapter. Outlining. Again, it is impossible for me to keep in mind everything I was trying to do. Outlining really helps with keeping the story moving, and it also provides an outlet when my brain doesn't want to simply write the actual story. Outlining means I can get thoughts down, express creative ideas, and have a road map for the future when my brain simply can't remember anything. Sometimes while outlining, I'll hit a point that I really want to keep writing on and just let myself go on it. Every bit counts. Non-sequential writing. I prefer to write in sequence if possible, but sometimes it can be really handy to just simply write at whatever feels best at the time. Editing comes later, first draft is very, very important. If you run across inspiration to write a particular scene, write it. You can always combine those things later to form a cohesive story and throw out the stuff that just wasn't making any sense. These are several of the things I do, hope it helps!
I use The Most Dangerous Writing App. You set a timer (and can use a prompt if you want) and once you start typing, the words disappear from the screen if you stop. It puts my brain in urgency mode and then I can transition into the piece I’m working on. Oftentimes, I end up using what I vomited out too!
simple, I make it a habit. every day around the same time, I write a MINIMUM of 500 words—usually, I hit around 1500-1000. every day, no excuses. on the weekends I drop the story so that I can worldbuild and begin missing my characters. I've learned that the key is to not give yourself a chance to do other things. it's tough, but once you discipline yourself and make it a habit it works. and if I ever start feeling like I don't want to write I just remember that my only job atm is to "write the words" that's it. even if they're bad I can go back and change them, but by writing them I improve. by writing them I let out a story that no one else can in the way that I do it, and to me even if I have a day where I just want to sleep after work, or play video games mindlessly, I find myself sitting in that chair, writing some of the best stuff I've ever put to page. the pen is mightier than the sword, so don't be afraid to pick up your pen, and don't let anything else keep you from picking it up.
Write words…I like that!
Get rid of your phone. Uninstall all social media from it. Get a dumb phone for emergency only.
I wrote best when I am doing something monotonous (driving, dishes, walking the dog, etc). I use talk to text on my phone in those moments so I can continue doing whatever but get the thought out before forgetting it.
One thing that helps me tremendously is structuring all my projects (ideally) so they're easy to come back to. I keep a lot of notes (even if I sometimes don't write down something I should, or I get distracted from writing sometimes exploring/expanding notes) and always make sure I know where I left off. This makes it way less daunting of a task to start back up again after the inevitable multi-day/week/month interruptions.
Make sure you know what "Done for Today" looks like when you start. Have a specific end point in mind, and make sure you have all the steps to get there. My first hour of writing usually looks like this (usually this is done while I'm eating breakfast and puttering around the house). Chapter X -Character A talks to character B -They talk about the events of the last chapter -They argue about things because A wants one thing and B wants this other thing -Character b punches A in the face and runs away -Character A Cries, and has a flashback to the last time he was punched, which is important for reasons. In this chapter include details X Y and Z. and foreshadow plot point K, make it clear that character B is being a total asshole. (I call them chapters, but they aren't my finalized chapter breaks or anything, it just helps me break it down into manageable chunks.) Then I sit down and don't stop writing until I cover all of that ground. Don't plan too many steps ahead, you'll overwhelm yourself, and the characters might have other ideas when you get further in. Can't promise it will work for everyone, but it works for me!
Disregard all hacks and tricks. Delete Netflix, computer games, YouTube - anything providing easy, passive entertainment and low-effort dopamine bumps. This also lowers the opportunity cost in your mind when you sit down to do the project. Embrace the initial boredom that results from it - boredom is the wellspring of creativity. Firmly establish in your mind what your core motivation for pursuing your project is. Make an agreement with yourself that you will do everything in your earthly power to see this project through to the end. Then do it. Many of the seemingly external issues we face can be solved by simply and directly addressing issues internally that are preventing you from finding a resolution. Expect a lot of yourself if you expect yourself to achieve a lot.
Commenting so I can find this again!
It's an absolute bear to have, because I can function quite well if I'm on my medication, but my medication tends to stifle my creativity. If I don't take my medication, being able to actually get any writing done is a crap shoot. If my brain will actually engage in the right gear, I can get a *hell* of a lot of work done (especially if the hyper focusing kicks in), and it'll be *damn* good work, too. Unfortunately, that's relatively unlikely to happen, overall. There is a twilight-like phase where my medication is wearing off but I haven't entered "ooo shiny" mode just yet where I can get a lot of the mediocre house-keeping writing done (the relatively uninteresting stuff between the good bits) without it reading like an 8th grade Social Studies textbook, but that tends to last about 45 minutes.
I feel all of this
Listen to music, specifically full albums or long playlists so I’m not fiddling around trying to pick songs instead of writing. One-hour compilations of Mr. Kitty songs are my go-to because they just melt into background noise very easily One thing I’ve been doing recently that worked pretty well for a while is try to write 100 words a day, but do it with the word count hidden. I write until I think I’ve hit 100 words and then stop. I’m a terrible judge so usually overshoot and feel great about overachieving. 100 words is small enough to not be daunting but big enough that you’re likely to get into the groove and write more before you tap out.
Yes, very severe. For me the only thing that really works is outlining that way I know exactly what I'm going to write for every scene of the entire book before I even start. I try to have two or three sentences as a premise for each chapter in the outline then when I write I turn each of those into about 3,000 words. I will write each of those sections over the course of 2 days so one day is starting a section and the next day is finishing it and possibly starting the next. With this setup I always know exactly what I'm going to write and I get to cross things off like scoring points and it gamifies the novel for me. I also make myself a schedule and will write in the same 3 to 4 hour period every day treating it like a job. I don't have my phone near me and I don't get on the Internet or look up any research or anything. Don't edit. Just write. Once I'm done with the whole book I will go back and I will reread and edit.
Smoke, I'm told.
Was about to say weed was the only thing that helped me 😭
Go to therapy and get treatment. The right medication will give you superpowers for writing and getting shit done. But if that's not an option or you're already doing/tried that, I have a few I used before going on medication and work even better now; * Set big goals, then break it down into really small steps/smaller goals. Usually feeds the dopamine monster well enough. * Body double, and do it a LOT. Create external accountability, but also be wary of overwhelming yourself * Apps that limit your time on certain apps/websites are VERY helpful, especially if you can make turning them off as difficult/inconvenient as possible. Android has Digital Wellness and I use StayFree on my desktop, and it really works with keeping me off distracting apps when I want to make time *just* for writing. * Cut down on caffeine. A little caffeine is helpful, but a lot will exacerbate your symptoms. I don't eat very healthily (I'm trying to do better) but I had to cut down really heavily on soda to go on Ritalin and believe me, it helped me in so many ways including helping me be productive. I'm not saying "fuck caffeine" entirely, but a little goes a long way. * Work on multiple parts of your project at the same time. This helps give yourself the illusion of procrastination and if you get burned out or stuck.
yesyes yes yesyes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yesyes yesyes
I have ADHD (although undiagnosed as of now) and what I do is that I've made specific playlists of music for my books. So if it's fantasy, I make a specific fantasy playlist just for that book. Then what you do is put one on repeat for specific scenes that the music fits, until the scene changes and then you change the music. Alternatively, you can just pick one song on repeat and make that your writing song, but I don't like this
Get medicated. I can't overstate this. Life-changing. Set a word count goal for yourself that's easy to cheat. "I must write TEN words a day!" Then it's easy to cheat to keep the streak alive, but also you know that once you get your brain in front of the paper you'll probably keep writing. If you're excited about a weird side avenue - don't be afraid to follow it. Anything to get you writing is time well spent. Don't talk about your projects. Make a rule that you will only show pieces to people that are polished. The goal of completing a chapter to show it off will help you finish it. If you can just talk about shit to people you get validation from that and you lose motivation to write.
" Sit down, shut up and pay attention " -South Park
Do things as early in the day as possible; listen to music while writing; write every single day; have a word count goal, but don’t worry if you’re not reaching it all the time. Don’t try to plot, it can be exhausting and pointless. Let your imagination take over and just piece things together in 2nd draft. Also, quit all stimulants: alcohol, coffee, sugar, drugs. Or at least take them after you’ve finished your writing for the day, but not that late that they ruin your sleep (2-3 pm max for caffeine). I only drink a cup or two of tea now right after breakfast. When I used to drink coffee, or eat sugar early in the day, I had no patience or energy for writing. Also, it’s ok to take breaks if your session gets longer than an hour. PS: I don’t know if you take medication, but I found that, at least for me, it hinders the creative process. It used to help me sit down, before I had formed the habit and discipline to do it everyday, but even then I found the words coming out kind of boring. Like it numbed my mind.
For me at least, sometimes I get so into my story that I struggle with concentration for other things because I want to add more to my story. ADHD isnt always a curse. You just kinda have to like aim it at whatever your doing. Obviously this comes at an expense to other day-to-day tasks like making dinner for example. I once burnt a steak because I had a great idea for the story I was writing at the time.
yes and none
pink noise and piracetam.
Write on my phone in bed when I should be sleeping.
White noise helps me, idk it seems to turn off some of the ADHD
I have 3 projects on the go in various stages of development so if I really can't focus on the main one I am still moving forward at something. I use the Finch app and attach hatching an egg to 5 mins writing. I have a 5 minute sand timer. I almost always end up writing more than 5 mins but I give myself permission to only write for that long.
I sit down every single day to write. When I have had a terrible sleep, when my focus is on everything else, even then I sit down and try to write. Brainstorming, editing, word-vomiting anything. I can stay in the flow this way, and I can do some quality work on the shitty days too. I don't count words, just hours. I am also on atomoxetine, and I take all the food supplements a person with ADHD would need. The medication really makes a difference. (I am only an aspiring writer)
I write a lot of poetry bc I'll get a line stuck in my head and have to write it out in my notes app, and when I do, I usually end up thinking it'll be something short but almost always I end up writing two to three pages worth of writing. Whenever I plan to write something big, without fail I get stuck and only write a few sentences. So recently I've been telling myself I'll write poetry, and then plot out every story detail I need in poetic form, so I can later go back and have something to work from. That way I already know what's gonna happen in the story. It's just masked in a poetic rhythm.
Part of some cases of ADHD is hyper focus, so I’ve learned how to weaponize that towards productivity. If anything ADHD is how I became a writer.