Writers Coping with ADHD

All writers must organise themselves, be that their daily schedules to find the time, organising their ideas before writing a manuscript or even reorganising those ideas into a cohesive narrative once a first draft is completed. I've blogged about these subjects before. This time, I'm focusing on a very specific struggle: the ADHD writer.

Some of the items here might well resonate with those who are not ADHD, but I must emphasise there is a difference between a feeling of overwhelm, stemming from a person taking on more than they can cope with at any given time, than those with ADHD.

ADHD is a condition of the brain that prevents the person from functioning effectively and consistently throughout their lives due to a lack of control over where their attention is directed. It can be utterly debilitating at times. An ADHD person can pass days, weeks, and months with not much on their calendar, achieving little of any consequence, not because they don't want to reach their goals or remove items from their to-do list, but because they suffer from an aversion syndrome caused by how their brain is wired. An ADHD person's brain works on the basis of interest level over priority levels, and if something doesn't interest them, getting them to attend to it can be like trying to teach a cat to sit down, roll over, and play fetch. (Cat GIF)

There is a theory out there that ADHD played a vital role in our evolution back when we were hunter gatherers, before farming became the norm, where a certain type of focus and problem-solving skills developed in response to our environmental and survival needs. Nowadays, the theory posits, with a society that has been built by and in service to farming needs, those skills are now at odds with our modern style of living.

I'll leave you to research that one on your own, but I found the idea quite fascinating. A reminder that what we are now stems from what we once were, and what we do now will pave the way for the generations yet to come. Something worth bearing in mind when developing fictional societies and how their social consciousness has been sculpted through the generations.

Being an ADHD writer comes with its own set of challenges, but if you are such a person, and you are struggling to reach your goals, then take heart that it's not all bad news. In fact, managing your ADHD in the right way can have some advantages for your writing that other writers won't benefit from and turn what you might feel is a weakness into a strength -- a key ingredient in storytelling, in fact!

Let's have a look at some of the main traits of ADHD and how it relates to the writer in real terms.

Pros of ADHD for Writers

Creativity

Many people with ADHD are highly creative and often think outside the box, coming up with unique solutions and ideas. Two common traits of ADHD are the need to problem solve and the need for new experiences. ADHD writers can benefit here because storytelling activates all of these traits, meeting the dopamine needs of the ADHD brain.

High Energy Levels

Individuals with ADHD often have a lot of energy, resulting in over-active thought processing. An ADHD writer's mind is constantly on the go, conjuring and juggling a lot of story ideas simultaneously, meaning they can often work with complex plots and profound character and thematic threads, which add depth to their narratives. This energy can be harnessed during writing sprints, allowing for bursts of productivity and extensive output in a short amount of time, which can work well for meeting writing deadlines, making significant progress on a manuscript and for doling out quick rewards for that dopamine hit, if managed effectively.

Hyper Focus

When interested in a task, people with ADHD can achieve intense focus and productivity. For writers, this means that when they are deeply engaged with their writing, they can produce high-quality work and complete significant portions of their project quickly, often losing track of time due to their deep immersion.

Spontaneity

Being spontaneous and willing to take risks can lead to exciting opportunities and experiences. For writers, this translates to fresh, unexpected narrative developments and dynamic writing styles. The ADHD brain is wired to pursue what's interesting over what is important, so an ADHD writer is highly likely to make their stories more thrilling and unpredictable simply because it entertains them when they wrote it. More than any more formal concerns, such as genre conventions, for example.

Variety

The ADHD mind is constantly looking for new interests. This often comes in the form of constantly learning new things to satisfy that need. No matter how seasoned a writer you are, there is always something that needs learning in order to write the story effectively, be that research, a new technique or style, or even just the choreography of a scene, especially if it's an action scene. Then there's editing, book cover creation and marketing, too, if you are self-publishing. All new and exciting experiences and positive fuel for the ADHD brain.

Cons of ADHD for Writers

Utter Disconnection; Difficulty Rekindling Motivation

Hyperfocus comes into play again here, but on the flip side of the coin. Staying attentive on tasks that are not engaging can be challenging. For ADHD writers, they can hit a massive "zing" period where they strike upon an idea for a story or chapter, race it out onto the page, but as soon as that idea runs to its end -- which might not entail completing the story or chapter -- they will hit a rut that can be difficult to break out from.

Hyper focus can equally be derailed by all sorts of things -- other life commitments, a purple bunny rabbit, or a sudden important but uninteresting detail that needs research to make the story logic work. Once it becomes too boring or too hard to achieve, the ADHD writer will look for something else to amuse them. That might be a new story or character, or it might be a computer game. This can lead to long periods of procrastination while the writer waits for that rush of inspiration that got them started. Once the initial idea has run its course, the interest level has dropped, and the writer is not feeling any reward from pursuing it without the "zing" factor.

Another thing that can make an ADHD writer completely disconnected is an over-sensitivity to rejection. Yes, we all suffer from rejection of our stories. It isn't pleasant for anyone, and it might well bring some people to tears. For the ADHD writer, it's less about having their feelings hurt and more about the lack of reward that they require to function effectively. Whether it is rejection from a publisher or a critique partner, having a negative response to their writing can utterly disconnect an ADHD writer from it. They will only come back to it when they find something to reward them. This often formulates as a new story idea (often they have many unfinished ideas; this is why), or maybe a new publisher they came across. It's unlikely an ADHD writer will just dust themselves off and resubmit their work until they feel it will give them the hit they crave. It's too much like boring admin with no fun rewards.

Variety

The constant need for variety in the ADHD writer can result in too many unfinished projects, or mixing in too much complexity into their plots while their brain fuels on "wouldn't this be cool?" logic. Or, they might take up another hobby or interest that competes for time with their writing, especially if that interest has a high reward ratio.

Disorganisation

Keeping track of responsibilities, deadlines, and belongings can be difficult. The phrase "out of sight; out of mind" sums up the ADHD brain, while clutter often accompanies it. Writers with ADHD might find clutter not only with the physical objects in their home, but also in their manuscripts. They might struggle with organising plot outlines, character notes, and research materials, leading to a scattered approach that might affect the overall structure and coherence of their writing. It can also create a block in seeing the macro elements of the overall story because, just like their home, the words on the page can just seem like clutter, and they do not know where or how to tidy it up.

Time Management, Consistency and Multi-Tasking Issues

People with ADHD often struggle to do multiple tasks at once, especially the more mundane ones. It's quite natural for an ADHD person to walk off in the middle of a task because they suddenly remembered something they hadn't done or something more interesting snagged their attention. ADHD writers are no different.

Referring back to hyper focus, the ADHD brain can become so entrenched in a task that it excludes all else -- even responsibilities around childcare. Being late for the school run, forgetting to ensure there's enough clean washing for the next day, or meal planning -- all are struggles to manage time effectively or consistently. Aversion kicks in again as tasks that are too mundane or difficult but need doing are ignored, and the to-do list builds and builds The guilt of failing at these seemingly simple tasks and them piling up into a mountain of overwhelm puts added pressure to the ADHD writer. They might suddenly decide to ignore their writing entirely while they attempt to catchup with all they delayed, leading to inconsistent progress, procrastination, missed deadlines, rushed revisions, incomplete projects, or even not submitting their work for publication (because finding markets, reading through guidelines and doing all the checks is too mundane). These are all the symptoms of an ADHD writer and can hinder their progress.

Anxiety in Social Situations

The combination of ADHD symptoms and the pressure of social interactions can cause anxiety, making it harder for writers to engage confidently in networking or promotional activities essential for their career growth. And especially nowadays when so much is done through social media. The ADHD writer not only has to contend with the anxiety of how they will be received by the cybercology -- as with anyone -- but is also easily distracted merely by being on the platform and detouring off down some fascinating rabbit hole instead of focusing on using it to promote their writing. Or worse: being drawn into a social media flame war because -- yes, you guessed it -- conflict attracts ADHD people and their need for reward, even if it is an unhealthy way. These kinds of issues can discourage an ADHD writer from putting themselves out there and making themselves vulnerable.

Now, I'm not here proposing I have all the answers to help ADHD writers, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that might help those with this wiring to work with these difficulties rather than against them. Let's start with decluttering -- one of the hardest obstacles for anyone with ADHD -- so we can get a clearer picture of the writing and publishing situation.

Organise:

Ywriter

To begin with, for years, I just used to create a new word document, write it, and then save it under a number of different folders. The problem was that they developed into more and more erratic sub-folders - genre, form, miscellaneous, random, exercises, ideas, etc., etc. Once I began writing a novel, it wasn't enough just to have chapter sub-folders, especially when redrafting and editing. I'd save files under the most recent date I worked on them. It was messy and, for my brain, confusing. It became a visual white noise I couldn't pierce.

Then I discovered yWriter.

Similar to Scrivener, this software is free and without all the distracting bells and whistles that come with Scrivener. With yWriter, you can use it in the most basic way possible by writing directly into the editor window and then exporting the project into Word. Or you can use it to its maximum by outlining first - adhering to its conflict/reaction scene system to ensure your chapters create high-tension storytelling - add research notes and create different draft versions. All kept in a well-organised, easy-to-find-and-follow format. Want to move a chapter or scene to another place in the book? Just drag and drop. Need to access your research webpages easily and immediately without having to open your browser bookmarks? Add hyper links into the notes tab. Chapter titles and descriptions help to keep a rough track of plot points.

Plot Planner

yWriter is great for keeping the content of the book well-organised, but I still had problems keeping track of my development notes and the big picture from a bird's eye view more generally speaking. I tried all sorts of ways to track the macro elements of my plot and character, but none of them worked for me on a consistent basis, or in a way that made my brain understand how it connected to the plot in the right areas. In lieu of finding a solution from exterior sources, I ended up designing my own character and plot planners to keep track of important information, development of story and characters, and for creating interesting visual aids that held my attention.

Deadlines: School calendar

Summer time is always quieter on the freelancing front. Fewer students, fewer clients, fewer enquiries. For, who wants to be sitting indoors in front of a computer when they can be outside enjoying the warmer months? So, working around the school holidays sits conveniently well for someone who needs work to fit in around family commitments rather than the other way around.

That's not to say I don't do any work on my writing or editing related activities during these times, but the school holidays is a period when they take more of a backseat while family and household jobs are pulled more into focus. Decluttering, catching up on a bigger cleaning job than the usual day-to-day dishes, etc. When the kids are home, it's difficult not to have the days ruled by food and cleaning up with not much room for other things. However, during these periods, I also allow myself rewards. Binge watching TV that I have deliberately avoided because I didn't want to get distracted from my writing work, for example. This can work well for the ADHD writer. You can use the school calendar as a way to set yourself deadlines and block off time to catch up on items you've set aside: make sure you have x number of chapters in first draft by the time the schools break up; finish editing chapters up to the first turning point, take a trip to x location for research purposes, etc., etc.

For those without kids, you might find a way to work it in the opposite direction: spend the school holidays writing, meaning you are home a lot. You won't have to be around all the kids that have spilled out into the streets, shopping centres and restaurants. When they go back to school, you reward yourself with having a more relaxed week or two with some nights or days out, or make it a time to hyper focus on a big household job you've been putting off. This relieves any of the guilt of neglecting either your writing or your life obligations, while offering the variety you need to get your brain engaged.

Break Down Tasks into Manageable Chunks.

I've always said: don't gaze up at the peak of the mountain as it will overwhelm you. Look for the next foothold instead.

This is especially true of the ADHD writer because contemplating a fully developed, fully edited, complete novel (let alone the task of getting it published and marketed) encases the whole thing into one huge high-level task with either potentially high rewards or catastrophically absent ones. The difficulty level of this whole behemoth can make the ADHD brain switch into high-aversion mode, which is counterintuitive.

It's best to focus on the next three steps. Now, that could apply to multiple tasks at once: the next three things that need to happen in the story along with the next three marketing steps you need to take for your current published work, and the next three tasks you need to do on your website, etc. Think of it as a journey rather than a destination -- which route does the next tour take you, who will you meet and what will you do? Murder a character in Plot Bunny airport, followed by having a chat with another author at Blog Station, then a little trundle with the social media squirrels around Algorithm Arboretum. For rewards, you can grab a beer at the airport, some chocolate at the station and walk barefoot on the grass in the park. The ADHD writer is the constant traveller, looking for, and revelling in, all the new experiences the journey offers them. So, identify your voyage rather than its destination and avoid the overwhelm.

Create a Writing Habit Based on Rewards: Habitica

Habitica is an app with ADHD people in mind to help them stay focused and get more done. It gamifies your habits, daily routine and to-do list by rewarding you points, gold coins and special game items for your achievements. Take on quests to win game prizes or hold yourself accountable for the things you let slide by deducting points. You can hatch eggs with potions to create pets who you can feed, grow and turn into mounts. Join a party to tackle quests with other users and get more support. Grow healthy (writing) habits through the use of the app and join community challenges to achieve your goals.

This app is great for keeping you on track and focused on your goals. I'm not a fan of RPGs particularly, but I do find this useful in making me face the more mundane jobs where I need a push to get myself engaged and motivated. It's also handy for breaking down large projects into manageable steps by creating checklists. As above, if the project requires several levels of engagement before completion, I create the first task, break it into 3-5 steps, complete those first before focusing on stage two. As long as I create the next steps within the app immediately after completing a task, rather than completing and then walking away with a mañana attitude, it keeps me engaged in continuing.

Time Out

If you've had a period of hyper focus and have just bottomed out in an energy/interest crash, don't give yourself too much grief. You just made loads of progress. Call it a sprint. Athletes rest between sprints. You are allowed to do the same. If you're worried you'll never get back into the 'zing', remember you just spent time highly engaged in a high-difficulty task where the reward level has just dipped out. It's time to go back to doing simple writing tasks to get smaller reward packages to rebuild your power pack.

Instead of procrastinating over writing, or not writing, or whatever it is you feel you should be doing (remember, your brain works on interest over importance), and lowering your energy levels, try just thinking about your story. What is the next problem that needs solving?

You could bullet point three things each day, just to keep a toe in, so you don't lose connection, but without pressurising yourself to write x number of words each day, which is kryptonite to the ADHD writer. Don't worry: when you find something that snags your attention again, you'll be back to forgetting to pick up the kids from school and eating burnt dinners! (I have a timer on my oven that switches it off automatically. I can't tell you how helpful it is in preventing burnt food.)

Automation

Find which tasks you can automate. I find this especially useful with admin, which bores the crap out of me. It is an obligation with a low reward level, so I tend to put admin jobs off A LOT.

There are a lot of automation tools coming onto the market, so there are plenty of choices. In terms of what you can automate in your writing life, I'm thinking more in terms of how you can automate other tasks to free up more writing time. Automation can be used to help manage your social media and email list, especially because of the inconsistency issues that are inherent to ADHD. By automating posts and email messages, you ensure consistency without boredom, while simultaneously leaving you the freedom to post and email randomly about things that interest you on the fly.

The day someone designs a tool to submit stories automatically to publications will be Christmas for me. I cannot stand the hours it takes researching publications to find suitable places to send my work. Another low-level reward task, but a necessary one. Unfortunately, this isn't something Chat GPT is capable of yet, but I hope that one day a solution will crop up. I have some ideas of my own, but I'm not interested enough to pursue them into fruition.

What else would you or could you automate currently? Please share if you have extra tips or apps that might help.

If you are a writer with ADHD, let me know what tips and tricks you use to cope. Or, perhaps you are not coping. In that case, get in touch. Maybe we can Habitica together for some extra support.