This post is going to be a bit different than my others. I want to get into some of what’s been preventing me from getting my writing going and what it’s like to write when you have ADHD. As well as having ADHD myself, I am also on the spectrum so staying organized and on task is difficult.
I’m going to start off by saying I’ve seen a lot of TikTok videos and videos on other sites that tend to minimize and glorify having ADHD and being autistic. I do not like these videos and I think they hinder the creators that show the reality of these two things. They are not fun, it’s not just being in the middle of a sentence and seeing a squirrel. I want everyone that knows what it’s like to live with ADHD and autism to feel seen, heard and safe here, so I’m going to tell you the truth.
Trying to write with ADHD for me is very tough. It’s hard for me to remember all the ideas that I get for things to put into my book and the way characters look, dress, talk and think. To try and work around this I’ve used so many different tools and cheats if you want to call them that. For example, I have two different printable character sheets that I tweaked and printed for *almost* all of my characters that appear in my book (I’ve got all the really important ones, now I’m finding that I need to do the not so important ones too). I have a notebook that I’ve written down all of the information about the world that I’ve created like the resources, what the people look like, the creatures that live there, family trees, buildings, etc. I have created picture vision boards for all of the territories and the characters that are important so I can visualize what they look like and where they are. As far as the ideas go, I utilize the notes app in my phone as often as I can to write down ideas I have for scenes, settings, attire, dialogue and more as they come otherwise they get lost forever because it’s impossible for me to remember.
Now, as far as this website and my social media goes, I’ve been trying to work with my ADHD and autism to keep myself organized and consistent for all you lovely people, because I don’t want to let you down. To do this I knew I needed to find something to fuel the dopamine goblin that lives inside my brain, so I went and bought a planner that matches the colors and aesthetic of the book and this website, pens that match, highlighters that match and a little pouch that matches as well. I color coded everything in my planner and I set reminders in my phone to help me stay on track. I have a set day for each platform and set content to put on each one as well. These things have helped me stay on track so far and I’m hoping that it continues. I never know when the dopamine goblin will want something different and I’ll have to change everything around to keep up.
I often lose my train of thought when I’m writing, or I’ll get to a really good spot and my brain will stop working entirely. There’s been many a time when I’ve sat and stared at my blank pages or screen and I just can’t get the words to flow. Others might call that writer’s block, but I know that it’s just my brain working against me. There’s been times where I’ve been excited to get to write and then can’t find the motivation to even pick up my pen. Everything is a bit of a hit or miss and, for me at least, it’s all about finding the things that bring me joy in the little moments where my brain is fighting against me.
Distractions are the absolute worst. If I’m in the middle of a sentence and someone asks me a question I have to choose between finishing my sentence or answering the person that’s talking to me. It can send me into a bit of a rage fit if I’m in hyperfocus on writing (or anything in general really) and someone will try to talk to me in the middle. I either won’t hear a word they say and they’ll think I’m ignoring them or I’ll get frazzled and confused and won’t be able to go back to what I was doing before the interruption.
I find that music helps me with that a lot. I like to listen to string music (violin is my fave) when I’m writing. I find it to be very calming and meditative, plus I tend to be able to activate my imagination more and envision the scenes I’m writing coming to life when that happens. It’s more of a magical experience when music is added.
I hope that this gives you a little glimpse into the struggles that I face while trying to produce my first novel and that it helps some of you not feel so alone. If there’s any tips or tricks any of you have that help you stay on track when you’re in a rut, please feel free to share them with me! I would love to hear what it is you guys do that helps you.
Until next time, stay weird lovelies!
-Rashell
Rashell Shayde 