As an ADHD writing coach, I’m asked all the time how ADHD affects writing. This mini-series will answer that question. But the best way I can start explaining it is just to show you, by telling you about a fictional ADHD writer. Let’s call her Jane.
I’d like to introduce you to Jane!
Jane sat down at her desk. She took a look at the forest-worth of sticky notes and dropped her head into her hands. She hadn’t written for two weeks and had almost not shown up today either.
Maybe she shouldn’t have. She wasn’t a real writer anyway. Real writers write regularly, right? They also show up motivated to write and actually finish their projects. Jane, however, hadn’t finished a project in years. She had started at least four, though. And these sticky notes contained ideas for those four… As well as for three more.
After ruminating like this for a few minutes, Jane got back up and left the room. Today was not the day.
Jane’s problem
So why did Jane give up? I think it’s because she has been trained to believe that the best way to motivate yourself is to talk yourself down. And that’s the only strategy she has for getting herself to write. What Jane might not realize is that her challenges with starting, focusing on, and finishing projects could be directly linked to how ADHD affects writing and her brain.
What Jane needs is a deeper understanding of how ADHD affects writing. This will lead her to more useful and productive tools. This blog post, then, is for Jane. But Jane, of course, is a fictional character. So if you’re anything like Jane, I’ve written this for you!
4 Hidden ways in which ADHD affects writing
For ADHD Awareness Month, I’ve written four blog posts that answer the question: How does ADHD affect writing?” These posts cover the four hidden ways in which ADHD is keeping you from your writing goals. I’ll go into them briefly here, but you can click on the links to the full blog posts if you want to learn more.
Writing routines
Did you see how Jane felt bad for not having shown up to her desk for two weeks? One of the major underlying beliefs she’s holding here, is that a real writer writes for hours every day. And there are so many people who feel bad about their writing practice because they’re holding the same belief!
To live up to this image of a perfect writer, you will need to build a sustainable writing practice. But your ADHD makes it very hard to build a sustainable ANYTHING because of our challenges with motivation, consistency and time management. It’s important, then, to learn how ADHD affects writing routines.
One tip that might help: Start with a small, manageable goal, like writing for 10 minutes a day. Gradually increase the duration as you build your writing stamina.
Read this blog post to learn more about ADHD and writing routines. There, you can also get access to my free ebook “10 steps to build a sustainable writing practice.”
Self-care
Jane did not think about this at all, but the reason why she struggled might have had something to do with how much she’s slept, when the last time is she ate, or how much structure she has in her life. And the reason why she didn’t think about it, is that we never do. We keep forgetting to take care of ourselves.
Are you wondering why that tells us about how ADHD affects writing? ADHD makes it really hard for us to take care of ourselves. As a result, we’re not giving our bodies and brains what they need to perform. If you don’t sleep enough or regularly enough; if you don’t hydrate; if you don’t get yourself the right nutrition – your writing will suffer.
One tip I can give you is to schedule short breaks throughout your writing sessions to engage in activities that recharge you, such as stretching, listening to music, or engaging in breathing exercises.
You can learn why it’s so hard for us to take care of ourselves in this blog post. You can also get access there to the free “ADHD Writer’s Self-Care Starter Kit.”
Finishing projects
Did you notice how Jane had started a bunch of projects, but hadn’t finished one in years? This is a common problem when you have ADHD. Well, I say problem… It doesn’t have to be a problem, of course. But for those of us with ambitions, it certainly can be!
The main reason why we have such a hard time finishing projects is that we rely a lot on the excitement of an entirely new project for motivation. This excitement, by its very nature, is transient: there’s only a short window of time in which the project seems exciting because of its newness. And the alternative way of motivating yourself has nothing to do with punishment, negative self-thoughts or self-discipline. In fact, those will only increase the likelihood that you quit your project. So that’s the third example of how ADHD affects writing.
One quick tip I want to give you here: set a fixed schedule for your priority project (the one you want to finish), but also schedule in extra time each week to work on whatever project your brain wants to work on in that moment. That way, you can use the momentum on one project to fuel the other.
You can read my blog post on why it seems like writers with ADHD can’t finish anything here. There, you can also get access to a game I invented to help you finish your project!
Getting overwhelmed
Emotionally, the biggest challenge most writers with ADHD experience is that they keep getting overwhelmed, as we also saw with Jane. They might get overwhelmed by all the ideas they have, making it hard to make a decision (remember her sticky notes?). Or they might feel overwhelmed by how much there is still to do before their next project is finished. Whatever the target, overwhelm is one of the major barriers that keep ADHDers from writing and finishing their projects. That’s what makes it the fourth (but certainly not least) example of how ADHD affects writing.
My personal theory is that this is caused by our brains’ need for the exact right level of stimulation, as you can read in this blog post entitled “3 Reasons why writers with ADHD get overwhelmed”. There, you can also get access to my free guide to breaking down your project with mind mapping.
For now, however, I can give you one quick tip: whenever you feel bored, make a note to yourself to NOT overcommit!
So what's next?
Now that we have a better idea of how ADHD affects writing, it’s time to think about how we can overcome these hurdles. Remember Jane? What if she could transform her writing journey to embrace her neurodiversity and finally be the writer she always wanted to be?
That could be you!
Now that we have the theory down, and you know better how ADHD affects writing, it’s time to take the first real step to repairing your relationship with your writing practice: building a sustainable writing routine.
Join the free webinar
Join me for a free webinar at the end of the month, where I’ll share practical strategies and actionable tips to help you:
- Establish a consistent writing practice that works with your ADHD brain.
- Overcome procrastination and resistance.
- Develop personalized routines that maximize your productivity and creativity.
- And much more!
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with other ADHD writers and gain valuable insights to transform your writing journey.
