ADHD

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Any tips from writers with ADHD? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 days ago by deathmetal27@lemmy.world to c/adhd@lemmy.world

23 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I have been trying to get into writing short stories as a hobby. I have a couple of good ideas. But I tend to struggle when actually putting my thoughts to words.

Some issues I struggle with are as follows:

Inability to settle on the right words: I'll write something and think that what I wrote could be written better or differently and then I keep on writing and deleting and rephrasing with different words. Thus making very slow progress.
Problems with continuity: I might think up a somewhat long plot line. But I have to write the whole thing in one go because if I don't then my brain will splinter the story into multiple possible story branches when I stop and I am unable to choose the path to follow.
Lose interest in continuing if I take a break: If I stop writing mid way and take a break from writing for an extended period of time, I am unable to find the motivation to resume. Mostly because trying to catchup with the story up to that point feels hard. I have this same tendency with video games as well where I don't feel like picking up a game after an extended period of absence.

So is anyone here who does writing as either a hobby or professionally? If so how do you cope with your condition?

What I've found that works for me is to just make up the story as I go without much planning. The issue with this is approach I've found is that it's hard to find a conclusion to end the story.

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[–] Dunstabzugshaubitze@feddit.org 4 points 2 days ago

Inability to settle on the right words: I'll write something and think that what I wrote could be written better or differently and then I keep on writing and deleting and rephrasing with different words. Thus making very slow progress.

editing is not writing, don't edit before you are done writing the first version of your story, and editing gets easier after the first enarmourment for a story has worn off anyway. sounds easier than it is, but the voice in your head telling you that you are writting badly is not your friend and not helping, even if it might be right sometimes.

Problems with continuity: I might think up a somewhat long plot line. But I have to write the whole thing in one go because if I don't then my brain will splinter the story into multiple possible story branches when I stop and I am unable to choose the path to follow.

have a look at the "snowflake method" and learn about various story structures to help plan the beats of your story. if planning far ahead is not your jam jot down some notes for what happens next, or if you can't decide turn the possibilities into yes/no-questions flip a coin and run with whatever fate decided. in general take notes, can't trust that brain to produce the same output twice.

Lose interest in continuing if I take a break: If I stop writing mid way and take a break from writing for an extended period of time, I am unable to find the motivation to resume. Mostly because trying to catchup with the story up to that point feels hard. I have this same tendency with video games as well where I don't feel like picking up a game after an extended period of absence.

thats normal, if a story can't reignite the spark that lead to starting it in the first place, that story won't be finished. keep it somewhere you see it from time to time, it might call you someday and if it does not that's fine, most stories are never finished. if you want to finish something badly try to set a deadline you cant easily ignore, i turned short stories into gifts (a long with a 'real' gift) sometimes just to have a reason why it must be done on day x. the story was not necessarily for the person i gifted it to, but i needed the pressure.