Being a Writer with ADHD. Tips & Advice
I was sure I couldn’t be a writer. Turned out I had ADHD.
For many years, I was sure I couldn’t be a writer.
Turned out I had ADHD.
Where I come from, mental health was never something people took seriously. I grew up without knowing I had ADHD. Then I became an adult and realised something was off. Through a long journey of self-analysis and psychotherapy, I found out I had ADHD.
After the diagnosis, I started implementing different techniques that were aimed to help people with ADHD. I started feeling better. More productive.
I realised that doing tasks and organising my own time became easier.
But most importantly…
I realised I could be a writer.
Being a writer is hard enough. When you combine it with having ADHD, trust me, it doesn’t help. So, here I am, sharing my tips and advice for people who have the same struggles.
Disclaimer: I’m not a mental health specialist. Everything I mention in this article is based on my personal experience of being a writer with ADHD.
Write First, Edit Later
This is probably the main technique that helps me write. I must be honest with you. When I sit down and start writing — it’s a mess. Punctuation goes out of the window. The same words appear in the text all the time. What’s a synonym? It doesn’t matter when I’m writing my first draft.
The main goal is to get the words out. It doesn’t matter if you forget a comma or two. If you put down everything that comes to your head, you’re creating a continuous stream of writing without worrying or thinking too much.
If you make a mistake, leave it and fix it later. After everything is written, you edit. You’ll see it’s not as scary as correcting your sentences right away, because by the time you edit — half of the work is already done.
This approach might not be good advice for every writer, but I truly believe it could help those with ADHD.
Write Down Your Ideas Right Away
This advice is important for every writer, but it’s especially relevant for my ADHD folks. The hardest part is finding out what’s the most convenient form of a notebook for you. There are too many options nowadays.
Think about how your ideal notes would look like. Do you need them to be organised? Do you need to access them from all your devices? Do you need to take voice notes?
Ask yourself these questions to figure out what works best for you. It might be a little notebook and a pen. It can be an app or a website. Make sure it’s always accessible. During a family dinner. In the shower. On the street. At work. Be prepared when inspiration strikes.
Block Distractions
Let’s talk about the internet and social media. They distract you. But when you’re thinking about installing anti-distraction apps and browser extensions; you don’t believe they will work. I agree. They don’t work for everyone. But they might work for you.
Remember all those times when you wanted to “check notifications real quick” or “watch only one video”. How did it go? These anti-distraction tools prevent you from doing things like that. And sometimes it can crucial for your writing process.
However, there are certain things you need to block yourself. In such cases, you need to figure out what distracts you the most and minimise it.
For example, if you’re distracted by messages from your friends, try to text them “I’ll reply in a couple of hours”. But there is a little trick.
It works well only when you leave their last text “unread”. This way, when you’re finished with your writing, you take your phone and notice their messages. In case you don’t have a reminder, your ADHD brain might decide to answer your friends in a couple of days instead of hours.
However, I’m not talking only about technological distractions. It can be anything. Sounds. Things. People. Find out what interferes with your writing and find the best solution for your situation.
Prepare Your Working Space in Advance
Please, keep in mind that when I say you need preparation, I mean the most basic one. Otherwise, you’ll spend 20 minutes trying to light up your aroma candle and you’ll end up cleaning your entire house because you couldn’t find the matches. That’s how ADHD works sometimes.
The only thing you really need to do is to ensure that you won’t need to go anywhere. It means you need to have your preferred writing device ready and some beverage by your side. The best choice is water and not only because of health benefits.
If you choose tea or coffee, it might cool down and you’ll need to warm it up. Then you’ll realise you forgot to call your friend. As a result, you’ll end up talking to them for 30 minutes, living you with no energy to finish your writing project. Try to avoid that.
For me preparation includes putting a bottle of water on my desk, making sure my internet connection is fine and bringing in the glasses that I always leave in the kitchen for some reason. Find out what you need to keep your writing process flowing and make up your own little preparation routine.
Say What You’re Doing Out Loud
I came up with this one on my own. I use it when I struggle more than usual. When you get overwhelmed, you can’t make yourself do anything. People advise you to make up minor tasks so you could get started. That’s a variation of that technique.
ADHD paralysis is a frustrating thing, and that’s the only method that helps me. If I need to stand up from my sofa, go to my desk and write an article, that’s how it’s going to look like.
Instead of thinking “I need to write an article”, I’ll say “stand up” and stand up. Then step by step I’ll say “go to your computer”, “sit down”, “put your hand on the mouse”, “open a word document”, “start typing”.
I think you get how it works. I know it might sound strange, but it helps when nothing else can.
Imagine Yourself After The Deadline
It’s a very small trick, but it works when you need to calm yourself down for a project with a deadline.
Let’s imagine you have a deadline on the 25th of October. You are panicking about how much there is to be done. However, you also know that you’re a responsible person who will meet the deadline. It means you can imagine the 26th of October when your life will be free from the project and you won’t need to stress out about it.
This one is more of an exercise. It helps to visualise yourself with a completed project. You calm down and can continue actually working on your writing.
Research Professional Content
All around the world, professionals are conducting studies about ADHD. There are many articles, educational videos and other resources that are aimed to help people with ADHD. They provide theoretical material for understanding the peculiarities of living with ADHD.
Of course, I also highly recommend going to a mental health professional, so they could help you with your particular case. It can also help your writing in a way you didn’t expect.
Going to a psychologist made my writing more honest and vulnerable. I’m getting comments about people relating to my stories and thanking me for telling them. I’ve never had it before. And let me tell you, it’s an incredible feeling.
Connect With Your Community
As a writer, you probably know how much a community can give you. You never know who will give you advice that’ll change your life.
But the most important thing that an ADHD community can give you is the feeling that you are not alone and there many people in the world who get what you're going through.
At the end of the day, you are a person who tries to follow your dreams. And I believe in you. Be a writer. Be creative. Be happy. You can do it.
