ADHD and writing

[Former Member]

I am finding myself unable to focus on a story long enough to complete even a single chapter before my mind begins formulating a completely different story. I do take medication for this but I don't like to take it every day. Instead, I take it whenever I know I need to concentrate like on days I have class or exams. 

 

Do any of you have ADHD and if so, what do you do to stay focused on a story?  

 

I really dislike using this as a crutch, too. Sometimes I feel like people think I am using ADHD as an excuse or something. 

[CassieQ]

I have ADHD too and I take medication for it, which sometimes helps and sometimes does not.  As for writing, I find it very hard to focus on a single project for long stretches at a time, so I usually break writing down into short increments, interspersed with other things like beta jobs or researching or even working on another story.  That helps with the distraction.

 

ADHD is not an excuse, or a crutch.  Anyone that tells you otherwise has obviously not had to deal with it.   

[Lugh]

Take your meds that is why the doc gives them to you!

 

Otherwise there is nothing at all wrong with writing more than one story at a time.  Make very good notes and bounce between a couple.  Just don't post them until they are finished.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Lugh
missing word

[rustle]

Ry, I can't say I know ADHD, but even the most monumental achievements can be broken down into small components. Sometimes, it's more important to keep coming back to something than it is to keep at it.

 

Don't browbeat yourself. Some things cannot be beaten. But you can train yourself to work with what you have.

 

T'other thing is, Lugh's right about the meds. And other stuff.

Edited May 7, 2013 by rustle

[Mark Arbour]

I am finding myself unable to focus on a story long enough to complete even a single chapter before my mind begins formulating a completely different story. I do take medication for this but I don't like to take it every day. Instead, I take it whenever I know I need to concentrate like on days I have class or exams. 

 

Do any of you have ADHD and if so, what do you do to stay focused on a story?  

 

I really dislike using this as a crutch, too. Sometimes I feel like people think I am using ADHD as an excuse or something. 

 

I don't have ADHD, I have ADD.  So take out the hyper, and we're in the same boat.  I take meds too (Vyvanse), but if I skip them, I can really tell. 

 

ADD/ADHD isn't a crutch, it's a real issue, but you know, there are things about my ADD that actually help me with writing.  First of all, I think that having my mind constantly flit all over the place makes me pretty creative.  And while what you described (inability to start a story, inability to complete one) are classic ADD symptoms, there's another one that can serve you well: hyperfocus.  You know, when you suddenly zero in on something and almost obsess about it.  Wait until that happens to you and you're in your writing mode. 

 

But enough of that.  Your question was what do I do to stay focused on a story?  Immersion.  I have to totally imagine that I'm my protagonist. I have to see as vividly as I'm there the things he's seeing.  I'm not saying that I can't tell what's going on in the world outside my head, I'm just saying that when I'm writing, I'm very much visualizing the situation.  It's like making a movie. 

[Lugh]

yeah I get that too... and I'm not ADD or ADHD.. or at least not diagnosed   anyway... I've written more than 10k words in one session so anything is possible you know... enjoy it when it happens and use the hell out of it.

[hh5]

Would recording your thoughts, ideas, or attempts of a chapter help if typing is not doable without meds?

[JMH]

Since I have pretty bad insomnia I usually spend my hours trying to fall asleep experimenting with plot ideas for whatever projects I'm working on.  Right now I am a bit overloaded but when I spend some time in bed and think out a series I try to make myself write out the first three chapters or so.  That way the idea is fixed to paper so when I have real time and the motivation I don't have to re-imagine it from scratch.