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The ADHD Novelist and Writing Productivity
Tips from Mary Robinette Kowal on restructuring your world so it works for your brain
I grew up knowing I was dyslexic and a procrastinator — no one mentioned ADHD because I had good grades and I wasn’t the ADD poster child: a fidgety white male nine-year-old who can’t focus long enough to finish a math worksheet. Of course, dyslexia and procrastination are common correlations with ADHD.
As a “good student” I had the luxury of romanticizing my procrastination. I fed the beast throughout high school and college — and it got bigger.
Now working as a royalty-based writer (i.e. a self-employed writing model that doesn’t involve client work), I set my own deadlines. That also means I can push back my own deadlines. And I can procrastinate through all of them should I choose to.
I’ve tried to organization pro-tip my way out of it. Find my motivation my way out of it. Eat that frog! my way out of it. I’ve beaten myself up with unhealthy mantras likes you’re only a writer if you’ve written today.
None of it seems to work for more than a moment.
What I am finding useful, however, is advice from neurodivergent writers and therapists.
