Coaching Neurodivergent Writers

 ADHD can be a blessing or a curse for writers. Often, it’s both. For starters, there’s overwhelm, time blindness, procrastination, decision paralysis, shame, and rejection sensitivity, all of which can have a significant and debilitating impact on a writing practice—and can even crush one. At the same time, it often brings enhanced creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, pattern recognition, an ability to hyperfocus, and a greater facility for problem solving.

You may find it difficult to decide what project to prioritize, how to get started, or how to keep going when the novelty fades. Maybe you’ve tried to fit yourself into routines that don’t work for you or motivate yourself with strategies that aren’t compatible with the way people with ADHD think. If you’re like many neurodivergent writers, you struggle with procrastination, mental fatigue, impostor syndrome, self-doubt, self-criticism, lack of motivation, and that saboteur of all good writing—perfectionism. There’s a good chance you’ve tried and tossed countless planners that promise to help keep you on track. Ditto for all the timers. And the apps. Perhaps you’ve worked with editors and coaches who try to help you in the same way they help others, but you can’t be coaxed into a neurotypical mold. Your brain is your brain and it’s not going to change no matter how much you or others try to coax it to. It can’t be fixed because it’s not broken; it’s different. But you can learn how to make the most of the differences—to minimize the challenges and lean in to your individual strengths.  

And it helps to work with someone who understands. It’s important to note, I’m not an ADHD coach, but rather a certified writing coach with a deep understanding of neurodivergence and the ways it can derail writers despite their best intentions. I get it. I’ve been there. I AM there. I know from personal experience many of the ways ADHD bedevils writers. But through intensive research, I’ve learned about strategies and workarounds that may help. We’ll work together on the particular aspects of ADHD that hinder your writing efforts and look for the ways you can make the most of aspects that give you an edge—all tailored only for you.

I offer the same coaching packages for neurodivergent writers as for others, but the work will be highly individualized and strength-based. Because your difficulties may not be the same as those of another writer with ADHD, and because strategies for people with ADHD aren’t one-size-fits-all, we’ll need to spend some time talking about how the condition specifically influences your writing so we can customize the coaching to your particular challenges as well as your special gifts.