My Unconventional Neurodivergent Writing Practices
Hello, folks! Welcome back to the blog. I’m glad you’re here!
A while back, I wrote a blog post about writing neurodivergent characters into my historical fiction. As I am also neurodivergent, my writing practices reflect my differences. They didn’t always, though. Like so many others in my generation, I only identified my autism and ADHD as an adult. As part of this new understanding, I’ve had to unravel so much that was not me. This includes writing practices that never really suited me, that I acquired while masking. Neurodivergent creativity looks as different as we are, and I learn more about this every day. When we allow ourselves to embody our authentic selves, we can create at our truest, bringing to life such beauty and magic.
So, in this post, I thought I’d share a little about my own unconventional neurodivergent writing practices.
Writing Practices I’ve Let Go
First, I’ve had to let go of so much writing “convention” that never worked for me.
If I boiled it down to one word, it’d be: consistency. I used to try to force myself into a daily, consistent writing practice. Sit down at the same time of day, open up the doc, and “just do it.” It sounds okay on paper, doesn’t it? But for my brain and body, it simply does not work. This ended up looking more like shaming myself: “Why can’t you be more like…? Why can’t you do it right?”
But what is “right,” anyway?
“Right” is what’s best for the individual. When I tried to wrangle my writing practice into what never suited me, my writing suffered. It was like pulling teeth. There was no heart in it.
If this sounds like you, give yourself permission to be different and flow with your own energy!
Embodying My Own Unique Writing Practice
So, what does my current writing practice look like in this season of life?
It looks like flowing with my own energy. It syncs with the moon phases and inspiration. It looks like putting on a favorite movie in the background, or listening to music I love. It looks like drawing pictures of my characters. It looks like talking through plot holes with my husband. It looks like jotting down ideas in a notebook or on my phone while I’m cooking dinner. It looks like me.
A little peek inside what’s worked for me lately:
When the blinking cursor on a blank page looked a little too daunting, I put one of my favorite movies on the TV. The Fellowship of the Ring both calmed and energized me enough that I was able to begin writing again.
The story I’ve been working on lately has some heavy themes and I can get bogged down if I’m not careful. I allow myself to “go there” in the story, yes, but I make sure to refresh and lighten my energy once I’m finished writing. Sometimes I need to balance it out while writing, too. My go-to music for this lately has been the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack! (Shout out to my sister for getting me to finally watch the movie!) I also reset by connecting with loved ones, my pets, or going outside into my garden.
Lastly, as I am working on a couple of long-term projects, I need to balance this focus out with novelty. I can easily get burnt out without allowing myself to pursue side quests and rabbit holes. Exploring new ideas helps me stay on track with my long-term work. Even if these new things never “pan out,” simply following them gives me what I need. Recently, I researched and wrote a story about teenage “hoboes” riding the rails during the Great Depression, a subject that fascinates me. Letting myself explore these kinds of things, even just a little, allows me to stay true to my commitments.
All of these things make my whole writing practice so much more fulfilling and joyful– and uniquely mine.
Tell me: What makes your creative practice uniquely yours?
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I’ll be back on the blog soon with more!
Katie
P.S. If this post sounds like you, check out The Neurodivergent Creative Podcast by Caitlin Fisher. One great episode is #179: “Shame, Perfectionism, & Songs That Break (and Heal) feat. K-pop Demon Hunters & Encanto.”
