Writers and A.D.D.

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My husband and I were cleaning a house for a psychiatrist or psychologist or one of those ists the other day. We were talking about my writing and I mentioned that I have a hard time finishing my work. I'll get gung-ho about a new shiny idea and think about it day and night. Then I'll start to work on it, think it was stupid or not be able to come up fantastic ideas, and quit. I don't throw it out, I just put it aside and either move onto the next shiny idea or work on my last shiny idea I'd abandoned. I also have a terrible time making decisions. Which is a major problem when it comes to working on plot points. It's so bad that I can't even decided which project to work on, so I don't work on anything for a while. I'm wasting a lot of precious writing time.

Before I even finished talking, she said that she thinks I have ADD. It all made sense when she said that. My dad says he has the same problem with finishing projects and deciding what to work on. I haven't researched it enough to know if there's another answer besides Ritalin, but I hope there is. People telling me to "just pick a project and finish it" doesn't work. If I could do that, believe me, I'd have a ton of novels done by now. I have way more ideas for novels than I have time to write.

Anyone else have this problem? How do you deal with it?

Comments

Jennie Englund said…
Oh my gosh -- I have the same problem!

But -- could it be a blessing in disguise? Like super creative powers, or something?
September 13, 2010 at 1:45 PM
Lisa Miles said…
I don't know. I love the fact that I'm never at a loss for writing ideas. But I hate it that I can't finish anything. I guess it's a blessing and a curse.
September 13, 2010 at 1:48 PM
Carolyn V. said…
I have a hard time if I slow down on my first draft, or if I start critiquing it before I'm finished. So I push myself and hid my wip until it's done. =)
September 13, 2010 at 3:55 PM
Luna said…
I struggle with this, too. I'm working on slowing down and learning to focus. No more crazy multi-tasking either. I think I have avoidance issues with my writing that stems from fear. But when I don't write I feel bummed. It's a crazy cycle, but I'm working on it.

Good luck to you!
September 13, 2010 at 5:01 PM
Jennifer Shirk said…
Well, I do get a lot of ideas and sometimes I DO have to work on them or plot them and then I put them in a file and go back to my wip. LOL
But it only happens a few times a year.
September 13, 2010 at 5:09 PM
Pat Tillett said…
What was the question again?

Lisa, I am so ADD! I have a million projects, all going on at the same time. I'm writing 3 books, about ten short stories, and a ton of other things...
I read 2 or 3 books at the same time and watch multiple TV shoes at the same time. I'm at least ADD!
September 14, 2010 at 12:37 AM
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