Let's say that you're close to finishing your draft and then all of a sudden, you don't feel like working on your story anymore. And I think this happens for a lot of reasons, but the main one is that once you're finished, that draft is done and then you basically have to start over because you're going to be revising it, and sometimes that feels scary or it feels uncomfortable or that makes doing the work maybe a little harder than it needs to be. One thing that helps me in this scenario is to have a plan of approximately how long the edits will take. Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm here to help you write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming, so each week, I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right away. So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and let's get started.

In today's episode, I'm sharing five tips to help neurodivergent writers finish their drafts. And if you're not neurodivergent, I still encourage you to listen to this episode because, honestly, these tips are gold and I think you'll still walk away from this episode with tons of value. Now a few things I want to say before diving into the tips. First, I asked four of my fellow editors and book coaches who specialize in working with neurodivergent authors and or who are neurodivergent themselves to submit tips for this episode. I'm not neurodivergent myself, so I really wanted to gather some tips from those who have personal experience being neurodivergent or who work with writers who are neurodivergent. Second, I know neurodivergence is a general term that encompasses a lot of different things ADHD, asd, dyslexia, down syndrome, ocd, bpd, tourette's and others. So, on one hand, this episode won't be for everyone and even if you are neurodivergent, you might not resonate with all of the tips presented, but on the other hand, I could see a lot of this advice applying to writers who are neurotypical as well. So I just want to give you permission to take what resonates with you and leave the rest, whether you're neurodivergent or not.

And lastly, although all of my guests today are either neurodivergent themselves or specialize in working with neurodivergent authors, they are not therapists or medical professionals. So, as they share the strategies that have worked for them or for the writers they've worked with. Please remember that the advice presented is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you might be neurodivergent or are experiencing challenges associated with being neurodivergent, please reach out to a medical professional. All right? So, with all of that being said, let's dive into five tips to help neurodivergent authors finish their books. First up, we have a tip from Alyssa Finks. That's all about respecting periods of hyperfocus as well as periods where our bodies and minds need rest. Let's dive right into Alyssa's tip.

My name is Alyssa and I'm an LGBTQ plus and neurodivergent book coach who works primarily with fiction novels and graphic novels. I'm going to talk about respecting hyper-focus and respecting the need to rest in your writing life and journey. Especially with the prevalence of burnout among neurodivergent authors and the drastic shift we can have in our energy levels, it can be really difficult to write consistently and in a way that brings you joy. It can feel like your book is taking forever to finish, or you get through 10 chapters really quickly but then can't muster the energy to get to the next set or edit and so on. You can combat this working with your neurodivergence by structuring your time in a way that respects hyperfocus and rest. When they present themselves in your writing life can be invaluable. One of my main ways to work with this is that I give myself a set deadline, but one that doesn't need to be accomplished every day, so I can account for times when I'm hyper-focused and built-in time for rest. I break it down by a year, a month or a week. The goal of each deadline is to have it be concrete, but not something like I will complete the whole book in a year, which cannot be broken down or divided into easily manageable parts and often ends up being unachievable. Give yourself a concrete number and work down from there. An example book I will use for easy breakdown is 384 pages or 96,000 words. Once founded down, it looks like 2,000 words per week, 8,000 words per month or 96,000 words per year. This is an example and you should track general word count for your novel's ideal audience.

Next, take the time to map out how you work. Let's assume the goal is to finish a book by the end of the year and I pick to work within a week-to-week deadline. I know from my personal abilities and balance of my work that writing 2,000 words in a week is accomplishable. But I'm going to have days where I'm super hyper-focused and days where I just can't write at all. Let's say Monday of a writing week is a hyper-focused day where I have time, energy and the unbroken focus needed to complete 1,000 of my 2,000 words. That gives me 1,000 words to finish. The rest of the week Tuesday and Wednesday I can't get to it and nothing gets accomplished. And according to the Write Every Day model, I would have failed. But according to this model, when I return to my book Thursday through Saturday and as long as I complete my 2,000-word goal for that week, I'm one measurable step closer to finishing my book.

In another example, if I have a really intense hyperfocus on two writing days and I far surpass my goal, such as 4,000 completed words, I could have the next week off from writing or I can try to hit my original baseline the week after. The important thing about hyper focus is that I don't resist it when it happens If I get excited about my writing and it lasts 10 minutes, great. If I get excited about my writing and it lasts three hours, great. The one caveat is making sure you have enough food, water and small breaks. Without that, you can definitely burn yourself out quicker on your writing journey, and no one wants that.

Even though, even though hitting your goal every week isn't ideal, how many spoons or how much emotional capacity you have can alter drastically as time goes on. Sometimes a writer will have every intention of reaching writing goals but because of an intense lack of spoons for one reason or another, there may be a week or two where they can't work on writing at all, even if they set week-to-week goals. And that is okay. And it brings me to respecting rest Writing, although super fun and very fulfilling is work. You're putting a lot of your brainpower into creating something new and special and complex, and you're going to have four days and easy days. Taking the adjustment and giving yourself the grace to rest as necessary is equally as valuable as the work. For example, if I have a rough week where I don't reach my writing goal at all, then I can make up the difference the next week, or I can even shift my year goal back a week or two. There's no pressure, just as long as I work towards getting it done on a set timeline.

Note that if you feel completely uninterested in a project after a rest, don't focus on the discouragement as much as a curiosity about why you feel the way you do now. What about this project interested me? What about it turns me off now? Am I needing my personal needs to give myself the energy to write or not? Finding out these things can really assist you on your journey, because you'll realize that it's not just you. It might be outside factors too.

Even if this exact breakdown and method doesn't work for you, I would highly recommend having achievable goals that can be adjusted based on how you're feeling. I cannot stress this enough, but you are already super human for wanting to write something near and dear to your heart, while struggling with being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world where tons of demands are placed on your precious time and energy, day in and day out, without rest. Writing can move from work to chore, from chore to exhaustion, from exhaustion to complete disinterest. If you try to achieve an everyday, all-time high of writing, giving yourself time to recuperate and time to lean into the excitement and drive that comes with writing, while giving yourself enough time to reach and achieve goals, will hopefully benefit you in the long run with your writing journey. I wish you all the best of luck and happy writing.

I'm obsessed with these tips and it's like I said earlier I don't think you need to be neurodivergent to put these tips into practice. I love what Alyssa said about setting concrete goals, because I think this is where many writers go wrong. Whether they're neurodivergent or neurotypical, we all have a tendency to sometimes overestimate what we can accomplish in a given time frame, and sometimes the looser or less defined our goals are, it just makes accomplishing those goals that much harder. So I loved what Alyssa said about that. I also really like what she said about respecting times of hyperfocus and times of rest and how neither one is better than the other. As I mentioned in the intro, I am not neurodivergent myself, and this part of Alyssa's advice really resonated with me because, just like most of us, I'm sure, we all have energy that ebbs and flows throughout the day, week or month, and the more we can lean into and work with our energy levels whether we're neurodivergent or not the better off we'll be and probably the more productive we'll be then probably the more productive we'll be. So thank you so much, alyssa, for these wonderful tips, and if anybody wants to get in touch with Alyssa, I will link to her website and social media for you in the show notes.

Next up, we have a tip from Dani Abernathy, who you might recognize from a previous episode of the podcast. She was featured on episode number 99 called Five Mindset Tips to Help you Unlock your Writing Potential. And today she's back to deliver another amazing tip for us, this time about embracing what makes you you when it comes to your writing. Let's dive into Dani's tip.

Hi, my name is Dani Abernathy. I'm a book coach and Enneagram teacher who helps deep thinkers and feelers write the stories they need to tell so their readers can feel seen and can see others. I love talking about embracing yourself in your writing. So when I think about a tip to help neurodivergent writers finish their books, my top tip is to accept who you are strengths and weaknesses. You can't force yourself to use the systems and processes of someone else. When we try to do that, we fail.

I have recurrent major depression. So twice a year, in the spring and the fall, I have depression for several months at a time and I don't enjoy it, but I know now that that happens During those seasons. I'm going to have less energy, less focus, less capacity to be productive. So if I expect myself to write 100,000 words or if I expect myself to show up and get my butt in the seat and write every day, I am setting myself up for failure because my brain and my body cannot meet that expectation. The standard writing advice does not work for me. Before I realized this about myself, I was really, really cruel to myself. That voice in my head was nasty still is sometimes, and I thought that I did a terrible job at everything. I beat myself up for not being consistent and disciplined and being able to like, stick to these routines and habits like other people could, and I thought I was a failure. I thought I wasn't able to be successful. Now I know that those systems and techniques do not work for you, and that is okay. There is nothing wrong with that.

You and your brain have your own strengths. For example, if you have ADHD, you have an incredible ability to focus on a project. When you hyper-focus, you can get so much done in such a short amount of time. You also have the superpower of idea generation. You do not lack for new ideas. It is not hard for you to come up with new writing ideas. Embrace those, acknowledge them and lean into them as you can, as your life allows, and then figure out ways to support the places where you are not as strong, where it's harder for you. Get a body doubling partner. Find a book coach who can help keep you on track and help you decide if this idea belongs in your story. Don't try to work against your brain. Try to work with it, support it. When you can accept and support your brain, you're going to be so much happier and more successful and, above all, you're just going to feel better about your relationship with your writing.

Here are a few questions to help you think about how your brain works, of the methods and advice and systems that you've tried, what has been really hard? What have you hated? Then I want you to think about your natural strengths. What comes easily? What do you enjoy? What do you show up for? Okay, next, think about what your body needs. Are there seasons where you show up in different ways? Are there times of day when you can't engage? Are there kinds of activities that you find really difficult? And, lastly, what would it look like for you to create a writing habit, a schedule, a process, a mindset that leans into the things that are fun and easy and that supports your needs? What would that look like? Write it down and then try it and let me know how it goes. So that is my advice for you, my neurodivergent writing friend Do not try to force your brain to be something it's not. Accept what it is and celebrate what it is and work with it.

I love these tips so much because everything Dani said is spot on. I've worked with writers who have a really hard time adopting the typical advice you see all over the internet about time management or character creation or whatever it is. It could be anything, and I've seen how many writers often think that the problem is them, not the advice. But, like Dani said, that's just not true. Not one piece of advice is going to work for every single writer, no matter what, and this is so important to note whether you're neurodivergent or not, right? I often tell people to imagine buying a house. So you buy a new house, it's all empty and you don't know how to furnish it or decorate it. So you ask five people for advice and those five people do give you advice, and let's say it's even detailed advice, right? There's still no way that you could implement all five design ideas or all five ideas for furnishing your house without your house looking and feeling like a hot mess. And I think it's the same with the craft advice we find on the internet, even the advice you hear on this podcast, which is why I'm always encouraging you to take what works for you and then leave the rest. We all have different ways of internalizing and interpreting things, so we really can't expect a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to writing a book or finding the best writing process or whatever it is we're looking for.

So I loved Dani's advice and I love how she talks about things that could feel like a blessing or a curse, depending on how you look at it.

Right, like she said, if you have ADHD, you probably have no shortage of ideas, and, yes, that can feel frustrating at times because of shiny object syndrome and all of that, but there are also so many writers who would love to have as many ideas as you do, so sometimes it's a matter of perspective and shifting the way that we talk about ourselves to ourselves and, like Dani said, it's about learning to recognize your strengths and working with how your brain naturally works. There's so much power in that, again, whether you're neurodivergent or not. So, dani, thank you for these fantastic tips. If you're listening and you want to get in touch with Dani, I will link to her website, as well as where you can find her on social media in the show notes. Next up, we have a tip from Georgina Green, and her tip is all about demand avoidance, and I'm not going to spoil anything for you, let's just dive right into her tip.

Hi, I'm Georgina Green, a book coach, a proud ADHDer and a recovering academic, and I work with all kinds of writers, but I'm especially interested in helping ADHD academics those who want to rediscover their creativity after feeling burned out in academia. Today, I want to talk about demand avoidance. I can relate to this on a personal level. In fact, the only reason I'm able to record this speech right now is because I'm using it as a way to avoid doing something else that feels more demanding. My writing, yes. Bitter irony, writing, which used to be my escape, a cosy space for hanging out with my imaginary friends, recently turned into a demand. When I signed up for a 100,000 word writing challenge, I thought it would help me overcome perfectionism, focusing on quantity rather than quality, but since publicly committing to it, I haven't written a single word. Something about that public commitment made my nervous system perceive this as a demand which triggered my demand. Intolerance which led to me hitting a brick wall.

Many neurodivergent people experience this. While it shares some similarities with what's called pathological demand avoidance or PDA, they're not the same. Pda is thought by some to be a neurological profile, but it's still under research and not well understood. For today, I will stick to discussing demand avoidance in a broader sense, something many people, including myself, deal with. I also prefer to use the term demand intolerance, as it feels more accurate to my lived experience. Demand intolerance is when the very fact that something is framed as a demand makes it feel almost impossible to do, even if it's something you genuinely do want to do. This demand can originate outside ourselves or from within. Many of the strategies I've learned in dealing with this can help anyone who struggles with feeling overwhelmed by demands, especially those of us who are neurodivergent. For people living with demand intolerance, the key is to find ways to prevent writing from being seen as a demand by the nervous system. Some people who experience PDA use the acronym persistent desire for autonomy rather than pathological demand avoidance, and I think this is insightful for all of us.

Autonomy the ability to make choices and decisions freely helps reduce the pressure of demands. So the question becomes how might we preserve that sense of autonomy when it comes to our writing? One way you might preserve a sense of autonomy is by perhaps creating a process that feels flexible and adaptable. Maybe you allow yourself the option to change your approach as you go along, not feeling locked into one method, and it could be that you're rewarded by seeing your characters come to life or noticing improvements in your writing, all according to your own standards. Rather than external validation, instead of setting firm deadlines, maybe you consider the possibility of softer goals. For example, instead of saying I must submit this story by December the 3rd, you might try saying I have the option of submitting this piece in December.

This subtle shift in language could help keep demand intolerance at bay by leaving room for choice and possibility. Perhaps another approach might be to keep a sense of playfulness in your writing, focusing on writing what you enjoy without too much pressure. Maybe you could explore ways to make the process lighter, reminding yourself that the more relaxed you feel, the easier it may be to write, and it's possible that one way to take the pressure off is simply through self-compassion, allowing yourself the grace to take things at your own pace and knowing it's okay to step back when needed. This is just the beginning of a conversation about demand intolerance, which is a huge topic, but I hope it reaches those who need to hear it today and sends you off on a rabbit hole, learning a little bit more about it by making small, gentle shifts in how we frame our writing focusing on autonomy, playfulness and open-ended language. Perhaps we can transform writing into a space where we feel free, relaxed and true to ourselves.

This tip is so interesting to me and I'm really glad that George shared her thoughts on this, because I think this is more common than we realize, and I love the language George gave us for this too, especially the words demand intolerance, because even just using those words helps to reframe the feelings you might be, because even just using those words helps to reframe the feelings you might be having from there's something wrong with me to there is something outside of me that I am having trouble tolerating, and I know that might not seem like the biggest deal to some listeners, but I really felt my own mindset shift around this when George was describing it and I have to admit I really relate to this idea of demand intolerance, even though I also love setting concrete goals for myself. It's kind of like what George said about publicly stating a goal and then you feel like doing anything but that goal. I feel that way often and I'm still undecided whether that's me being a recovering perfectionist or if it's demand intolerance or maybe a combination of the two, who knows? But I like what George offered us here, especially for anyone listening who doesn't love the more concrete ways of setting goals. I love how George said that you can tell yourself that you have the option of submitting something by, say, december 3rd, rather than this thing is due on December 3rd.

It's really funny how language can affect how you feel so much. Right, even as I just said that I felt more relaxed saying I had the option to submit something rather than something is due by a specific date. I think that's such a cool little mindset hack and I'm definitely going to implement this way of thinking a lot more. So thank you for this tip, george, and, of course, if you're listening and if you want to get in touch with Georgina, I will link to her website and social media in the show notes for you. Okay, next up, we have a tip from Keri Savage, and Keri is going to talk to us about finding an accountability partner and how accountability partners can help us in our writing practice. So let's dive right into Keri's tip.

Hi, I'm Keri Savage, a writer, project manager and certified book coach. I'm also neurodivergent, so I understand the struggles with focus, shiny object or squirrel syndrome and time management. Over the years, I've developed many different strategies to help me get things done, including my first novel. One of my best tips is to find an accountability partner. An accountability partner can be especially helpful for those of us who struggle to stay on track and also to show up for ourselves but always come through for other people. The structure and external motivation an accountability partner provides can be a game changer. An accountability partner is someone who checks in with you regularly, someone who's there to hold you to your writing goals and celebrate progress, big or small. This partnership isn't about adding pressure or guilt, but creating a structure where it's easier to show up for yourself and your novel. This kind of structure can be a game changer. As I said, many of us struggle with time management, task switching or sustaining focus, and we often work better with external scaffolding. An accountability partner could be that external motivator, a gentle nudge to keep you moving forward, even on the tough days. For example, let's say, your writing sessions are constantly interrupted by distractions. You and your accountability partner can create a plan. Maybe you both agree to write for 25 minutes and then check in. This small framework can reduce overwhelm, making it easier to get started and remember, getting started is often the hardest part. You can also structure started is often the hardest part. You can also structure these as co-writing sessions. Generally these are silent cameras on or off as people choose. Some people like the accountability of being on camera. Sometimes spokes will put a goal or intention in the chat. Sometimes it's enough just to see somebody else in the virtual space. You can commit an hour or more, breaking the time into whatever kinds of sprints make sense for you. Again, it's all about reducing the friction of getting started. You can also find co-writing sessions through an organization such as Women Fiction Writers Association or Sisters in Crime.

Then there's the matter of consistency. Us neurodivergent writers can struggle with maintaining a regular writing routine, whether it's due to fluctuating energy levels, hyper-focused faces or just plain burnout. Commit to a set number of writing sessions each week and then agree with your accountability partner. It doesn't have to be a fellow writer, but that you will send your work to them at the end of each session. There's no obligation on the other end that that person is going to read your words. In fact, it might be better if they don't, especially if you're not ready for feedback on your work. Just text, email or copy the work into a Google Doc in a shared drive folder, so that there's a place that your words will live that can be checked, just so you stay honest. Having someone there to check in on your progress, whether it's daily, weekly or bi-weekly, creates a sense of momentum. That little how's the writing going? Message from your partner could be the boost you need to sit down and write that chapter or scene you've been avoiding. Another key benefit of having an accountability partner is the emotional support. Writing can be a lonely process, and that loneliness can feel more intense when your brain works differently than the typical writers. With a partner, you have someone who understands your challenges and celebrates your unique way of working. It's not just about staying on track. It's about knowing you're not alone in all this.

Before we wrap up, I want to offer a few tips for finding the right accountability partner. First, look for someone who gets your process and your challenges. This, ideally, could be someone who's also working on a creative project though it doesn't have to be a novel so that you can support each other. Second, set clear expectations. Will you check in daily, weekly or after finishing certain tasks? Make it work for both of you and finally, be flexible and compassionate with yourself and with them. Life happens and the goal is to create support, not more stress. So, whether you're a neurodivergent or not, having an accountability partner could be the key to finally getting your novel written. It's all about making the process more manageable and more human. And finally, don't be afraid to switch things up if they're not working. We tend to think that we failed if this happens, but we haven't. We just haven't found the right strategy yet. Put things in rotation, if need be, so that you're mixing it up and keeping it fresh. Don't let your brain trick you into giving up. You've got this.

I love this advice so much and I appreciate how all the tips shared in this episode offer a variety of options when it comes to getting our writing done. I know I've said this a few times in this episode, but I'll say it again I think this is a great tip. Whether you're neurodivergent or not, and I know that when I was writing my book the Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I had Abigail K Perry as my editor for the project, but she was also my accountability partner and she was there to offer me the emotional support or be the sounding board, just like Carrie mentioned. Like Keri said, you're not always going to need the same level of support or accountability, so sometimes you will get more work done, whether you're in that hyper focus zone or you just so happen to have more creative energy that week or whatever it is. And then other times you might feel like you're crazy, for even trying to write a book or maybe a particular piece of the story is super challenging or whatever. But having that person who's in your corner, rooting for you, who has agreed to help and be that sounding board, that is huge and I can honestly say that for me. I would have taken longer to finish my book had I not had Abigail in my corner, most especially when I needed to be talked off the ledge and or talk through a particularly sticky scene or what have you. But yeah, it's so important. So thank you, keri, so much for sharing these tips with us, and I will link to Keri's website and social media and all of that in the show notes If you would like to get in touch with her. I'm sure all of the coaches who submitted tips for this episode would really love to hear from you. So, if you feel like it, give them a virtual high five on social media and let them know if something they shared resonated with you. I'm sure they would absolutely love that.

Now, quickly, before I let you go, I want to offer my own tip and, like I mentioned earlier, if this doesn't resonate with you, feel free to ignore this, but I wanted to share something that helps me sometimes and that is to focus on smaller periods of time, and what I mean by this is kind of twofold. So, on one hand, you can try shorter writing sprints. You might have heard of the Pomodoro technique before, and that's basically what I'm describing here. So typically you would set a timer for 25 minutes and then write for those 25 minutes before taking a five minute break, and then you can repeat as many of those little sessions as you want to. You can also change up the timing too, so let's say you want to write for 15 minutes and then take a 15 minute break, or whatever you want to do.

I have found that this can be helpful for some neurodivergent writers who have a hard time focusing, or even if you're someone who just doesn't feel like doing a lot of writing that day. Knowing that you only need to show up for 25 minutes can help put a container around what you're setting out to do, and sometimes that alleviates those mental barriers that come with sitting down to write. The other part of this is, let's say that you're close to finishing your draft and then all of a sudden, you don't feel like working on your story anymore. I see this happen all the time, not just with neurodivergent writers, but with all writers, and I think this happens for a lot of reasons, but the main one is that once you're finished, that draft is done and then you basically have to start over because you're going to be revising it right, and sometimes that feels scary or it feels uncomfortable or that makes doing the work maybe a little harder than it needs to be. So one thing that helps me in this scenario is to have a plan of approximately how long the edits will take. So let's say I'm in this position and I think the revisions will take me 90 days and I'm making this timeline up, so don't quote me on this but instead of feeling like I need to rush and like there's a ton of pressure on me for the next 90 days, what I've been doing lately is reframing this and saying something like I only have to work on this for the next 90 days, kind of like I only have to face this discomfort of editing and revising for the next 90 days and then I can take a break or move on to something else. So in this example, yes, I probably need to do more rounds of editing after the first pass, but specifically for this first pass, having that frame of 90 days helps my brain feel like there's an end in sight and I tell myself, or I tell the writers I work with you can do anything for 90 days and that's true, right, we can do anything for 90 days or whatever time period you're working with.

So a real life scenario. Last week I was talking with a writer and they said that they had 15 minutes to pitch agents at a conference. And yes, it's intimidating, and of course it is, but it's 15 minutes and you can do anything for 15 minutes, right? You can be uncomfortable for 15 minutes and you can be nervous for 15 minutes and then it's over. So I don't know.

This kind of reframe really helps me sometimes and I hope it will help you as well. It's really just kind of shifting your mindset around. I have X amount of time to do something and letting that, you know, kind of fill you with pressure and then shifting that to be like I only have to do this for X amount of time. So, yes, it's the same amount of time, yes, you have a self-imposed deadline and all of that, but it's really about you know, giving yourself that container and saying I only have to do this or I only have to feel this way for X amount of time. So, like I said, this is helpful for me, but if it doesn't resonate with you, that's okay. There are plenty of other tips in this episode for you to try out and I hope that you will try out some of them.

So, that's it for today's episode. As always, thank you so much for tuning in and for showing your support. If you want to check out any of the links I mentioned in this episode, you can find them in the show notes listed in the description of each episode inside your podcast player or at savannahgilbocom forward slash podcast. If you're an Apple user, I'd really appreciate it if you took a few seconds to leave a rating and a review. Your ratings and reviews tell Apple that this is a podcast that's worth listening to and, in turn, your reviews will help this podcast get in front of more fiction writers just like you. And while you're there, go ahead and hit that follow button, because there's going to be another brand new episode next week, full of actionable tips, tools and strategies to help you become a better writer. So I'll see you next week and until then, happy writing.