10 MORE tips for Neurodivergent Writers
We still don’t know everything but we do trust in recommendations from established writers, creatives, and well our therapists. Some of these may seem repeated from our first post - but sometimes posing things in a different way makes them more palatable - at least for me. (Also you could probably call the following list -Things we know we should be doing but haven’t been!)
(Please also explore our first post - Neurodivergent Writing Tips)
1. Explore YOUR process
Try out different author and writer podcasts. These are relatively easy to explore, and there are so many you should be able to find one to not annoy your sensibilities. Some of the ones we like…
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Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
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The Writing Life Podcast with Hannah Murray
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On Writing with Brandon Sanderson (lectures)
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Your Mom Writes Books by Charlie N. Holmberg
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Follow writing blogs or substacks (please note - some of the substacks have a small paywall installed - this is so that AI crawlers can’t steal their work). Some of the ones we like are…
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2. Explore your genre
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READ! (This includes listening too).
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Make a list of your 5, 10 or 20 (etc.) favorite books. Note 3-5 things about each book that you liked. Then review what they have in common? Keep these notes on a sticky note or nearby to guide you as you write, (sometimes we get lost in the opinions of others - it's helpful to remind yourself of what you love!).
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Read more recently published works in the genre that interests you - personally this is hard for me as what I like tends to be like 20+ years old… but it is still helpful to log comparative titles in your genre for when you want to find an agent or publish.
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3. Join a writing group
We know–the thought of this may cause acid reflux, but …
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This compels you to write once a week, or once a month…
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Annoyingly - editing is almost as important as writing. And gently helping others will improve your own abilities.
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Accountability - (if you are ADHD this is huge) Personally Lena and I have trouble doing things we aren’t super excited about unless: there is a deadline, guilt, motivation, schedule etc. (P.S. Having a scheduled writing time isn’t just helpful for you - it helps those around you (neurotypicals) understand that you have a pending commitment at a specific time. And yes, I really wish they could honor other writing or time to create - but they don’t seem to be wired that way (insert annoyed shrug).
4. Timers
You can choose to do pomodoros or at least just tell yourself you have 15 minutes to write and you can turn your phone on silent or Do not Disturb.
5. Read one or more of our suggested writer’s how-to books
(Get these at your local library, in a download or better yet buy your own copy to mark up with what invigorates and speaks to your writer’s soul. (Read more about why we love these on this post.)
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Stephen King, “On Writing”
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Anna Vaught, “The Alchemy - a guide to gentle productivity for writers”
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Vonnegut & McConnell, “Pity the Reader”
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Gail Carriger, “The Heroine’s Journey”
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Jessica Brody, “Save the Cat! Writes a Novel”
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Maxwell Alexander Drake, “The Ultimate guide to Show, Don’t Tell”
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Anne Lamontt, “Bird by Bird”
6. Our Writing Kits!
All our writing kits are created with dopamine directed distractions to lead you to writing and creating with lots of wrapped gifts in between.
7. Our Apothecary Writer’s Block Shakers!
(These are brand new!) These are little jars filled with trinkets. (We created these as little inspiration jars using Flash Fiction Methods - when we would get a genre, a word and an object to create a story around).
How to use the shaker:
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Shake the contents.
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Uncap and shake out a few items.
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Choose 3-4 items.
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Write 3 words to describe each item.
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Now go back and choose or circle 3 words to write a scene or story with.
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Write 50+ words.
8. Pinterest
Pinterest boards for your story with sub-boards for your characters, locations, research and inspiration. And now you can create a collage with their shuffle app to have as inspiration as you write!
9. Playlists
Playlists can be a fun side quest - create a playlist like a soundtrack for your book, or create a writing playlist (this can also be youtube with lofi collections) or background sounds.
10. Keep a writing log
You can create your own in a notebook or journal or download the writing log we created for the Sci-fi kit we did in 2025 (Captain’s log). Either way - note the following:
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The date
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The day of the week
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Time of day
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If you wrote or revised
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How many words
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How did it feel? (Was it slow and difficult? Did it get better? Or did it not happen for some other reason? You don’t have to log everyday, but sometimes it can be helpful).
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Summarize: Then after at least 20 entries create a summary of what seems to work for you. Is there a day or time of day that works best? What are your main barriers to writing and enjoying it?