ADD's Hyper Focuse

 

I have been glued to one of my other projects. I have gotten more serious about writing my book and locking myself in. It is a dream of mine to become a full-time writer. Due to everyday life and bills, I work full time but then come home to write my book. In the past, I have had a challenge incorporating a writing routine due to my shift moving around. Now that I have a 7 am till 4 pm I can come home and write after a half an hour break. I even started doing these writing sprints, you join someone on a call say what your goal is, and then write for the next hour. Once the hour is over, you check back in and share how well it went without needing to share, unless you want to. It’s so that you are being held liable. It honestly has helped a lot. I am now 54 pages in my first draft. My plan is to be finished this time next year.

My current title is “Nordic Secrets”. It is a Nordic-themed action adventure.

Dr. Sam Fletcher was recruited to work on a project with the military at the North Pole. Dr. Fletcher is a Mythologist, and after Nordic runes were found alongside a pyramid, they needed his expertise. During his time at the North Pole, he discovers the truth about the reality of Myths and legends and gigantic events that are bound to happen if not stopped.   

 I am excited to be sharing this with you. It’s been a long time in the making. Another reason why I’m sharing this is getting locked into a project is a huge part of my autism and ADD. Getting locked into a project is one of the few ways the two conditions have in common. With autism, we are not programmed to be social unless we are taught to be so therefore, we fall into becoming hobbyists. ADD or ADHD takes that ability and multiplies it into focusing on multiple hobbies. For example, I am reading: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Shining by Stephen King, and Tief in den Wäldern by Chevy Stevens. I also recently watched The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, while knitting.  But most of the time I am writing my book.

With ADD/ADHD, most know it as attention deficit disorder, that’s exactly what it is. It’s also an accomplishment junky. The part of the brain that gives you the self-accomplishment feeling is not 100% there causing you to start a project and then get bored with it thus going after another project. May not necessarily be bored but just under-stimulated or need to take a break from one thing while focusing on the next to get back to the other. It’s like an adrenalin junky going after the next big thrill. Completely normal. Don’t worry about it.

Funny enough, it also causes hyperfocus.   Like me with my book, it’s where you get super focused and locked into working on something because you can’t think of anything else. If I didn’t have to work, I would be writing all day long. As great as this may seem it can cause you to forget to eat, pee, and or drink, and that is not healthy. I always got dehydrated due to this. I once forgot to drink for three days and had to go to the hospital due to dehydration. They had to put 3 IV bags of water into me.

 

Over time I have learned a few tricks such as carrying a 5-cup bottle of flavored water. I hate the taste of plain water. Also joining a writing group and having a writing partner check on me. I have recently discovered writing sprints. It’s a liability thing and it’s been helping a lot with continuing on a project while having a cut-off time. By doing this I have been feeling self-accomplished. I think that is the thing, seeing the end goal and setting a time frame to reach that goal, makes it more stimulating.