Writing

[elfric]

  I'm closer to 50 than I am 40.  It's hard to believe I started writing on LJ almost 15 years ago.  Of course, I wrote a lot more in my 30's when I was angsty and had "issues" to work out, but I'm still around.  Still alive

Comments

[varushka]

It can be challenging to be a self-starter when you're used to being motivated by outside pressures and demands. I am a terrible self-starter. I think it may just be a common thing for folks with ADHD.

Perhaps the issues with internal motivation may be why you haven't sat down to do any creative writing, despite thinking it over, and already having a sense you'd probably enjoy it. Plus, if there's perfectionism or fear of failure going on, that can interfere as well. I know for me, the internal pressure to do something really well can block me from getting started in the first place.

There are tricks for getting around that. One of my favorites is setting a timer for 15 minutes (or a half hour, or whatever seems manageable) and making a decision to work diligently at something for that limited period of time. For me, when I have trouble getting started, it's usually for doing something that's not especially fun, like assigned reading for school, cleaning house, or organizing stuff. I make a deal with myself that I'll do focused work for that limited period of time, and I can stop when the period of time is up, or renew the timer for another segment of time the same length. Usually I just keep going, though, because getting started was the hardest part. It's kind of silly, but it has worked for me.

I don't know if something like would work for you, but there are other ways to discipline yourself to do things or stay on track when there aren't any external forces making you. Hemingway used to write standing up at his typewriter. I'm guessing it was a bodily way to signal to his brain it was time to work, maybe?

Whatever you end up doing, it will be okay. But you already know that.