As many of you know by now I have written a new book. It is about writing! This last week I received several emails asking me quite a few questions about the new book. In this post I will answer a few of the most frequent questions. It is not published yet, so to stay updated subscribe or like my Facebook page –>.
Is the new book about ADHD and Writing?
The short answer is, no, not specifically. It is for anyone who wants to write and/or publish a book. However, I have ADHD and that means many of the methods I use to write every day have been developed for someone with ADHD. What many outside of the “ADDer World” do not always realize is that many strategies for ADHD work just as well, or, sometimes, even better, for people without ADHD (excluding medication). This means that while the new book is not specifically for people with ADHD, the strategies I use were originally designed by someone with ADHD for someone with ADHD.
Do you take ADHD medication to help you write?
No, I do not take ADHD medication. I cannot take any medication for ADHD, so I have learned to cope and overcome without it. This was not a personal choice. However, for years I stated I would take ADHD medication if I could, but after so much time learning to cope without it, I have changed my mind about that.
Were you always good at writing?
No. When I was in grade school I had undiagnosed ADD and I had extreme difficulties learning to read and write, to the point that I was I was placed in a special class during second grade. Obviously, I have become a writer, very prolific, in fact: I have published 9 books (print & digital), I am published in magazines and newspapers, and, of course, I keep up my blog. But there was no assistance from ADHD medication in school (or at any time). I was originally assisted by individualized teaching in a special education class for reading and writing. I had extreme difficulties in the normal classroom setting, yet when in a much smaller class with more direct, individualized teaching, I was able to learn quite well and quicker than the average, which, of course, confused everyone. I do describe my experiences learning to read and write in more detail in the book and I give plenty of tips that worked for me – someone with ADHD!
(Please do not read into this that any ADHD child can learn without medication. My experience is just that, my experience and is not to imply that others with ADHD do not need medication to help them learn. However, I do believe smaller classrooms with individualized learning are much better suited for children with ADHD.)
Can someone with ADHD write a book?
Yes, of course! Actually, there are several notable authors that have ADHD, and furthermore, authors with ADHD tend to be very productive writers. I have written 9 books and I have several drafts of upcoming books. The marketing guru Seth Godin who has ADHD, has written 13 bestselling books. Dr. Edward Hallowell is the author of 18 books and as you probably already know, he has ADHD, too. Every month we give away a signed book on our ADDer World ADHD social network and most of the books that we give away are written by someone who has ADHD.
Bottom line: Having ADHD does not mean one cannot write a book!
~Bryan
