Tips for neurodivergent writer?

[Grey Klip]

I just finished a short story for a class and I have no idea how to finish it. To be honest it kind of sounds like the first chapter in a much longer book. I kind of want to add more but I can never get myself to finish writing a full story more than about 7,000 words. Anyone have any tips for how to finish a story? It's like I write my idea and then get bored and cant finish.

[human reader]

I'm probably neurodivergent too. I feel like some genres are more difficult than others. Fantasy in particular is tough to start with because fantasy tends toward extreme world building. It's easy to end up adding infinite details to a fantasy story, which is why fantasy books are usually longer than books in other genres.

Detective books are shorter than fantasy, sometimes much shorter. They are simpler to structure too. You just need to figure out the mystery or killer, the clues leading up to it, and build the story around that.

My advice in general is to avoid story ideas that are too complicated starting out. Limiting the amount of characters is good too. Have 2-5 primary characters instead of a dozen. Third, I know writing outlines isn't fun, but it could help you stay motivated since it's mapped out somewhat in your mind.

[kipper_]

7,000 words is quite a bit! Don't be so hard on yourself. It sounds like you've got the story you want to write about but are having difficulty executing it. There are a few ways to go about doing that, and it really depends on what works for you.

Some people prefer to create outlines first so that they know exactly where the story is leading. Maybe the idea, the path, the goal you have is solid, but you don't have the route carved yet. That's where doing some pre-writing work can come in handy. If you're not sure what you might include for an outline, consider the combination of patterns between tone/events/character discovery/theme appearance in books that you've read. (E.g., characters introduced, setting established, more characters introduced, conflict arises, characters must face conflict through a challenge, climax, discovery, conflict resolved.) There are technical terms for these, and it's helpful to learn them, but you can still create a story without them as long as you can identify certain defining points of a story. If using visuals helps you, draw a chart with colors that resonate with those events. If you're a kinesthetic person, focus on how you feel during those stages in the book. Once you notice these patterns in things you read, it will be a lot easier to translate that into actually writing your own story.

Another tip that I've incorporated into my own writing is applying the Pomodoro technique--that's where you set a timer and work in 25 minute increments. It's been helpful to me because starting from ground zero is often the hardest part. As time goes on, the flow comes more naturally. I'm not sure if this would be useful to you, as I note that your emphasis of challenge was on finishing and not beginning. I know some people who hate this technique because it adds self-imposed pressure to succeed within the timeframe, so if that is something that concerns you, perhaps skip this.

Accept that inspiration will come and go. You won't always be motivated to write, but if the message of your story is powerful enough, it will gnaw at you (in a good way) when you've been away from it for too long. If you're at a point where you just can't spit out anything onto the page, sometimes it's better to just accept that for what it is and let it rest a while. Come back after a few days--a few weeks--when you've gathered some more life living and see if anything new presents itself. Let yourself read other stories and engage in media that is exciting to you. I personally just step away from writing completely so that I can reset.

And if the story leaves your mind and you have no real desire to continue it, maybe it isn't meant to be written at this time. Or maybe you will end up repurposing aspects of it for another creative endeavor in the future. There have been several instances where I had an idea that I couldn't let go but knew it wasn't the right time for it to come into existence.

[beauty_in_these_ashes]

I'm new to writing so I'm here for the responses

[Megan Lea]

Thank you for those ideas. I like the mapping out and color coding. That definitely helps me when I'm writing notes or lists for myself I have a whole plethora of gel pens for that. I've had a few ideas for books but I never know where to start and how to continue going. I end up getting really overwhelmed and flustered and give up very quickly. But I think if I was able to list everything out and then connect it in a way I think that would make it easier. I have a hard time deciding if it needs to be completely timeline linear or if it's okay to jump around from past to present. If so thank you for that idea lol definitely give that one a try when I'm ready to start again.

[Nimra Kiran]

The most important thing, I guess is to understand your process. Recognize your unique strengths and challenges you face while you're still in the writing process.
Plus, identify your peak productive times during the day and schedule your writing sessions accordingly. This can help you tap into your natural flow state, I think...

Remember that every writer's journey is unique. Embrace your neurodiversity and find the strategies that empower you to create your best work! Its not a big deal you can surely handle it!!