Pringletrees - Cold, Soaking Burnt Flesh

WRITING TIPS FOR PEOPLE WITH ADHD

You guys liked my other post with writing tips, so I thought I'd make a list for this too. I have ADHD combined type and I've written two novels and dozens of short stories, so here is what works for me!

If you have meds, take them a while before you start working and do something else. I like to play dress up games while I wait for them to kick in, because it's creative enough to wake up my brain. Doll Divine has really cool and artistic games. Only use activities that have clear end points so it's easier to stop when your meds have kicked in. Stay away from open world games or anything with an endless scroll.

Have special locations that you only use to write. Make sure you bring a flannel or jacket in case the AC is too cold, and bring headphones in case there's noises there. Try several different places until you find something comfortable. I like casual spaces where there's nooks and comfy chairs. Coffee shops are my go-to.

If you can't leave the house, sit in a particular spot in your room and make that your writing spot. Only sit in that spot when you're writing.

Speaking of headphones, rainymood.com is my go-to for drowning out noise. Usually I like background chatter, but if there's a buzzing fan or someone talking too loud on the phone, this site helps.

Start by re-reading what you wrote last time and making small edits. You might have to read it a few times before you can pay attention and that's okay. Just keep re-reading and making edits as you notice them until you feel more in the zone.

If you are at home, take breaks to put on music and jump around. I like Latin music for this purpose. If you're in public, try just walking around the building a couple times.

If I really can't get into it, for some reason it helps to take a break and make some tea. Green tea with ginger is calming enough to help me focus while also having a little boost of caffeine.

If you notice big changes need to be made and you can't relax until you deal with it but know it would take ages to fix, put it in a comment and move on.

If you want to get a big distracting section out of your way without totally deleting it, you can use a separate doc and copy paste it in there. Or download the SideNote add-on for Google docs.

Set reminders on your phone to eat and go to the bathroom in case you get too hyperfocused. I've forgotten to eat for entire days because I was writing, so it's good to have a back-up in case you go down the rabbit hole.

If you start getting really frustrated that you can't focus and you feel like you want to scream, take a break. Get a snack. Play sudoku. Make some coffee or tea. Sit outside. Be wary of checking your phone though, because it's easy to get wrapped up in that.

I tend to put all my usual fidget toys somewhere I can't get to them when I'm writing, because I find that if I pick one up to think, I can't put it back down to start typing. Everyone is different but look out for that and if you find them distracting you, set them aside.

Consider turning off your phone. If that's not an option, a lot of phones have a wellness feature that allows you to set app timers or turn your screen black and white. Consider setting your phone to go into wellness mode when it's time to write so it's less tempting.

Lastly, there are going to be days when it just doesn't work. Even with my meds, I sometimes just spend three hours beating my head against a wall and then go home. It's okay. Creative work is hard for anyone, especially when you're fighting your ADHD every step of the way. Don't beat yourself up and don't let it discourage you. Even if you didn't put anything down, you still spent some time thinking about writing, and that's worth something. Try again the next day and the day after and you'll get it eventually. The flow state is worth trying for.

Update: bolded some important items for accessibility

The Search for a Solarpunk Anime

Allow me to think aloud for a moment. Because I noticed something.

Whenever people ask for movie recommendations or anime recommendations for Solarpunk, a movie that often gets named is Netflix's Bubble. And on one hand... I get it. The aesthetic of the movie is more Cozy Apocalypse than Solarpunk (aka lots of greens on the buildings and what not, but not because they have been planted there to make a better environment, rather than because the buildings falling into disrepair). But it scratches that certain itch, aesthetically.

Yet, the movie does not really feel Solarpunk to me. While one can argue that the folks who have fled into the bubble zone are kinda anarchistic in that they do lack clear hierarchies, they also do not do a ton of mutual aid, rather competing over ressources. Which to me is the issue. The movie does not have a lot of that Solarpunk spirit. Not much in terms of either mutual aid or environmental protection going on. It just has a pretty green aesthetic. (Though it should be said: Fucking darn, that movie is pretty.)

Of course, the obvious answer to name when it comes to Solarpunk anime movies is Studio Ghibli. Obvious, because the studio is one of the central inspirations behind the genre. So, duh, yes, there are quite a few Ghibli movies out there that are pretty darn Solarpunk. Most notably of course Nausicaä, Laputa and Princess Mononoke. These movies all are not only Solarpunk in some aesthetic aspects, but also when it comes to the themes inspiring them. Which is kinda funny to me, because neither of the movies is classical science fiction - making clear that scifi really is not a prerequesit for the genre.

But there is also another genre, I would say. And that genre is the movies, that do not have much of the aesthetic - outside maybe a vague cottagecore aesthetic - but have a lot of the themes I associate with Solarpunk.

To me two of those movies are Ame to Yuki: Wolf Children, and Misaki no Mayoiga. I already talked about the second movie, but just to sum up: Both movies really go deeply into the aspects of community building, mutual aid and also living in harmony with nature in some degree. Both very much show that we are really good at helping each other. And that you can have a good life without rigid organisation. And I really fucking love that about those movies.

Funnily enough: While funnily enough Makoto Shinkai with his generous aesthetic does have some scenes in several of his movies that just have the aesthetic flair of Solarpunk, I would say that thematically Suzume is the one most in line with the genre. Because it, too, as a lot of themes of mutual aid and just forming community and what not.

And I do not know. Maybe we are gonna see more of that stuff in the future?

When will sleep stop being deprived smh

You and I are still here, and that’s enough.

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ならぶんです。 太鼓の達人 (bandai)

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