The Writer's Journey: ADHD, Fantasy, and Teaching with Terry Bartley
Dec 11, 2023
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Terry Bartley, author of Tyranny of the Fey and a full-time English teacher, discusses his journey as a writer with ADHD. He shares tools he uses to stay on track, the importance of deadlines, accountability, and understanding. Topics also include world-building, recognizing ADHD symptoms, struggling with ADHD, conducting interviews, energy management, and productivity.
Setting self-imposed deadlines is an effective tool for staying motivated and on track in writing.
Having an editor or accountability partner can greatly assist in maintaining focus and following through with writing intentions.
Deep dives
Terry Bartley's journey as a writer and managing ADHD
In this episode, Terry Bartley, a fantasy author, shares his experiences as a writer and how he manages his ADHD while nurturing his creativity. He discusses the challenges he faced in editing his book and highlights the importance of having an editor to provide direction and feedback. Terry also touches on the misunderstandings and stigmas surrounding ADHD and the need for self-acceptance and forgiveness.
Recognizing and understanding ADHD symptoms
Terry explains how his self-recognition of ADHD occurred after watching a video that outlined the symptoms. He discusses the challenges of not fitting the stereotypical image of ADHD and the need for online education to spread accurate information about the condition. Terry emphasizes the importance of self-diagnosis as the first step towards seeking professional diagnosis and treatment.
Building strategies for productivity as a writer with ADHD
Terry shares his strategies for staying productive and focused as a writer with ADHD. He highlights the value of setting self-imposed deadlines and the benefits of collaborating with editors to improve the quality of his writing. Terry also discusses the role of accountability partners in helping him stay on track and manage his various projects effectively.
Practicing self-compassion and giving yourself grace
Terry stresses the importance of self-compassion and forgiving oneself when living with ADHD. He encourages individuals with ADHD to be kinder to themselves and understand that their challenges are not a reflection of their worth or intelligence. Terry also reflects on the resilience and resourcefulness that ADHD individuals often possess in finding creative solutions to overcome obstacles.
In today’s episode we are talking with Terry Bartley, the author of Tyranny of the Fey, host of the podcast Most Writers Are Fans, and a full-time English teacher. In our conversation today, Terry shares his journey as a writer, revealing how he channels his creativity while managing ADHD. We also get into Terry’s diagnosis and how learning about the symptoms led to his self-recognition of the condition. We discuss some the misunderstandings of ADHD and how that can lead to some of the stigmas associated with ADHD. We also go into some of the many tool that Terry uses to help keep himself of track when writing and teaching. Support me on Patreon Feel free to ask me a question on my Contact Page Find the full show note at HackingYourADHD.com/161This Episode's Top Tips
Deadlines are great tools to help keep you motivated and keep you on track - espesially in regards to righting. These deadlines are incredibly helpful for those things that don’t have a well defined done state (like writing).
Accountability can be incredibly helpful for keeping us on task and can come from many sources. In Terry’s case, working with an editor helped keep him on track when he needed to follow through with those intentions of writing.
The importance of grace and understanding is an critical building block in our ADHD journey - whether it is with ourselves or others we need to allow for room to make mistakes and grow with our ADHD.
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