Reply To: What is it that I have as well as ADHD ?

[Rick Green – Founder of TotallyADD]

So much good stuff here!  And some great writing, too.

I know how tangential my own writing can get and when I do a blog it usually spawns about four other blogs, or ideas for blogs that I may or may not get to.  I have dozens of fascinating ideas awaiting my attention.  Or waiting for me to find the time.

Hum4n, one thing struck me.  You are on a search for what’s going on with you, and wanting to be able to give it a name. You mentioned at the top that being able to label the ADHD was profound, and you said we all know what that’s like.

Yes, we do.

I also get that you want that same moment, or epiphany, around your compulsion to write.

I have an idea, but I hesitate to suggest it.  It may not be helpful at all.  If it doesn’t instantly make you jump with excitement, don’t worry about it.  It’s just an idea.

While you wait for that moment of recognition, when the issue finally has a name and and explanation, perhaps you can take your passion to write and hone it more.  In other words, become a better writer.

I was going to say, become a writer.  But you already are.  In your postings here you’ve probably done more introspective journalling that most people do in a year.

Since you’re already writing, why not work on the craft of writing as well.

Develop your obvious skill.  So what you are writing is less tangental.  More organized. Clearer. And more concise.  This last one is huge.

When I teach comedy writing I emphasize the need to use as few words as possible. Because if you can say the joke in half the words, you can squeeze in twice as many jokes. And everything thinks you’re twice as funny.

The example I give is the Miss Piggy joke, “Pretentious? Moi!”  The whole joke is set up in one word.  The punchline is one word.  That’s economy of writing. And the shorter the joke, or the description, or the action, the more your writing will flow.

The other secret I will let out of the bag is one that I heard many years ago: The real writing happens in the rewriting.

I know that my first drafts are often incoherent and confused.  I even rewrite Tweets. And they’re as few as 30 letters long. But for me the writing is pouring it all out as fast as I can, because when it starts coming out and ideas are sparking my fingers don’t move fast enough. And Dragon Dictate software can’t figure out what I’m saying half the time.

So my first draft is all over the place.

Then in rereading what I’ve written I see I’ve used the wrong word… I replace ‘problem’ with ‘burden’.  Or ‘disaster.’   Or ‘trait.’  Or ‘dilemma.’  Or whatever it is I meant to say.  I become more and more exact.  I have Thesaurus.com open to find the right word.  (I’m sure a more gifted writer would just have the words trip off their tongue, but I know and lot of writers and none of them can do that.)

So, in rereading and rewriting what you’ve put down in the first draft, you may not only make it clearer for others, but for yourself.  So many of the insights I have come in the rewriting process.

And then there’s just the challenge of making something better with each draft. When I was working full-time with The Frantics comedy troupe some of our skits went through 12 drafts of more.  And all four of us took at pass at it at some point. That’s for a 3 minute comedy skit.

I’d even suggest taking a writing course or two. (I still read books on improving my craft of writing and still learning.  And still blushing when I reread a first draft that I felt certain was pure genius. Ha!)

Anyway, just a suggestion.

Be well!

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