Tools for Neurodivergent Writers and Editors

When I was diagnosed with ADHD, it was like a door that had been sticking for years finally clicked all the way shut. Some of the “faults” that had frustrated me my entire life — like my inability to estimate how long tasks would take me, my difficulty starting and finishing certain tasks, and my constant feelings of overwhelm — suddenly made sense.

I realized that, because I didn’t fully understand the way my mind processed information, I’d spent years working against my brain instead of with it. So I resolved to learn how to adapt my workflow and time management strategies to my needs rather than trying to ignore those needs or force myself not to have any.

What I had been experiencing was executive dysfunction, often associated with ADHD and some other diagnoses under the umbrella of neurodivergence, a term that describes the different ways our brains can function outside of what is considered “typical.” This umbrella can also include autism, obsessive compulsive disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia, among other conditions.

When it comes to addressing the challenges associated with neurodivergence, each person’s needs are different, whether it be therapy, medication, coaching or some combination. That’s something you should discuss with your doctor (and none of the information in this post should be construed as medical advice — I am definitely not a doctor).

But there are also many low-cost tools, communities and supports out there to help manage the effects of executive dysfunction. If you’re a neurodivergent writer or editor, give some of these resources a try:

Toggl Track

Many people who have autism or ADHD experience hyperfocus, a state of concentration so intense that it can make you forget to eat or get up and stretch. While this can be useful for getting things done (if you’re focusing on the “right” thing, at least), it can also lead us to neglect other important needs and responsibilities or leave us feeling burnt out.

I think of Toggl Track as my defender against hyperfocus and timeblindness. The free version allows you to track time spent on a project or activity with a click of your mouse. It also offers a built-in pomodoro timer that automatically reminds you to take a short break after every 25 minutes of work. If you decide to opt for the paid version, you can even separate projects into different tasks to record how long each phase takes to complete. For example, I section many of my writing projects into these stages:

Research > Outreach > Interviews > Outlining > Writing > Revising

Having a log of how much time I’ve spent on previous tasks and projects not only helps me predict how long future projects might take, it also gives me a better sense of what I truly have room for in my schedule and helps alert me when I’m getting sucked into something.

Neurodivergent Editors’ Lounge and Neurodivergent Writers’ Lounge

These linked Facebook groups are a safe gathering space for neurodivergent editors and writers to talk about their experiences, successes and challenges in the industry, while also sharing support and resources. Members discuss everything from how to request needed accommodations from an employer to executive functioning tips and interesting research.

In February, the organizers are even hosting a conference for neurodivergent publishing professionals, which is slated to include sessions on topics such as project management and organization, dealing with rejection, communicating effectively with clients, and promoting yourself in a world geared toward neurotypicals.

Focusmate.com

Some people with ADHD swear by the concept of body doubling, the idea that having someone else in the room or by your side for accountability can make it easier to tackle a difficult or tedious task. But it’s not always possible to recruit a friend or loved one to be your body double while you write or edit a manuscript.

Focusmate is a virtual solution that allows you to co-work with a partner whenever you need to. After selecting a time slot, you log on to the video call, say hello to your accountability partner and share a goal or two that you’d like to accomplish during the session. Everyone has access to three free sessions per week, or you can pay $5 per month to sign up for as many as you want.

Plum Paper Planners

Don’t worry — I’m not going to suggest that buying a planner will make your struggles with focus and productivity magically disappear. But if you, like me, need something both tactile and visual to help you keep track of appointments and projects, it’s important to find a system that’s sustainable and tailored to your needs. For me, a pre-structured layout is much easier to use consistently than a more loosely-structured planner. As much as I envy the bullet journal aesthetic, trying to keep up with a format that requires me to pencil in my own sections and customizations usually just leaves me feeling overwhelmed.

That’s why I like Plum Paper. Their planners are fully customizable, allowing you to shift around the layout, get rid of pages you likely won’t use, or add extras of the ones you definitely will. Mine has a dedicated section for meeting notes within each month, with space to record the topic of the meeting, who was there, and any tasks that came out of the discussion. Now I always know exactly where my notes are, and never have to track down an empty notebook or piece of scrap paper before a meeting.

OpenDyslexic

Created with feedback from real users, OpenDyslexic is a free typeface designed to address some of the symptoms of dyslexia. The letters are designed with weighted bottoms so that readers can quickly see which part of the letter is meant to point downward when their brain starts to flip or rotate them around. Letters that could easily be swapped when flipped or rotated, such as p and q or M and W, have distinct designs so you can recognize them no matter how they’re oriented.

Use it for your own writing, reading others’ writing, or wherever else you think it might come in handy. Anyone can download the typeface in a format that’s compatible with their operating system, though the creator does accept donations through GumRoad and Patreon to support their work.

WriteTrack

Does the sheer depth or breadth of a task ever overwhelm you to the point of giving up before you even start? Breaking a big project (like, ahem, a novel, for instance) into smaller, more manageable milestones can help make it less intimidating. WriteTrack sets daily word count goals for your writing project to help you stick to a schedule and track your progress as you go.

The goals are “weighted” based on what you think your capacity will be for that day. So for example, on an ideal day, you’d set the weight to 100, while on other days you might plug in 25 or 50. Once you start writing, the software continually adjusts your targets based on your daily counts so far. That way, you’re (hopefully) avoiding burnout from trying to achieve the same wordcount every single day or holding yourself to an unrealistic standard on even the most ideal writing day. Best of all, it’s all automatically mapped out for you, so you can see the finish line long before you cross it.

Habitica

This app makes building habits and checking items off your to-do list into a game complete with rewards and opportunities to level up. You can customize your task list to the areas where you need the most help, whether it’s self-care, chores, work responsibilities, creative projects or something else. Each completed task unlocks new features like armor and pets, and you can add friends to share more support and accountability.

Select what tasks you want to focus on, how often you want to complete them and the expected difficulty of getting each one done. Whenever you check one off, you’ll earn experience and gold that can be used to customize your avatar, buy equipment for your character and more. You can even include negative habits you’re trying to break.

What tools or resources have made the most difference for you? Reach out and let me know!