Writing With ADHD: A Survival Guide
By SJ McKay, founder of Bramble · · Updated July 15, 2026
A bit about me: I'm an aspiring writer with ADHD, and I put together this guide with the tips that have actually helped me along my path. Full transparency, I made an app called Bramble that I reference a few times. But I wanted to highlight plenty of free options and alternatives too, so this is genuinely what I promised and not a sales pitch in disguise.
Fun note: I built Bramble to procrastinate from writing. Neuro-spicy brains, am I right?
The short version, for my fellow scattered brains:
1. Jot down the gist. Get a loose map before you dive in.
2. Make it visual. Mind maps and boards beat walls of text.
3. Leave future-you a note. Mark where you stopped and what you were thinking.
4. Fake momentum. A timer or a sprint tricks you into a few more pages.
5. Read. Refill the tank. Inspiration counts as work.
Now the longer version.
Tip 1: Jot down the gist (start with a loose story map)
Start with the simplest, most boiled-down version of your story. Get it mapped out loosely. Some authors like to just start writing, and if that's you, go for it. But I really recommend getting a basic idea of where you're going. It helps prevent trailing down rabbit holes and filling pages with words that slow your story's momentum.
A quick map gets you out of the weeds (brambles, if you will, nudge nudge).
Jotting down scenes, dialogue, or twists also helps prevent you from losing them. My mind is constantly fleeting and losing great ideas left and right. I have a stack of notebooks full of scribbles to try to prevent that.
Bramble has an elaborate note system for storing quick ideas, but even a few post-it notes on your desk can do the trick. A free notes app like Google Keep or Obsidian works too if you'd rather keep your scribbles in your pocket. Which leads into the next tip.
Tip 2: Make it visual (mind maps and story boards)
Visuals are easy to skim, easy to relay information quickly, and they break up the lines of text that make our eyes glaze over.
When I learned about tools like Miro and Whimsical, it changed how I planned things out. I love a good mind map, and putting ideas into little boxes with arrows was a game changer.
I recommend taking your word-vomit notes and putting them up on a wall. Whether that's post-its on your fridge, a big old scrap of paper with some scribbled lines, or a free tool like Excalidraw or Whimsical, it does two things. It makes it easy to look at your story from a different perspective, and it lets you spot tangential side stories branching off the main arc, gaps in the plot, and more.
My go-to format is to map out your main plot points, map out your main character's arc, and then expand from there. Line things up, use a traditional story archetype like the Hero's Journey, and make it visual. In Bramble, I added several story templates so you can pick whichever archetypal journey matches the story you're writing, or you can create your own. I made sure there were plenty of ways to view these arcs, to fit different writers or even what mood you're in. Sometimes I like seeing lines, sometimes I like seeing a chart.
Tip 3: Make your future self happy (leave yourself a note)
Before you stop writing, leave a note for yourself about whatever you were working on: what page, what chapter, what sentence. And if you're up for it, add a few of your thoughts, so when you pick up the pen again you're reminded of the headspace you were in and the plans you had in place.
In Bramble, whenever you close the app you're prompted with an optional note to yourself. It appears when you reopen the app and takes you to the exact place you left off. No app required, though. A sticky note on your monitor or a quick line at the top of your document does the exact same job.
I needed this so badly. The number of times I had to reread a page just to jog my memory. Sometimes the reread sparks new ideas. Other times I'm halfway through a chapter before I remember my original idea tied into a future plot point that's now completely moot.
Tip 4: Fake momentum (timers and sprints)
Have you ever stopped yourself from taking a pee break to try to finish a chapter? No? Just me. Cool, cool. Well, say you wanted to do something similar.
Set up a timer. Use your phone, use an egg timer, look at a clock (so old school), try a free Pomodoro timer like Pomofocus, or if you use Bramble you can set a word counter, timer, or deadline to push yourself a little further each writing session.
The one key: never guilt yourself about missing a goal. Creatives can be the hardest on ourselves, but the point is to light the fire within yourself, not under yourself.
If you have a timer on your phone, set a 10 or 15 minute sprint and race against the clock. It helped me blast through a few extra pages a day, and I could still stop and take a bio break.
Tip 5: Read (refill the tank)
Get inspired. It's okay not to be productive every single day, so if you're struggling to finish things, give yourself a break. Creativity is like breathing. You need to inhale and exhale. Inhaling is gathering inspiration, rest, and enjoyment from other works of art. Exhaling is your output, you adding your art to the world. You need to balance both.
If you're reading this to break out of a slump, I see you. But be kind to yourself. Slumps happen. Take it slow, read a good book. If your to-be-read pile is empty, Libby is free with a library card, and Project Gutenberg has thousands of free classics. I often get out of spiralling periods of paralyzing inactivity by reading or watching something that inspires me. Sometimes it's so good that I aspire to make something just as good. More often, it's just good enough that I think "heck, I could write something better," and then, begrudgingly, I do.
The moral of the story: you've got this. Keep plugging away, enjoy the process, and try out a few of these tips to see if they make things easier. I can't wait to read what you come up with, so please tag me on Instagram when you finish your story.
I also have Bramble available as a free trial (14 days, no credit card), so if you want to try any of those snazzy features I mentioned, give it a whirl. It might just help you finish your story.
Keep on ramblin'!
FAQ
Why is writing so hard with ADHD? For a lot of us it comes down to fleeting ideas and lost momentum. Great scenes vanish before we get them on the page, it's easy to trail down rabbit holes, and starting again after a break can feel impossible. Most of these tips are about catching ideas before they escape and making it easier to pick the pen back up.
How do you focus while writing with ADHD? Fake a little momentum. Set a 10 or 15 minute timer and race the clock, and never guilt yourself for missing a goal. The idea is to light the fire within yourself, not under yourself.
How do you stay organized writing a novel with ADHD? Get the story out of your head and onto something you can see. Map your main plot points and your character's arc, then expand from there, using a structure like the Hero's Journey if it helps. Sticky notes on the fridge absolutely count.
What tools help writers with ADHD? Anything that catches ideas and lowers the friction of starting. Free options include Excalidraw or Whimsical for mapping, a notes app or a plain notebook for stray thoughts, a Pomodoro timer like Pomofocus for sprints, and Libby or Project Gutenberg for inspiration. I built Bramble to pull these jobs into one place, but you don't need it to use any of this.
What if I'm stuck in a slump? Rest counts. Creativity is inhale and exhale, you can't only output. Read something good, let it refill you, and be kind to yourself. Slumps happen.