StoryGodmother Newsletter #34 - Getting It Done...
Hello and happy October to you! Hope you are enjoying the autumn. October is ADHD Awareness Month, so I’m hyper-focusing on that for this newsletter, as it’s a condition that affects many writers, many children and (consequently) makes sense to feature in many characters and stories.
SPECIAL OFFER
Although I usually save all my book and writing news for my “Readers newsletter”, I will quickly mention that in recognition of ADHD Awareness month, the e-book version of my debut novel for adults, THE PLAYERS ACT 1: ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE is on special offer of 99p / 99c (or local equivalent) from October 1st to October 16th and available across the globe. It was so important to me to feature neurodiversity in historical fiction and I’m really happy to introduce my main character, Thomas, who has ADHD. Not that he knows it, as he lives back in the 18th century! You can find out more about the book here:
Amazon: https://mybook.to/ThePlayersAct1
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-players-act-1
If you would like to support me as an author and follow my news, enter competitions, etc., please do consider signing up to my free newsletter for readers here: "Amy Sparkes Readers." Thank you – it’s very much appreciated!
RESOURCES
Getting It Done
I’m going to look at an issue that affects everyone at some point, but can be particularly problematic for writers with ADHD: actually finishing a project.
It can be very exciting when you have a new idea – it’s bright! It’s shiny! And it’s often the fun part of writing. Unfortunately, new ideas can distract you from the harder bit of writing that you should be doing right now, like writing the second half of the book, or editing, or submitting (or whatever area you particularly find more challenging). You can end up with twenty partially-finished stories and nothing to actually do anything with.
If this sounds like something you experience sometimes, here are some tips:
1. Keep an ideas notebook
Write the idea down in a separate IDEAS notebook that is kept separate from any notebooks relating to your main project and far, far away from the writing space that you’re using. Making a note of the idea can help get it out of your brain and keep it safe and ready to return to – but keeping the idea at a distance may make it less likely to distract you. Yes, it involves discipline, but that’s not a bad thing. If you want to write professionally (and you might not, but if you do), then you need to master discipline. Deadlines, publication dates, publishing teams won’t be happy waiting for you while you’re faffing around: you need to be able to deliver, and discipline is essential to make that happen. Once you are offered a contract, you are part of a team, and you don’t want to let the team down.
When you write the idea down in your SHINY NEW IDEAS notebook, it can help to give yourself a limited time to do it. You might want to give yourself just a few minutes or half an hour to get the bones down. Or you might want to indulge and allow yourself a day to ponder it, do some initial research to check for viability, or work on it while the idea feels full of fire, and then promise to park it. Whatever works for you, set yourself a cut-off point, so you can come back to the work you’re meant to be doing.
If I have a particular character who is nagging at me to tell their story (or push on with their turn when I am meant to be working on something else), then I sometimes take them for a short walk and explain (in my head!) that I understand their concerns and impatience, and their story is coming and I need to do this first. Sounds odd, but for me it really works. I like that characters are impatient. It usually means they are working really well. Often you may find this nagging comes from characters who are really desperate emotionally and need the story told so they can find peace, or characters who probably have ADHD and have no patience whatsoever! They want their story now! And are bouncing up and down on their beds (in your brain) until you tell it. Writing down their thoughts and ideas in a separate notebook can acknowledge these characters and reassure them that the story is being taken seriously.
2. Remember why it’s important
Once you’re committed to working on a project, write down a few notes about why you love this project and why it excites you. You might want to pop these thoughts on post-it notes and keep them near your writing area, or stuck inside your notebook. Or maybe type them at the top of the document if you have a file on your laptop. Even if you only have the dreaded blank page, break that by writing down why you’re fired up for this story.
Often, for me, it’s the themes and the emotional heart of the story that draws me, so I’ll often remind myself why this is important to me – why I have to get this story out. Why I care so much about it that I’ll regret it if I don’t finish it. And why I think other people need to hear it. These are all points that you probably considered when you decided to commit to a piece of work, and it’s good to remind yourself of these things.
3. Set yourself goals and deadlines
How exactly you do this will depend on what works for you individually. Some people like to make a deal with themselves: if you finish this by the weekend, you can treat yourself with takeaway pizza. (Be strict with yourself if you do this – no cheating!) For other people, accountability can work well. There are many writing sprints or boot camps (I’d recommend trying Write Magic on Facebook Write Magic – An online writing community that sparkles) that you can join where you set your goals and try hard to meet them together.
Again, you’re going to need some discipline to stick to this. Don’t beat yourself up if you get distracted – it happens. But do keep trying. Reset your goals and personal deadlines if you need to.
4. Remember ADHD can be a superpower as well as a challenge
If you’re a writer with ADHD, try to understand your own personal flavour of ADHD. Understand how you work best and where your challenges lie. Personally, I find that swapping between projects suits my brain well – hyper-focusing on one when an urgent deadline occurs, or if I know I have a limited time because of my own work schedule. BUT, when I’m swapping between projects, it means I have then have multiple projects to get finished off – and I need to apply the discipline and techniques above to all of these projects to ensure they are all completed! But it is absolutely possible.
A little bit of planning and what’s going to be done by when can help keep everything on track. If you’re swapping between projects, it’s also worth establishing techniques to help you quickly get back into a different project without wasting too much time trying to reconnect. Personally, I find that going for a walk with my character, listening to or playing music that connects to the project, or thinking about the story and why I love it can all help me jump back in pretty quickly. It’s better not to spin so many plates that they become unmanageable and fall to the floor, but having the variety to suit your mood or time availability can be a great way to move ideas forward, and might even help get projects finished more quickly!
Understand yourself, and how your work best – experiment and see what you find. (Just not when you’re on a deadline...)
CHARACTER CORNER
In-keeping with the ADHD theme, I’m going to explore 5 thoughts about writing characters with ADHD in children’s fiction (and indeed, all fiction!).
1. Representation and education
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates the global prevalence of ADHD in children to be around 5%, and in adults in the UK at 3% – 4%. (NHS England » Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Programme update ). Although it may be the minority, it’s still a significant number of children (and adults) who deserve to see themselves reflected in a book. For those who don’t have ADHD, it’s an opportunity to learn more about what it is, how it affects people, and fosters empathy and understanding.
2. Remember older characters
You don’t need to just write ADHD characters who are children. Consider writing older neurodiverse characters as well, such as parents and grandparents. Showing that neurodiversity has always been around by featuring older characters can help break down stigma and increase understanding. It can also shake up the characterisation of older characters and create a more interesting read.
3. Think well-rounded
Absolutely showcase some of the positive elements of ADHD your character might demonstrate (such as energy, creativity, hyperfocus and enthusiasm) but also don’t be afraid to show some of the challenges they might face (such as poor concentration, low self-esteem, forgetfulness or being easily distracted). Considering different aspects or pros and cons of any characteristic will help create a well-rounded character.
4. Remember Neurodiversity is only part of characterisation
Not all people with ADHD are exactly the same (although there can be many similarities!) and neurodiversity is only one part of what makes up a person or character. Think about the character’s back story and life experiences and how this has shaped their personality. Flavour your characters with neurodiversity rather than just focusing on one aspect, otherwise all characters might end up seeming the same.
5. Talk to people with ADHD
I’m not sure there are any specific figures anywhere, but there certainly seems to be a high prevalence of ADHD in writers! If you don’t have ADHD, and you want to create a character with ADHD then reach out and talk to other writers who do have it. Writers will often mention their diagnosis on author bios, in interviews or on social media, or you may know people in your writing network with ADHD (or if not, almost certainly people who know people!). Ask for help in creating authentic characters and see if someone can help answer any questions you may have. People are often very willing to help.
WRITING COURSES
A big thank you to everyone who attended my September courses, Mastering Tension, Hooked!, and Write Bold. Just a reminder that the Writing Middle Grade weekend is coming next, with some spaces still available if you’d like to join us. Here’s the info:
MIDDLE GRADE WEEKEND (2 full days)
11th and 12th October.
This is the equivalent of a comprehensive six-week course, but with many bonus bits thrown in.
Includes:
Introduction to middle-grade books
Developing your ideas & creating a series
Breaking into the market
Character building
Creating structure
Opening lines
Antagonism: beyond the villain
Q & A
Breakout rooms
1:1s with Amy (optional - £15 each for 15mins, available to book separately)
There are only 25 spaces available, so please don’t hang around if you’re interested. Main sessions will be recorded and sent out to participants so please don't worry if you need to miss some of the weekend. 1:1 sessions will be offered via email contact with participants nearer to the event.
Writing Middle Grade Weekend (Saturday & Sunday) Tickets, Sat 11 & Sun 12 Oct 2025 at 09:30
£95 plus Eventbrite admin fee
FREE WEBINAR
Writing Diverse Characters – Thursday 16th October, 7pm
We need diversity and representation in books more than ever. I’m offering a free webinar (and Q&A – bring the tricky questions you’d love to ask!) all about writing diverse characters – diverse in every sense! The session will be recorded and available for a limited time after the event in case you can’t make it live.
This webinar is EXCLUSIVELY for subscribers as a thank you so please do not share the link. However, if you know any other writers who might benefit, then please do encourage them to sign up to this newsletter before the webinar so they have the opportunity to join. The more, the merrier!
Writing Diverse Characters Tickets, Thu 16 Oct 2025 at 7pm
£0 - no admin fee
Keep your eyes open for some more courses and webinars in autumn. All these sessions are designed to help you develop your writing craft. They focus on the nitty-gritty of writing, enabling you to take a deep dive into creative storytelling and polish your writing in a wide variety of areas.
COMPETITIONS
WRITING MAGAZINE CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE
A quick reminder: we’re now halfway through the submission window! The prize is for unagented writers currently unpublished in the world of children’s fiction.
More info here: Writing Magazine Children’s Book Prize 2025 – The Story Godmother
And you’re able to submit here: Writing Competitions | Writers Online
COACHING COMPETITION
Another FREE 30-minute coaching competition is available this month as a thank you for subscribing to the newsletter and to help coaching become accessible to all regardless of means. The session is worth £30 (absolutely no strings attached) via a lucky draw every newsletter, for anyone who would like to enter.
If you would like to enter, please email comps@storygodmother.co.uk with COACHING 28.9.25 in the subject and you will be entered into the draw. All entries must be received by Wednesday 1st October 23:59BST. I will contact the lucky winner directly, so if you haven’t heard anything, please assume you’ve not won on this occasion, but please do try again next time!
The session is guided by you, and we can talk about anything that you feel will help you move forward in your writing. It’s free and friendly, so give it a go!
STORY GODMOTHER WRITING COMMUNITY
Do you use Facebook? Great – join the Story Godmother Writing Community on Facebook. It’s a free, private and friendly group, where writers can share encouragement, thoughts or interesting finds. I also share weekly writing tips, and I’m there to answer any questions you have. Come and join us! Story Godmother Writing Community
It’s a private group and a friendly bunch – a safe space for you to grow as a writer. And it’s absolutely free.
If you request to join, please do make sure you answer the membership questions and agree to the group rules otherwise you cannot be admitted.
END NOTES
Have a fantastic October and hopefully see you at the webinar!
With writerly love,
Story Godmother
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