4th october 2021
My journey to writing has been a long one. I began in 2012, after years of playing with ideas in my head but never quite believing I had the staying power to write anything more than 1000 words. Finally, I scoped out an idea and followed a plan I found on the internet (I think it was called the Snowflake Technique), and by October 2013, I had 45,000 words drafted, and I was beyond proud of myself.
What I didn't do was back any of it up - yes, I know! Rookie error! - and on 6th November 2013, four men broke into my home while I was asleep upstairs and stole my Macbook. The last I saw of the computer, and my beloved novel, was a tiny green blip on the "Where's my iPhone" app as it sped down a highway in Islamabad a few weeks later. I amused myself by pinging it repeatedly to annoy whoever had it until a few minutes later, they switched it off, and I never saw any trace of it again.
The story was lost, and I gave up.
Fast forward to 2020, and I had a momentous year. Yes, I know we all did, with a global pandemic to contend with. But on top of that, I was finally assessed for ADHD and bingo! At the age of 45, I was diagnosed with Combined ADHD and Dyspraxia. My life suddenly made sense and my husband and I set about trying to make our lives as ADHD-friendly as possible. We watched my behaviour, paid attention to what made me happy and focused and what didn't (shock - housework DIDN'T) and adjusted my life accordingly. I started a blog about the process and again indulged in my love of writing.
In May 2021, I had another story idea, and my husband encouraged me to make a start on it. I put up the usual objections, but he pointed out that I am happy, focused, and content when I write. I knew he was right, so I started.
It's now October 2021, and to my absolute delight, the first draft of my novel is finished! The sense of pride and achievement I feel is enormous. And my passion for writing is now all-encompassing. I'm hooked, all in, obsessed. I say this confidently because I have already started on another story whilst the first one rests and percolates in my mind.
I know the speed at which I write is down to my ADHD. I get very little else done when I'm lost in a story and hours feel like minutes when I'm writing. It is the one thing my ADHD brain lets me do without any objection - and I couldn't be happier!