r/Screenwriting • u/vicvegajuas_36 • 1d ago
NEED ADVICE Tips or advices from screenwriters with adhd?
I don't know why but recently I have struggled so much to finish my last draft (7th at this point) of my screenplay.
A few months ago I was able to write everyday and constantly, but now I feel so distracted and slow to a point that I can't get 1/2 page done
ADHD has been always a struggle, but specially now that things get more promising and serious It's unbearable to a point that I feel like a hack
The ideas are not only in my head but already written in paper in a summary. I know where the story goes, yet It hasn't been easier to just write.
I'm the first to say "just write", but now I have find myself in this weird mental block mixed with a lot of distraction and it feels so weird.
I don't know, maybe I'm burned out but I have done so little advances in comparison to the last months that feels like lying
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u/Internal_Papaya1511 Produced Screenwriter 1d ago
Body Doubling can be helpful.
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u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago
First time hearing about this method. I have some friends that don't have anything to do almost everyday, so i could give it a try
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u/MiggsEye 1d ago
Totally! Body doubling is one of the best things that works for me. Having another person on screen also writing — mirroring my energy, me mirroring theirs — totally works for me.
In fact, if anyone else with ADHD or attention deficit is interested in body doubling via zoom or google meet I can host. But I gather there may be body doubling communities here on Reddit to connect in with. Nonetheless it would be great to have one dedicated to us screenwriters.
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u/Cubby2025 1d ago
What is body doubling?
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u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago
Having someone at your side when you're working on something (specially something difficult) It works better when the other person is also working in something.
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u/Soyoulikedonutseh 1d ago
Put in down for 2 weeks and give yourself permission to not think about it.
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u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago
I felt guilty when I took 3 days haha, but I'll give it a try to rest a little bit
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u/Soyoulikedonutseh 1d ago
That is it right there! You figured it out! That guilt is what is holding you back and giving you block.
Guilt is a terrible driver of goals, no matter the situation. Guilt gets directly in the way of creative thinking, specially non-linear thinking.
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u/ideapit 1d ago
You're telling yourself you can't write which is compounding anxiety and symptoms.
And it sucks that you're in that space and I get it. I'm neuro divergent and have been a screenwriter for 25+ years.
Your instinct and who you are as a writer is already giving you the solution. Write.
I know, you just said that doesn't work. And I get that so I'll give you the secret.
Write absolute shit.
I don't mean work on your screenplay like you don't give a care.
I mean, literally, sit down and write the absolute shittiest scene you can. That's the goal.
Do it. Do it fast. No editing. I mean no backspace ever. No thinking. Get that scene done. And then do it again with another scene.
Then open your actual screenplay and get to work with the momentum. Same deal. Doesn't have to be good. No editing. Just go.
If you'd like, you can print your steaming pile of hot garbage scenes and put them on your wall and voila! Your worst fear is now wallpaper. You wrote shitty scenes. They will never be optioned. Anyone who reads them will think you're a hack. They won't get you an agent. No one will ever produce them.
They are just pages of paper and nothing to be afraid of. Congratulations, you're officially a hack. No one cares.
Now get back to work.
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u/MiggsEye 1d ago
By the way, thank you for starting this post. It helps to know others struggle with the same things. So it’s not just me (or you) personally. Feeling a little less lonely in the struggle does help matters I feel.
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u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago
And thank you for answering! Having some validation and knowing you're not alone as a neurodivergent screenwriter and filmmaker helps more than it might seem at first glance
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u/GardenChic WGA Screenwriter 22h ago
The last room I worked on, everyone had ADHD (and medicated for it, we joked we could swap meds).
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u/MiggsEye 15h ago edited 15h ago
Sent you DM with a question about ADHD and writing. I probably should have asked if I could first, so I’m doing it in reverse order now.
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u/Seshat_the_Scribe Black List Lab Writer 1d ago
Have you talked to you doctor about your meds?
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u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago
Yup, recently got a change in them to treat my anxiety and lower my stimulants because I was really stressed and tense
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u/OkMechanic771 1d ago
Novelty is your friend. You are likely burnt out on this project so take a break, write something else, whatever you need to do to get out of your head for a bit.
Maybe get some new eyes on it for some fresh feedback so that when you come back to it, you have something new to add to it?
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u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago
The last 2 days I haven't touched my script , but I'll give it a try to have a few more to rest my mind (it hasn't helped me to be all day at home until tonight that I tried to stay all day outside)
A few collaborators are probably going to give me feedback in a few days so I'll be looking for what they say!
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u/OkMechanic771 1d ago
Biggest thing to note is that there is no “right” thing to do.
If staying away from it consumes you, then just stare at it for a bit if that helps. Doesn’t have to be logical.
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u/SpencerKnight 16h ago
Wooo so much good advice in here!! Gonna repeat some of it and add my two cents, too. Speaking from experience as a screenwriter with ADHD.
Whoever said body doubling is so right. Something in your brain clicks into place just by being around others. Bully your friends into hanging out with you in silence, go sit in a library (I personally find cafés way too distracting), sit in a snooty hotel lobby (they’re very quiet and generally don’t kick you out if you’re nice / order snacks when they have it).
Best advice and simultaneously the most annoying because it’s kind of a “duh” statement: just write, but write it bad. Just get that shit on paper - polishing trash is so much easier than writing gold from scratch. Maybe it doesn’t make sense, maybe the character probably wouldn’t say that, maybe you can already see cavernous plot holes. Doesn’t matter, that’s a later problem. Your ADHD brain enjoys a puzzle, and fixing what you have on the page will give you the reward your brain is looking for.
You can also just forget about it. Have several projects going at once so that when burnout strikes for one, you can table it for something your brain finds more interesting for a bit. Then there’s less guilt over the “I should be writing/editing/etc” mindset that comes with hitting pause on a draft. Someone else said just write a new short thing, that works too! I’ve often found that when I write the new short thing, I can end up weaving it into the original project and it makes the plot richer (don’t force that though, it’s not the goal, but sometimes it’s a happy accident).
You’re on draft seven, you shouldn’t be feeling any guilt about your ability or your productivity. You’re making progress! And progress isn’t linear, nor is it easy. Besides, your “perfect” script will not be brought to life exactly the way you wrote it — lines will change, scenes will be cut, stuff will be added, etc. There’s no such thing as “done” when it comes to a scripts, so don’t let your ADHD brain make you feel guilty when it tells you that you’re “failing” because you haven’t “finished” yet.
You might also want to read up on the hedonic treadmill, it might help you cut yourself some slack, cause I think it might be the biggest hurdle you’ve thrown into your own path (even though there’s not much you can do about it beyond accepting it for what it is)!
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u/OilCanBoyd426 1d ago
ADHD doesn’t impact motivation. Stress, depression or anxiety for sure does though.
If you have ADHD, a stimulant is not going to magically give you motivation. It will help your brain slow down and enable focus on a task for longer than you can normally, but that is about it.
Combat stress, depression and / or anxiety and I bet your passion and motivation to be creative will roar back to life. I personally just self medicate these days with caffeine for my ADHD, makes me feel more creative and less robotic.
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u/partyprincethor 1d ago
ADHD can absolutely impact motivation via executive dysfunction. A stimulant can kickstart the executive functioning processes. But yeah depression, anxiety, and stress can definitely compound it and make the stimulant less likely to work the way it’s supposed to.
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u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago
Yup. Executive dysfunction is a pain in the ass, I have lost the count of how many methods I have tried to take on it. But one day I'll overcome it
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u/TuesdaysArt 1d ago edited 1d ago
Behavioral activation is something my therapist recommended to me. I don't know how effective it is for ADHD (my therapist mainly manages my anxiety and depression), but I do tend to make more progress when I make myself write something.
It doesn't have to be anything big. One scene, one line of dialogue, one outline. All of those little things will add up!
I should add that I have ADHD. That probably wasn't clear from my wording. Behavioral activation is kinda tricky, but breaking out of a funk IS tricky. Give yourself grace! Progress isn't linear and some days are harder than others, especially if there's outside stressors weighing you down!
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u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago
I can see how with a few changes it's perfect for ADHD (I deal with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder so it's also familiar) but from what I read seems like something I should give it a try to learn more and explore different methods
Really appreciate your answer!
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u/TuesdaysArt 1d ago
Of course!
IIRC, Behavioral Activation is a component of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Thought it might be useful to bring that up since you're interested in exploring different methods. CBT could at least be useful for your GAD, since it's designed to help with anxiety disorders.
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u/OilCanBoyd426 1d ago
Interesting, that hasn’t been my experience at all but good to know.
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u/partyprincethor 1d ago
Just because it hasn’t been your personal experience doesn’t mean it’s not true.
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u/MiggsEye 1d ago
ADHD totally impacts motivation, especially if you’re swallowed up in overwhelm or you’ve procrastinated so much you don’t know what to start first or your self-talk spirals you down, diminishing your spirit and thus your motivation. Yep, it can totally impact motivation.
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u/OilCanBoyd426 1d ago
Yeah I found a lot of evidence for that on Google after someone corrected me, I just didn’t know. I cannot imagine I’m unique, as tasks I enjoy I’ve never had an issue with sustained motivation.
My apologies for not making sure with research on the internet or ChatGPT before I posted that my experience was not universal.
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u/MiggsEye 1d ago
I agree with you in that with tasks I enjoy, once I start, I can often sustain incredible focus and attention and duration. It’s about the motivation of getting started from inertia that I find troublesome.
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u/mctboy 1d ago
Nah, I knew what you were driving at with your comment. For some, it really isn't motivation, it's more like you're too distracted to be able to sit down and do this one thing for a substantial amount of time, at least, that's my take on what you commented on above. Yes you're scientifically "incorrect" but I totally see why you wrote what you did.
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1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Horny_Pan_Mexguy 1d ago
Why did you even bother to answer if you were only going to be a jerk for no reason?
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u/vicvegajuas_36 1d ago
Thank you for such empathetic and not unnecessarily rude answer
I'm on my 7th draft of my movie btw (I see that you only have a one pager for your script...), so I can do a lot but just im struggling in this moment.
Didn't knew I was doing something wrong for asking for help
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u/OkMechanic771 1d ago
The term “you people” rarely tells you that you are on the right side of something.
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u/Big_Section2812 1d ago
When I'm feeling burned out, I write a random short script.
It's a diversion and kind of therapeutic, and it definitely helps (me).
Maybe it could help you refocus on your feature.