A New Hope

When I was a kid, there was no such thing as ADD or ADHD. Or at least no one really knew what they were. I know this because I was that kid. But I was simply that "hyper kid" in school. I found ways to work around my issues and certainly have survived until now. I'm firmly convinced that it's an asset in my work in the thrift industry. 

My issues got me in trouble, too, usually because I got bored with the material. I once got yelled at during the reading of Romeo and Juliet because I secretly read ahead and didn't look like I was paying attention while we read it aloud. 

What amazes me, though, is that I've ever been able to write a book at all. The plots, characters, setting and all that good stuff comes easily enough. Then I create an outline to guide my work, and that's pretty straightforward. But then the challenge sets in ... I actually have to write the darn thing! So, write for two minutes, look at a motivational quote. Write for three minutes, get a cup of coffee. Write for thirty seconds, squirrel! Seriously, I have a window that looks out at a birdfeeder right behind where I write and get distracted by squirrels all the time. You get the idea.

I've often wondered how I get anything done and if being a writer with ADHD is an anomaly. I mean, writing itself is hard enough! Countless authors have been mentally ill or alcoholic or had their own demons. Virginia Woolf was clinically depressed. Ernest Hemingway was a raging alcoholic. If those were my issues, it would be easy enough to find a role model.

Thing is, I'm none of these. Then I found a new inspiration in the oddest of places- children's literature.

I certainly read my share when I was a kid, but that was quite a few years ago. But then I discovered the author, Dav Pilkey (it's pronounced Dave, the spelling evidently has to do with a Pizza Hut nametag incident). He's the author of both the Captain Underpants books and Dog Man graphic novels among other things. Many other things! And with 38 million or more copies in print, it's safe to say he's figured it out. Turns out he has ADHD and other "behavioral problems."

Only I can write the story in my head, but it's good to know that I'm not alone. Moral support may be one of the most important resources to have in the writing world. Heck, it's invaluable in the rest of the world, too. So Dav, cheers to you. And thank you.