Apr 30
What makes us different can be the very thing that makes us shine. For writers with ADHD, navigating the creative process is both a challenge and a fascinating opportunity. Bestselling author Allison Larkin has turned the unique challenges of ADHD into the fertile ground from which her successful writing career has blossomed. Join us as we explore Allison’s journey from facing academic struggles in an unsupportive environment to discovering her passion for storytelling—a powerful expression of her true potential. Her experiences demonstrate how ADHD's perceived limitations can actually enhance creativity.
Allison’s story is not just about accepting neurodiversity but celebrating it, showing that authenticity fosters the deepest connections and the most impactful work.
Allison Larkin is the acclaimed author of novels such as Stay, Why Can’t I Be You, Swimming for Sunlight, and The People We Keep. Her stories and essays have appeared in publications like the Summerset Review and Slice, as well as in anthologies such as I’m Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship and Author in Progress. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Jeremy, and their rescue dog, Roxy, Allison was diagnosed with ADHD at 19. She didn’t start writing until her mid-twenties when she discovered how to channel her unique thought processes into storytelling. Now, she considers her ADHD her biggest asset in her writing career and is passionate about helping others harness their creativity.
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"As a person with ADHD and neurodivergence, your vision is worthwhile; it might just not be the right time or place for it. You can keep crafting and working on it so that when you present it to someone, it's undeniable.”
- Allison Larkin
"If we have a vision, we can just stick to it and keep getting the details down, chipping away at it, and building something. It just takes time."
- Allison Larkin
"You have to protect your gentle heart. You have to protect that part of you that feels so intensely. However, you need to do it so you can do the work because that's really important. You can't do the work when you're all
- Allison Larkin
"YI think that a lot of people are well-intentioned in thinking that they understand your vision. But if your vision isn't fully actualized yet, as I learned with "The People We Keep," you might have a very firm idea of where you're going. However, it's very hard to get people who are neurotypical on board with your creative vision if it's not actualized.”
- Allison Larkin
- Alison credits her ADHD as a significant asset in her novel-writing career, and they explore how it influenced her academic and creative endeavors.
- The discussion encompasses Alison's struggles with writing and creativity, particularly the challenges of translating thoughts into written words and organizing narratives.
[17:01 - 31:20] Overcoming Challenges in Writing and Publishing
- Alison describes her writing process, highlighting the importance of character development and the struggle with visual imagery in writing.
- Challenges of publishing as a neurodivergent writer are discussed, including experiences with rejection and the role of a supportive writing group.
- Reflections on the industry's reception of neurodivergent authors and the specific hurdles they face in communicating and aligning with neurotypical editors and agents.
[31:20 - 43:16] Writing, Identity, and Neurodiversity
- Alison and Tracy delve into the impact of societal movements like #MeToo on writing, stressing the importance of realistic and complex character portrayals.
- The conversation shifts to how writing serves as a therapeutic tool for expressing personal traumas and processing emotions.
- Final discussions focus on the broader implications of neurodiversity in creative domains, and the benefits of community support through initiatives like the True Hearts Collective.
