Starting Fresh: Embracing New Seasons as a Multi-Passionate Neurodivergent Writer
Multi-passionate/multi-genre writing
There's something magical about September that makes my AuDHD brain absolutely sing. Maybe it's the leftover back-to-school energy from childhood, or the way autumn whispers promises of cozy writing sessions and fresh possibilities. Whatever it is, I've learned to lean into this seasonal superpower instead of fighting it.
If you're a multi-passionate, multi-genre writer, you probably know exactly what I mean. That restless energy that says, "THIS is the season everything changes." The sudden clarity about which projects deserve your attention. The irresistible urge to reorganize your entire creative life (again).
Here's what I've discovered after years of riding these waves: our ADHD brains aren't broken for wanting fresh starts every few months. We're actually designed for renewal in ways that neurotypical writers might not understand. The key isn't suppressing this instinct—it's building systems that work with our natural rhythms instead of against them.
The Beauty of New Beginnings
Most productivity advice treats fresh starts like character flaws. "Stick to your goals! Be consistent! Stop starting over!" But what if our need for renewal isn't a bug—it's a feature?
I used to feel guilty every time I wanted to reorganize my writing projects or shift focus to a different genre. I'd force myself to maintain systems that had stopped working, projects that no longer sparked joy, and routines that felt stale and suffocating. The result? Creative paralysis and a growing pile of abandoned half-finished manuscripts.
Now I understand that my brain needs seasonal shifts the way plants need winter dormancy and spring growth spurts. Each "fresh start" isn't actually starting over—it's building on everything that came before, just with new energy and a clearer vision.
When I launched Salty Page Books this spring, I wasn't abandoning my previous creative work. I was finally creating a home for all my scattered interests: the Christian romance novels, the cozy mysteries brewing in my imagination, the non-fiction guides I wanted to write for fellow neurodivergent writers. The "fresh start" gave me permission to embrace my multi-passionate nature instead of forcing myself into a single-genre box.
How ADHD Brains Thrive on Fresh Starts
There's actual science behind why we crave novelty and renewal. ADHD brains are constantly seeking dopamine, and new projects, new systems, new possibilities trigger that reward response in ways that maintaining the status quo simply can't match.
But here's where most of us get stuck: we mistake the dopamine hit of planning for the satisfaction of completing. We get so excited about the idea of reorganizing our entire creative life that we never actually follow through on the work itself.
I've learned to harness this tendency by treating my seasonal shifts as strategic planning sessions rather than complete overhauls. When that September energy hits, I don't throw away everything I've built. Instead, I use it as fuel for intentional evolution.
This year's shift looked like:
Moving from scattered social media posting to focused Substack content
Consolidating my romance and mystery ideas into a cohesive publishing plan
Creating sustainable writing rhythms that honor my energy cycles
Building systems that can flex with my changing interests
The key is channeling that fresh-start dopamine into sustainable infrastructure, not just shiny new projects.
Setting Up Systems for Sustainable Creativity
After years of boom-and-bust creative cycles, I've developed what I call "renewal-ready systems"—organizational structures that can evolve with my changing focus without requiring complete reconstruction every few months.
The Project Parking Lot: Instead of abandoning ideas when new ones capture my attention, I have a master writing idea bank set up in Asana where projects can hibernate. I put my romance novel on pause while I published my Christian living non-fiction book in April, but now my romance is front and center and will be published in October. Ideas aren't dead just because they're not currently active—they're parked, not abandoned. When the right season comes, I can return to them without starting from scratch.
Genre-Flexible Planning: Rather than separate planning systems for each genre I write, I use templates that work across fiction and non-fiction, romance and mystery. My scene-by-scene plotting method works just as well for a cozy mystery as it does for a contemporary romance. This prevents the overwhelm of maintaining multiple complex systems.
Energy-Based Scheduling: I've stopped fighting my natural energy patterns. High-energy days are for drafting new content and tackling challenging creative problems. Lower-energy days are perfect for editing, organizing, or administrative tasks. Planning my weeks around energy levels instead of arbitrary schedules has revolutionized my productivity.
The Three-Project Rule: At any given time, I allow myself three active creative projects: one primary focus, one secondary project for when I need a break, and one experimental/fun project for pure creative play. Currently, my Substack is my primary focus while I build my audience, my romance book is my secondary project (read about it here!), and short stories are my experimental fun project for creative play. Every season or quarter, I clearly define what these three active projects are, and anything else that comes up goes in the project parking lot. This satisfies my multi-passionate nature without creating overwhelming chaos.
Making Peace with Your Scattered Brain
The hardest lesson I've learned is that sustainable creativity for multi-passionate writers looks different from the focused, single-minded productivity that gets celebrated in writing circles. We're not going to be the authors who spend five years perfecting one literary masterpiece. We're the writers who bring fresh energy to everything we touch, who see connections others miss, who can pivot and adapt and bring unique perspectives to multiple genres.
Our scattered interests aren't weaknesses to overcome—they're superpowers to harness.
When I watch my neurotypical writer friends, I sometimes feel envious of their ability to focus deeply on one project for months at a time. But I've also seen how my genre-hopping gives me insights that single-genre writers miss. My experience plotting romance helps me create more emotionally satisfying mysteries. My non-fiction writing has taught me to craft clearer, more intentional fiction. My success isn't despite my multi-passionate nature—it's because of it.
Your September Fresh Start
As we step into this new season of creativity together, I want to challenge you to embrace your need for renewal instead of fighting it. What systems in your creative life need refreshing? Which projects deserve to move from the parking lot to active development? How can you channel your fresh-start energy into sustainable growth?
This September, I'm launching a new rhythm of content here at Salty Page Books, diving deeper into the intersection of faith and creativity, exploring what it means to be a multi-passionate writer in a world that rewards specialization. I'm excited to share this journey with fellow scattered writers who understand that our wandering minds aren't weaknesses—they're gifts.
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