Adva Shaviv ☆ ADHD fantasy author

I'm Adva, and I write cozy portal fantasy inspired by ADHD.

I also manage ADHD book club communities (including a book reviews blog, a Twitter Commuinty, a Discord server and a Facebook group).

As a true ADHDer, I've led several lives before starting to write my first novel 4 years ago - I'm a philosophy PhD, left academia to homeschool my 3 kids (+ 2 dogs + 2 cats), and now hope to self-publish within a year. Yeah, it's that same first novel I'm talking about. Not finished yet.

At first overwhelmed by the whole concept of self publishing (but also by life in general - ADHD 🤷‍♀️ ), I've come to love it, and almost nothing can scare me now. Not because I'm so good at any of it. Because I'm old enough to not care about failures anymore! 😉

That includes this new blog. I don't even delude myself I'll update every day or week. I'll update in the consistent ADHD fashion of whenever-I-remember-and-have-enough-mental-energy.

For easier reference, I tag my posts relating to my #ADHD fantasy fiction and to #writing ADHD fiction while living ADHD reality

I'm participating in Unmasked - an email summit for the profoundly creative, ADHD or not! 🥳

Unmasked is a warm, slightly messy, absolutely genuine celebration of neurodivergent creativity - the kind that refuses to fit into tidy boxes.

You can wear pajamas and leave the laundry heaps on the sofa, as it takes place in... your email inbox, and you don't need to buy a ticket, because it's free to attend!

I wrote a lovely session for you, plus a helpful little gift, and even something special for those who choose to join the paid tier with its extra perks!

Unmasked starts in a week - register now so you don't miss a thing!

You're hereby invited to:

The Reading with ADHD Challenge! 🤗

Hey fellow (would-be?) reader with ADHD! ❤️ If you're like me, reading sometimes feels like a chore, no matter how much we love and want to read. That's why we're doing it together in The Reading with ADHD Challenge, where you pick your own book, read at your own pace, and enjoy the power of a supportive community! 🤗

Time blindness?

This is how it feels:

"Ouch! The bottle fell on Emma's toe, popping the bubble. How long had she stood watching it? What time was it? Probably too late - that was usually it."

I was happy to share some tips to try and combat it on Very Well Mind. Take your time reading! 😉

And Emma?

In the chapter I'm (re)writing, a character expresses common misconceptions about ADHD. Such as:

- Women and girls don't have it

- If you can do something sometimes, you can do it always

- "Everyone is a little ADHD"

Know any YouTube channel, blog, podcast, anything helpful/ of interest for readers with ADHD, or have one yourself? I'd love to know! ❤️

Please share so that we collect more recommendations! 🤗

In the Cozy Reading with ADHD Club we each choose our own book, read at our own pace, yet

do it as part of a community 🤗

Is reading with ADHD a challenge? Let's do it together! ✨

The Reading with ADHD Challenge is all about keeping your freedom, taking your time and meeting new friends. Join us on the Facebook/ Discord community: http://bit.ly/readADHD 🤗

Whether you have ADHD, or just care about someone who does;

Whether you devour books, or struggle to read a single line;

Whether you're looking for tips, vents, book recommendations, discussion or just fun -

Join us in ✨ The Cozy Reading with ADHD Club! ✨

Readers (/audiobook listeners /Braille readers /...) with ADHD, as well as writers, parents, teachers and anyone who relates - you're invited to share the joys and horrors of reading with ADHD, tips for easier reading/ listening, book recs, rants and lots of support in -

✨ The Cozy Reading with ADHD Club ✨

Our online community has multiple homes - a Facebook group, a Discord server, a (e𝕏-)Twitter community, and a Medium blog.

What visually represents ADHD for you? (Yes, I need help rebranding my website 😅)

Of course squirrels come to mind, and I should think a roller coaster, too. But is there anything else you might see and immediately think "ADHD"?

One of these times I feel like I absolutely nailed it. But, of course... that's just me.

Do you agree that pressure can be liberating in this sense?

"It was the pressure!" George shouted at her, fists clenched against his thighs. "It was so bad it crushed all my thoughts. I just didn’t have any words anymore. It sounds horrible, but it felt so… liberating. If nothing you do matters anyway, then, you know… you can actually do anything."

Self-accountability post, day 2

Writing ADHD fantasy while living ADHD reality is... hard.

Yesterday I posted here about my decision (not for the first time) to update daily about how my WIP is going. Today, here I am, on a two-day streak! Go me!! 🥳

I did get some editing done today. In fact, I'm editing chapter 20 out of 46, but I skipped most of the chapters so far, going from easiest to hardest (= three all-new chapters).

Here's a bit from today's chapter, called "The Ant and The Grasshopper" (yes, my chapters have names):

I've always had trouble with decisions. I know this is connected to ADHD, though haven't learned why. In my case, I just hate random decisions (when they come to crucial matters). I try to learn as much as I can about each possible choice, and that can get... well... overwhelming. Which - you guessed right! - in turns drains me of emotional and mental energy, making a decision even harder.

I added the first sentence in this excerpt today, as I went through the chapter. I have already decided to first publish my book (once finally done!) as a Kickstarter campaign, and only later launch on Amazon (et al.), but I started doubting this decision lately.

Ugh!