Terry Bartley on ADHD, Writing, and Career Mistakes

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

My guest for Episode #255 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Terry Bartley. He is a high school journalism, literature, and English teacher and writer of the new collection of short stories, Tyranny of the Fey. 

Terry is the host of the podcast “Most Writers are Fans,” about the intersection between writing and fandom. Terry has professionally written for the Coal Valley News and Screenrant. He has won awards for writing and broadcasting from the West Virginia Associated Press, the National Broadcasting Society, and MarCom. He has a B.A. in English from the University of Phoenix and an M.A. in English Education from Western Governor’s University.

With a candid discussion on his life's journey through countless experiences straddling education and literature, Terry charts an inspiring narrative about turning apparent career missteps into stepping stones of growth. We navigate through his career in teaching while pursuing his passion for writing amidst an uncertain freelance career.

Immerse yourself in an absorbing conversation as Terry discusses his life with ADHD, stressing its impact beyond professional barriers permeating quotidian existence. In our challenging exploration of the realm of ADHD, Bartley underscores the importance of acceptance, diagnosis, and therapy as his allies combating the condition. He promotes a holistic, individualized approach to managing ADHD, dispelling the clouds of misconception about mental health. Listen along for the fascinating exposition of how ADHD molded his unique creative expression, setting light on his inspiring journey.

Questions and Topics:

• What's your favorite mistake?
• Feeling out of sync – shaming?
• When did you get diagnosed with ADHD?
• What prompted or led to that diagnosis?
• The impact of treatment?
• Tell us about your book
• Is it a mistake to publish the short stories before the novel? Only time will tell?
• Learning from mistakes and steps from the first release??
• Was it a struggle to finish a book then? Or are short stories easier?
• Tell us more about the podcast — not just book authors…
• What's done is done