2 Indispensable Writing Instruments

Once a month I permit myself to discuss the challenges of being a (self-published) author. In this month’s post:

Two Indispensable Writing Instruments

I’m terribly ashamed that the first few words I have typed in the past two months. What in blazes? I write creepy stories, but had to skip posting on Halloween? How on Earth did that happen?

Simple: as I type this, my hands are pulsating continuous warning signs. Have for weeks. Going on to long means they will seize up.

This strike is caused by a rather classic case of repetitive strain injury. Where I live, RSI is interpreted as either you’ve sat behind a computer too much, or you play tennis. But apparently packing and hauling 100+ boxes, most of them filled with books, isn’t beneficial to your hands either.

Pianists work keyboards, too. They’re taught to take care of their hands. So why not writers?

When circumstances forced me to take on the challenge of moving two homes within two months, I thought that I’d pack during the day and write in the evenings. Within a week, my cramped fingers made it very clear that that wasn’t going to happen. Now, five weeks onwards, rather than participating in this year’s Nanowrimo, I’m monitoring their forums for tips on hand care.

Certainly, there is voice recognition software available. That may work wonders for regular texts, but have you ever tried dictating a dialogue with this kind of software? Or tried to teach it to recognise your fantasy characters’ unusual names? Ugh.

Writers need their hands as much as they need their brain that comes up with new stories. We all know how bad a head cold can be for your writing and RSI is a constant risk, especially for the more prolific writers. I never could have dreamt that I would be physically banned from writing because of, well, other people’s books…

What about you? Have you ever been unable to write due to physical problems?  Did you have to wait for things to get better, or did you find a solution? Please share in the comments below!

 

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