Writer's Butt - Part 3 Writing with Computers

Wired to Write
The internet andubiquitous wi-fi allow writing, research, and editing to take place anywhere.We're able to Tweet epics, 144 characters at a time. Japanese writers oftenwrite novels on cell phones and BlackBerries. Electronic devices allow us towork longer while still offering limited body positions compared to writing onpaper.
Try This Exercise - 
Ask a friend to take a photo of you whenyou're writing. And not post it on social network sites. Do you hunch over yourkeyboard or laptop, head jutting forward, back looking like an apostrophe orquestion mark?
Writing withComputers  Many aspects ofa computer user's discomfort can be alleviated with small adjustments.
Screens
Position the screen 20-24" in front of youat eye level or a few degrees lower, so your head looks straight ahead, nottilted down. This position also lessens both glare and shadows. More pixels arebetter. Choose a high refresh rate (flicker speed), at least 70 HZ.
Increase TextSize  Besides eyestrain,looking at small fonts can cause a rise in blood pressure and stress. I lovetwo screens with research displayed on one and a document on the other. And theslight side-to- side eye and neck movement feels good.
Matte or GlossyLCD Screens?
Glossyscreens add color, depth, and higher contrast. Matte screens with polarizedcoating, reduce reflected light and cause a narrower viewing angle. So, unlessyou're a gamer or watch movies, a matte screen is a better choice for a writer.

Laptops andTablet  When your laptopis lower than eye level, use your eyes to look down, not your head, neck, andback. To lessen the need to bend and to reduce reflection, adjust the screen toa 10-20 degree angle. For home use, obtain a stand for your laptop or tablet,prop it up on books, or attach a separate monitor. Add an auxiliary keyboardfor position options and a mouse to provide alternative hand movements.
Hands
Try an ergonomic mouse, gel or cushionedwrist rests for mouse and keyboard, or wrist support bands. For cold, hurtingor arthritic hands experiment with a heated mouse, mouse pad, keyboard pad or amouse-hand warmer that covers the top of your hand.
OnlineDistractions
Some writersuse one computer sans internet connection exclusively for writing and anotherfor email, social networking, blogging, and promotion. I love my old AlphaSmart(Neo Direct, Inc.) word processing keyboard for writing, anywhere. With nodistracting large screen, my thoughts flow effortlessly (most of the time) frombrain, to fingers, into an easily downloaded file.

 
Excerpt from Relaxing the Writer Chapter 2 The Ergonomic Writer








Photos: The Impecca wireless bamboo keyboard and mouse I gave my husband for Christmas. They are green but probably not more ergonomic than most. But they are beautiful, feel good, and he loves them.