Write Every Day, August Day #6

[auroracloud]

Writing ergonomics are difficult. My back and neck have been protesting today, sitting at the computer or bending over a notebook for a long time aren't good for them. I've been counteracting it with some yoga and dancing exercises, and it helps. I need to make sure I get off my chair regularly enough. Though I also wish I had a chair and desk ideal for writing, which isn't exactly the case now. Things to do if I had more money... But my back definitely feels better on days when I've been doing more yoga and/or had a dance class. I bet I'm not the only one among us who struggles with keeping back and neck from aching... Any of you have some particularly helpful suggestions?

A pretty quiet day today otherwise. Some outdoors and some reading. And looking through my schedules for next week's WorldCon... I've never gone before, but this time it's in my own country!

Today's Writing

I brainstormed on one of my original ideas quite a lot, and wrote about 200 words on it (not sure of the exact word count, wrote it on longhand and didn't want to type it up yet). I also tried to work on my rarepairfest fic, but I only ended up with one sentence, though it was a long and winding one. My brain doesn't seem to feel like fanfic today.


Tally

Day 1: LJ / DW : auroracloud, cornerofmadness, esteliel, iberiandoctor, miss_morlandnavaan, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, trobadora
Day 2: LJ / DW : auroracloud, cornerofmadness, esteliel, iberiandoctor, miss_morland, muccamukk, navaan, sylvanwitch, trobadora
Day 3: LJ / DW : auroracloud, cornerofmadness, esteliel, iberiandoctor, miss_morland, muccamukk, navaan, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, trobadora
Day 4: LJ / DW : auroracloud, cornerofmadness, esteliel, miss_morland, muccamukk, navaan, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, trobadora
Day 5: LJ / DW : auroracloud, cornerofmadness, esteliel, iberiandoctor, miss_morland, navaan, sylvanwitch, trobadora

Let me know if I missed anyone, or if you wrote but didn't check in yet! You can join in any time.

Comments

[shopfront]

I am (finally) back in the saddle briefly today! Laptop is definitely kaput and officially off for repairs but I found my external iPad keyboard and got my daily words in recreating my zero drafts for both my rare pair fics. Fingers crossed that bodes well for catching them up and getting my drafts done early next week...

It's not necessarily recommended, but I have a tricksy back myself and I often switch between different (mostly all not ergonomic) curled up positions. I'm sure it's not helping me in the long run but changing the way I sit helps a lot, sometimes it means moving around the house between beds/couches/lying in the garden and so on so that's dependent on having a portable writing setup too though. Otherwise, if word sprints are your thing, could you maybe work it to your advantage by challenging yourself to write x in whatever and then when your timer goes off you don't just take a writing break but get up and go for a walk or do some stretches or something?

[auroracloud]

Yay for being back in the saddle! Sorry about your laptop. :-( But glad you found a replacement. Good luck with finishing your rare pair fics! I'm hoping to get my draft done soon, too...

That's a neat idea about trying the timer thing. I've been meaning to try out word sprints, so that would combine two possible benefits. I know I ought to take breaks to move around and stretch and stuff, but I tend to forget it if I'm either having a good writing spell, am really not having one and keep trying to crank out words, or if I'm agonizing about editing and not being able to look at my writing, like I did last week... So that might work! And switching between different positions is better than staying in one bad position, at least! I ought to try that more often, not just stay at my desk.

[miss_morland]

I second changing positions and doing stretches. I'd also look into back exercises, such as the Superman: http://www.livestrong.com/article/158862-superman-lower-back-exercise/ (A weak and/or pained lower back tends to lead to pain further up too, IME.)

Writing-wise, I worked on my app and made significant progress -- have sent the draft to my former supervisor in the hopes of feedback. Then I made more beta comments, which is probably the last I'll have the time for since my friend is posting the story tomorrow. Soon I may have time for a bit of drawerfic again...

[auroracloud]

Yay for progress on your app! Hope you get useful feedback! And yay for getting more beta comments done in addition to that, too. Good luck with getting back to the drawerfic!

I've been trying to do back-specific yoga routines and such, but I probably should do more for my back. I definitely need to do things for lower back as well - if it isn't the upper back for me then it is the lower back, or with good luck it's both. :-P That exercise you linked to actually looks suspiciously like this yoga routine I used to find helpful, only it wasn't called Superman in yoga. :-) But thanks for linking to it, because it reminds me I ought to do that one more often! Just stretching and moving the back isn't enough, I need to get the muscles stronger, too.

[sylvanwitch]

Ooooo, WorldCon! Enjoy that, for sure! I've been following the Hugo debate for years now and have always wondered what the event itself might be like. I hope you have a wonderful time. :-)

I managed 230 words today on the Tony/Steve thing. I'm hoping for more tomorrow.

[auroracloud]

I'm probably not going to watch the Hugos specifically, because I rarely manage to follow freshly-out titles and only know few of the nominees. (Basically, I've read one of the novels and seen a few of the screenplays.) But I'm into the idea of an international sf/f event, and there are so many interesting-sounding discussions on the programme, and I bet just hanging out there with so many other geeks is inspiring. I've gone to our national version, Finncon, a few times, and those have tended to be among the best days of the year. ♥ I am worried about how exhausting it's going to be, but luckily it'll be fairly easy for me to return home whenever I feel like it.

Over 200 words is still a good word count! Good luck with getting more written!

[esteliel]

Oooh, enjoy Worldcon! I've never been either, but it sounds like so much fun!

I managed to finish my huge editing project at last! \o/ And in the process, I added another 900 word scene for a better transition. Which means that tomorrow I can go back to my slavefic, and maybe some theatre as a reward.

[auroracloud]

I've been to our national version, but it's so much smaller. I'm curious about what this will be like!

Yay for finishing your editing project, and for the new scene! Sounds like you had a very productive day! Enjoy your rewards. :-)

[iberiandoctor]

Checking in for the last couple of days - editing, one email, and on Day 5 I did some canon review for the remix story I'm planning on writing.

I have the world's worst back, so I feel you! I can't do without my weekly pilates class; I also take a break and walk around after an hour and a half. Also, it sounds like you're having a fairly productive run -- I'm sure your brain will switch back to fanfic v soon!

[navaan]

*wheee* I'm excited about my remix assignment. :D Seems like you already picked out a story, too!

[iberiandoctor]

Actually, I am still deciding between two stories. Check with you: in remix, anything goes, right? As in, if the original fic is a non-superpowers story, I'd be able to make it into a powered AU version thereof, right?

[navaan]

Yes, that is absolutely something you could do! I rewrote a bakery AU as a in canon bakery thing once, for example.

Just message me if you want to brainstorm a bit. :D

[iberiandoctor]

OMG, how kind are you? I am messaging you asap!

[auroracloud]

I'll add you to the tally! And yay for getting in some canon review, very useful sometimes/often. :-)

Pilates is good! I used to do it, but I can't handily fit it into my schedule at the moment, though I sometimes do exercises at home. I should take more care to put regular breaks into my writing/editing times! I know I need to, but then I sometimes just forget.

[navaan]

After the amazing day I had a very slow day yesterday. 300 words in total. It was just too warm and I was too tired.

I have two more drafts to finish this week and a third to edit though, so I better get back in the saddle. And I have an idea for my Remix story already, so maybe I can even get through my obligations soonish. :D

My back has gotten better since I started to do some circle training exercises to build up the muscles - and I've been reminded lately that I should get back at it, because the last week was a strain on my back too.

Oh, WorldCon! How exciting! I hope you have a lot of fun!

[auroracloud]

300 words is still a good word count, and you had such a productive day yesterday that it's not a wonder if your brain wanted a more quiet day in between. And warmth can take the energy out of me, too. Luckily that's at least something I haven't had much problem with this summer. :-D Finnish weather has not been exactly hot this year.

I should do more to build up back muscles, yeah. Too bad I really dislike going to the gym and such, but maybe if I keep doing more back-focused yoga and pilates things, it'll help. The dancing helps with the core and the posture, too, but I'm not yet at a level where it'd strengthen my back particularly much.

I'm quite excited by the WorldCon, yes!