Write Every Day, June Day #19

[auroracloud]

Apologies for still being behind on comments other than the daily check-ins. I'll get back on the other recent comments soon, I promise!

My back and neck aren't that fond of me at the moment. I've clearly been sitting too much in bad positions, and not getting enough of the sort of exercise that's good for the spine and the back muscles. Some of the muscles, including the biggest back muscles, are getting so tight. I really ought to get a good massage, but I also know I'd need more than one, and I just can't afford that. Problems, problems.

Tonight I did my best to attack the sorest spots with my massage balls, and I think that helped loosen up some. And then I did some dance-inspired exercises and yoga stuff that definitely moved the bits that need to be moved. One thing I must do now is really make myself move more, in every way, whether it's for a particular purpose (like strengthening muscles) or not, but just to get those parts of my body moving.

This is, of course, a common problem for writers. And I guess especially for writers who also have to work another desk job. I don't have a job at the moment, but I have to search for jobs and do some online studying, so there's still plenty of desk work even without paid work. There isn't really any magical solution except taking regular breaks and exercising, including in ways that actively help the spine and the back, neck, chest and hip muscles. It has helped me when I realized that especially lower back pain is often made worse by tight hips, and have started doing lots of hip stretches and hip opening exercises.

The kind of desk that you can easily adjust would also be great - if I could do some of my desk work standing, it would reduce some of the pain!

That is definitely my biggest health challenge as a writer. Plus just generally getting enough exercise, because it's so easy to just stay sitting at my computer, books, notes, whatever. Yet exercise really helps in keeping both body and mind healthy. Even just something gentle like walking regularly makes a big difference.

Do you have any particular health challenges related to writing you'd like to share, or any good solutions you've found? I realize this can be a really personal topic, so no need to share anything you don't feel comfortable saying, especially since these posts are public! Replies to these questions entirely voluntary as always.


Today's Writing

I did some more research reading, notes about it, and notes for a supporting character I recently thought up. I'm not yet quite sure if I'm going to use him, since that part of the story is still pretty vague and up in the air, and will probably be worked out only during the writing. But since I had the idea, I figured it's a good idea to make notes. I also added a few sentences to the fic I was writing last night. I thought of doing more in the evening, but now I just want to watch one more episode of Good Omens, maybe stretch my back a bit more, and go to bed.

Tally

Day 1: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, falkner, luzclarita, ofmonstrouswords, shopfront, silveradept, sylvanwitch, used_songs, ysilme

Day 2: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, falkner, ofmonstrouswords, sierranovembr, silveradept, sylvanwitch, ysilme

Day 3: alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, falkner, ofmonstrouswords, shopfront, silveradept, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, used_songs, ysilme

Day 4: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, falkner, ofmonstrouswords, shopfront, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, ysilme

Day 5: alexseanchai, alexcat, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, falkner, ofmonstrouswords, sierranovembr, silveradept, st_aurafina, sylvanwitch, yantantether, ysilme

Day 6: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, ellieet, ofmonstrouswords, silveradept, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, yantantether, ysilme

Day 7: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, ellieet, ofmonstrouswords, sierranovembr, silveradept, st_aurafina, sylvanwitch, ysilme, yantantether (15 so far)

Day 8: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, ellieet, sierranovembr, silveradept, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, yantantether, ysilme (14 so far)

Day 9: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, shopfront, sierranovembr, silveradept, st_aurafina, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, yantantether, ysilme (15 so far)

Day 10: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, navaan, ofmonstrouswords, silveradept, st_aurafina, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, tinx_r, yantantether, ysilme (16 so far)

Day 11: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, navaan, ofmonstrouswords, sierranovembr, silveradept, st_aurafina, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, tinx_r, yantantether, ysilme (17 so far)

Day 12: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, ofmonstrouswords, sierranovembr, silveradept, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, tinx_r, yantantether, ysilme (15 so far)

Day 13: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, ofmonstrouswords, sierranovembr, silveradept, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, tinx_r, yantantether, ysilme (15 so far)

Day 14: alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, silveradept, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, used_songs, ysilme (11 so far)

Day 15: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejean, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, silveradept, sylvanwitch, ysilme (10 so far)

Day 16: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, sierranovembr, silveradept, sylvanwitch (10 so far)

Day 17: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, cassini, china_shop, cornerofmadness, silveradept, sylvanwitch (9 so far)

Day 18: alexcat, alexseanchai, auroracloud, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, sierranovembr, silveradept, st_aurafina, sylvanwitch (10 so far)

Day 19: china_shop

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

Comments

[alexseanchai]

Current state of the brain: working enough to list off things I need to research, not working enough to research them...

(you will observe a little plottybit in the final bullet, so this counts for today without my having to work out whether it would otherwise count)

[auroracloud]

Some days are like that. But thinking about what you need to research is also important for the writing, and yay for managing a bit of plotting as well. :-)

[alexseanchai]

I did get more writing done, but like

...also I should probably exercise more, that's probably one cause of all this pain bullshit, that I don't exercise hardly any

here's the problem: moving hurts

[auroracloud]

Do you mean the moving hurts because of the pain that's there already? Maybe you could find some gentle forms of movement you could try first? Though it can be hard to start the habit, or find something that works for you, I know from experience.

[sylvanwitch]

I, too, have back and neck problems if I spend too long at the computer. During the school year, I actually have a standing desk at work, and though I'll sometimes sit down to grade papers, I spend a lot of time standing up. It helps to keep me in motion and also with my back and hips.

At home in the summer, I find myself falling back into bad habits, wherein I don't get up from the computer every fifteen minutes, as you're supposed to, and I don't always get all of my daily steps in. On days when I'm doing garden work, at least I get some exercise, but still, I need to break up the long stretches of time when I'm sitting here at the computer.

It helps to know I'm not the only one who falls into this habit, though. Like you, I will make it a point to MOVE more. :-)

Today, in two separate bursts, I wrote a total of 1041 words on the H50 fic. I finished the climactic scene, but since my narrator was unconscious for the actual battle, I still have some work to do, retrospectively, as his team reports to him what happened after he passed out from blood loss.

[auroracloud]

In my previous jobs, I also had a desk I could stand at, so I'd usually vary between sitting and standing, so nothing gets too strained. That did help. I'd need a similar thing at home; honestly, I think at some point I'll get one, but it'll have to be a point when I have some money to spare.

Garden work at least sounds like it can be a good way to balance out the strain of sitting down too much. Though sometimes you may spend a lot of time in awkward positions there, too, but at least you're probably moving, and then in some activities you definitely have to use your upper body. :-)

I think I'll have to find a way to make a bit more of a routine of the right kinds of daily exercise and breaks from the computer. I'm good at routines once I settle myself into them (see e.g. how long I've kept at Write Every Day!), but if I just have good intentions, without thinking of it as something I do every day, I'm likely to forget. Good luck to us both at getting our backs moving! Today, I at least was able to move more, plus I had a vigorous go at my tightest muscle knots with my massage balls... Ow, that hurt, but in a good way.

Well done for lots of writing again, and for finishing the climactic scene! Good luck finishing up with what remains. How long is it now? :-)

[sylvanwitch]

Like you, I think if I can establish a better habit, I'll stick with it. Good luck to us both in creating a routine we can live with! :-)

I'm at 33327 words total for the H50 fic. I think (*crosses fingers*) I have maybe another 5K or fewer to go? But I've been wrong before--lol!

[auroracloud]

That's very impressive!

[carenejeans]

Sigh, yes, I have knee problems (and aches and pains generally) that really do subside IF if walk and exercise every day. I have a stationary bicycle sitting in the living room right next to my chair that I should ride every day, but I don't --

because it's so easy to just stay sitting at my computer, books, notes, whatever.

Yes, it is, isn't it!

In other news, I did write yesterday, worked on the bookshop novel and even started writing a (gasp!) new scene. I even started early, that is, in the late afternoon, and having done that, I forgot to check in (facepalm).

I also wrote early today, on the fanzine essay I need to finish. 8-)

[auroracloud]

It's strange how hard it is to do the exercise that we know will make us feel better and save us from a lot of pain. Even when the equipment is right there to remind us. (I've got this... thingy that's super good for exercising the back and the core, basically by making you twist it vigorously back and forth, it's really easy and it's bright hot pink and it's usually lying around where I see it, and yes, it's very good when I actually remember to use it.)

Congrats for getting some work done on the bookshop novel, including starting a new scene! Good luck with the fanzine essay, sounds interesting! And no worries, I'll edit you into the tally. :-)

[china_shop]

20th: Busy day today, so just a short alibi paragraph. :-)

[auroracloud]

It's still better than nothing! Well done for remembering/getting around to writing on a busy day. :-)

[cornerofmadness]

The hand damage is definitely a problem for me but mostly I power through it (not workable for many)

I finished the cover letter for Mischief Christmas and got another 150 words for Like Stone as I was in the hospital all day again today

[auroracloud]

Yeah, I get issues with my wrists and hands, too. It at least helps these days that I know a lot of stretches and movements that help with that kind of pain, and they're not hard to do. I also wear woollen fingerless gloves a lot, it helps because it keeps the muscles warmer.

Well done for getting those things done despite another day at the hospital! My sympathies for the situation. :-(

[cornerofmadness]

Yeah I do those stretches but they don't work so well with nerve damage but do help with the arthritis.

thanks, I appreciate that

[alexcat]

Okay. Yesterday, I only got 279 words. I spent much of the day with my aunt and didn't have much writing time.

Today, the 19th, though, I finished my rough draft for the Marvel Bang and wrote 2617 words. Go me!!

[auroracloud]

279 is plenty of writing for a busy day, especially one that's sociable, too!

And wow, that's an amazing amount of writing for today. Go you for writing and finishing the draft! Good luck with it!

[silveradept]

I put some words in places, starting another chapter analysis for one project, and possibly plotting my way through a different issue that definitely was about to arise in another.

But an archive opened up today, so I've been reading long fic. For "research."

[auroracloud]

Sounds like you got some useful writing stuff done even if it wasn't necessary a lot of words. Plotting and such is important, too!

Enjoy your fic-reading!

[sierranovembr]

Hi there! Been a busy work week, with report writing sucking up a lot of my time. But, I can check in for days 18, 19, and 20 with said report writing, so there is that.

My mother in law is visiting and there hasn’t been much time in the evening for fun writing. Ah, well, this too shall pass

[auroracloud]

All right, I'll add you onto the tally for those days! It's quite understandable that there isn't much time for other kind of writing in that situation. Hope things calm down soon so you have more writing time and peace!