Write Every Day, September Day #15
Sep. 15th, 2018 10:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I'm probably not the only writer around who gets wrist and hand problems from time to time. Though in my case, it's most of the time, especially since my day job can be quite typing-heavy, too (though that goes for a lot of people). Anyway, I thought I'd share for the benefit of all you writers, or anyone else who needs it, this helpful little video by one of my favourite YouTube Yoga channels. You don't need any yoga experience or to otherwise be into yoga at all, you can just think of it as good stretches and movements for your hands to help alleviate pain and tension. (Though if you are into yoga, her channel has lots of other good videos as well. And normally she doesn't have such perky music in the beginning.)
I should probably take my own recommendation and do these tonight, my hands are sore again. I did most of these movements yesterday, but I really ought to do them most days.
If anyone else struggles with hand/wrist problems as much as I do, here's another tip: wrist warmers / mitts / fingerless mittens really help. Even if it's not terribly cold at home - regardless of the temperature, the little muscles in my hands are much more likely to feel okay if they've got extra warmth around them. Make sure they cover your palms as well as your wrists, and if you're sensitive to scratchy wool like I am, you'll want them made of some soft and gentle fibre such as cashmere, alpaca, or whatever else works for you. I should try a non-wool yarn some time, maybe bamboo would work? If you don't knit or crochet, you can probably buy them from people who do without paying too much for it, or make a friend or a relative knit or crochet them for you.
Anyway, onto the actual writing!
Today's Writing
I wrote exactly 1,000 words on two different femslash ficlets, finishing first drafts of both. Though as a result one of them is now longer than a ficlet should be, but I hope I can fix that in the editing phase. Soon I really need to start editing those ficlets, since I've got several drafts but haven't edited or posted any!
In the evening I continued working on my possible-novel-to-be a bit, writing longhand in my notebook again. I in fact finished the scene I'd been working on, so next I'll have to find a new scene. I've already got ideas, though. But I am going to need to start coming up with names for more than one character.
Tally
Day 1:
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
justmcshane,
navaan,
shopfront,
sylvanwitch,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (9 so far)
Day 2:
alexseanchai,
brightandravenous,
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
navaan,
shopfront,
sylvanwitch,
talkingtothesky,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (11 so far)
Day 3:
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
navaan,
rosefox,
shopfront,
sylvanwitch,
tinx_r,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (10 so far)
Day 4:
alexseanchai,
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
justmcshane,
navaan,
rosefox,
shopfront,
sylvanwitch,
tinx_r,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (12 so far)
Day 5:
alexseanchai,
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
justmcshane,
navaan,
shopfront,
sylvanwitch,
tinx_r,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (11 so far)
Day 6:
alexseanchai,
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
navaan,
shopfront,
sylvanwitch,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (9 so far)
Day 7:
alexseanchai,
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
justmcshane,
navaan,
shopfront,
sylvanwitch,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (10 so far)
Day 8:
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
justmcshane,
navaan,
sylvanwitch,
tinx_r,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (9 so far)
Day 9:
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
navaan,
shopfront,
sylvanwitch,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (8 so far)
Day 10:
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
navaan,
sylvanwitch,
tinx_r,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (8 so far)
Day 11:
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
sylvanwitch,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (6 so far)
Day 12:
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
sylvanwitch,
talkingtothesky,
tinx_r,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (8 so far)
Day 13:
alexseanchai,
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
sylvanwitch,
tinx_r,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (8 so far)
Day 14:
alexseanchai,
carenejeans,
cornerofmadness,
shopfront,
sylvanwitch,
trobadora,
ysilme, and me. (8 so far)
Let me know if I missed you, or if you wrote but didn't check in yet! And you can join in any time.
I should probably take my own recommendation and do these tonight, my hands are sore again. I did most of these movements yesterday, but I really ought to do them most days.
If anyone else struggles with hand/wrist problems as much as I do, here's another tip: wrist warmers / mitts / fingerless mittens really help. Even if it's not terribly cold at home - regardless of the temperature, the little muscles in my hands are much more likely to feel okay if they've got extra warmth around them. Make sure they cover your palms as well as your wrists, and if you're sensitive to scratchy wool like I am, you'll want them made of some soft and gentle fibre such as cashmere, alpaca, or whatever else works for you. I should try a non-wool yarn some time, maybe bamboo would work? If you don't knit or crochet, you can probably buy them from people who do without paying too much for it, or make a friend or a relative knit or crochet them for you.
Anyway, onto the actual writing!
Today's Writing
I wrote exactly 1,000 words on two different femslash ficlets, finishing first drafts of both. Though as a result one of them is now longer than a ficlet should be, but I hope I can fix that in the editing phase. Soon I really need to start editing those ficlets, since I've got several drafts but haven't edited or posted any!
In the evening I continued working on my possible-novel-to-be a bit, writing longhand in my notebook again. I in fact finished the scene I'd been working on, so next I'll have to find a new scene. I've already got ideas, though. But I am going to need to start coming up with names for more than one character.
Tally
Day 1:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 2:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 3:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 4:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 5:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 6:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 7:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 8:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 9:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 10:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 11:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 12:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 13:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Day 14:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Let me know if I missed you, or if you wrote but didn't check in yet! And you can join in any time.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-15 10:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 05:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-09-15 10:10 pm (UTC)Also, wooo-hooo on that very nice word count! Go you! :-)
I wrote 1111 words today, which I tried to take as a fortuitous sign, 11 being my lucky number. The story just crossed the 15K line, and it shows no signs at all of coming to a conclusion. This is largely because I haven't figured out how it's supposed to end, so I'm going to try to spend some thinking time on it tomorrow. I really should have an outline, or it's going to turn into another monster, and it started as a total lark.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 05:57 pm (UTC)Yay, 1111 sounds like an excellent word count! And hey, maybe you're just writing a novella instead of a short story! Or if not, you can figure out the length it's supposed to be once you've finished the first draft.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-15 10:26 pm (UTC)Forgot to check in yesterday, but put me down for then and today. Not really writing just slogging through two exchange letters which is hard enough work that stuff it I'm counting it. It's been awhile since I've had to do more than copy and tweak most of my letters, and I'd forgotten what an annoyance it was, sigh.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 06:01 pm (UTC)All right, I'll put you on the tally for both days. Exchange letters do take their time - I'm already dreading to have to write one for Yuletide. I'm not sure I'll reuse more than one or two requests from previous exchanges, though we'll see.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 07:23 pm (UTC)It would be tempting to only use my old requests for Yuletide. I probably can do it, since I actually wrote some kind of letter for Turing Fest where I requested Murderbot Diaries and that's the newest fandom I definitely want to request for Yuletide now. But that was when only the first book was out and now there are three, so it'll require rewriting...
But yeah, relationship or character matching makes exchange letters just that bit more challenging!
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 03:51 am (UTC)As for writing, alibi sentences. I was gone at hte mothman festival boiling in my own juices today
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 06:03 pm (UTC)Totally understandable not to manage more than alibi sentences on such a day, good for keeping up the habit. :-)
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 07:49 am (UTC)I only did a couple of alibi sentences for fiction, sort of a thesis statement for the creepy bookshop. I spent a lot of time on the nonfiction project.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 06:12 pm (UTC)For the second part, arm outstretched again, but this time your palm and inside of the wrist pointing down. Grab your fingers and pull them and your hand down, again so the hand points down and the arm is still outstretched, 90 degree angle between them. Again, you can gradually increase the stretch, and bend the elbow a little to explore where the stretch goes.
I hope that was comprehensible - basically instead of pressing your hand against the floor and moving your body to stretch the hand and the wrist, you use your other hand to pull the hand to the stretch, replacing the pressure of the floor. During the past few months I've often woken up at night with my hands so tense and tight they hurt and I need to stretch them to be able to sleep more comfortably, and I'm too lazy to get out of bed to do this part of the stretch, so I experimented and noticed this works. (Why my hands do that at night, I don't know. I guess stress or something makes me clench them at night, like I do with my jaw.)
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 09:18 am (UTC)(I checked out German Yoga videos for beginners, too, but the only ones that look good have such an annoying music, and the speaker speaks far too low and fast, and doesn't explain well - not really suited for unexperienced people, no matter what they claim! I'll check this channel out, though.)
In writing news, 400 words for me, plus the first major part of file sorting done on the big WIP! Now I can start the proper re-reading of what I already got.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 06:19 pm (UTC)I'm pretty well informed on how you need to place your body and hands when typing, but I still get a lot of ache on my wrists and fingers. Of course using a laptop at home doesn't make things easier (and I need to get a wrist support here, I do have one at work and it helps). But I get problems even when everything's as good as it can be. It's probably just something about my body, weak wrists or something. However, I've learned to recognize when I need to do something, so I haven't for a long time been in situations where I can't type at all. So that's something. :-)
Congrats on getting your first major part of file sorting done on the big WIP! Good luck with the rereading and all that follows. :-)
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 12:30 pm (UTC)Thanks for the yoga video - I'm definitely going to check that out; I do have wrist problems on occasion.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 06:20 pm (UTC)Hope you find the video helpful!
no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 02:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-09-16 06:25 pm (UTC)I used to do yoga in the past as well, but currently I can't really go to outside yoga classes because I don't want to give up my two ballet classes a week, and that doesn't leave me money or time for yoga classes. Last year I had a lot of mental issues and exhaustion, and then it occurred to me to seek out yoga videos on YouTube, and I found that there are some really good channels with good teachers, and this is a really good way for me to keep a regular yoga practice. I'm much more likely to do it properly with a teacher on the video rather than on my own, but I can do it at my own time, at home, and for free even. Of course many of them also have stuff you can get if you pay for it, but it's also possible to do these things if you can't afford a yoga class or a gym membership or whatever. I've been meaning to do a recommendation post on my favourite channels (this is one of them) but I haven't got around to that yet. :-)
no subject
Date: 2018-09-17 08:49 pm (UTC)