For me the biggest physical challenge of writing is also my biggest emotional challenge: the alone time and the isolation it requires to write. You see, I am an extrovert. I am that person who when you introverts are sitting quietly alone at a coffee shop, shatters your solitude withContinue Reading
When I was younger, I would hear other writers talk about how sitting at their writing desk for long periods made their joints stiff. I couldn’t relate to their pain at the time, but now that I’m in my forties I know exactly what they were talking about. With allContinue Reading
I’ve struggled with bad posture all my life. At 6’ 1” I tower over most people. I hated my height when I was younger, so I slouched to make myself smaller. I can still hear my mother’s voice in my head… “Throw your shoulders back!” As I grew older, IContinue Reading
I would say back pain and headaches are the biggest problem for me. I work on a laptop (I have no room for a proper desk set up) so I’m often hunched over it, or sat at the dining room table. Dining room chairs aren’t exactly built for perfect lumbarContinue Reading
The biggest physical challenge for me, at first, were the dozens of paper cuts from rejection letters. Adapting to the demands of writing was a huge adjustment from working in a prison environment. I worked nearly thirty years in prisons, parole, probation and managing prison operations. There were no longerContinue Reading
Back pain seems to be the biggest physical challenge when I’m writing. Sitting in one spot for too long triggers off a lower back issue I’ve had for years. Snacking on the wrong things can be a problem too—any excuse to get up and procrastinate, which usually means coffee andContinue Reading
I was a forester for over twenty years working in the private sector. My job consisted of office time behind a desk, but also field work. A good balance. Writing a novel required sitting for long hours working on a computer. Bad posture, leaning too close to the monitor andContinue Reading
The biggest physical challenge of being a writer? Easy. Wrist pain and eye strain. I find if I overuse my computer mouse—whether writing a novel, editing, blogging, or engaging in social media—my wrist starts to throb. Then I know it’s time to put on a wrist brace, and rest myContinue Reading
The biggest physical challenge in writing is probably having to sit so long in one place. When I first starting writing novels, I would only write for an hour a day and then go about my business, but now I sit for about seven and a half! I start writingContinue Reading
Living with manic depression and anxiety, the biggest physical challenge for me being a writer is finding a healthy balance between being still, managing anxiety, exercise, and writing. I also have sciatica, so back strengthening exercise is extremely important. It can painful to sit for long hours at a time.Continue Reading
My left hand likes to protest typing, as loudly as possible. Five years ago, I went to a physical therapist for lymphedema that resulted from surgery for breast cancer. While undergoing physical therapy, I mentioned that my hand had been hurting a great deal—I thought it was related to theContinue Reading
When I was writing my first novel, I gave little thought to my physical health—how I was sitting, the postage-stamp size of my desk, if in fact squinting down at a screen with hunched shoulders was a good idea. I had two small children and an urgent need to getContinue Reading