I have chronic back and neck pain, along with chronic migraines, which makes it impossible for me to sit at a computer all day long. Still, that would be true if I was a programmer or an actuary, so I try and keep that in mind. At least as aContinue Reading
It took me a long time to realize that all my aches and pains were from leaning over my laptop. Hunching forward like that, the chest tightens in a subtle way that strains the neck and shoulders. I had a tailbone injury years ago that also made sitting painful. IContinue Reading
When I think of physically challenging jobs, I imagine professional athletes, construction workers, or firefighters. Writers…not so much. But when back pain sidelined my writing, my gardening and even my ability to sit comfortably, I revised my thinking. So, though writing may not fit into an expected definition of physicallyContinue Reading
For me the biggest physical challenges are lack of exercise and the tension that develops in my neck and shoulders. I have definitely gained weight since I launched my writing career. Sitting at a computer is horrible for anyone’s system. We’re not meant to sit all day! And somehow exerciseContinue Reading
For me, the biggest challenges have been aches from sitting too long and issues with my right hand and right wrist weakness. (I am right-handed.) To address the pain from long hours of sitting, I switched from a desktop computer to a laptop. Using a lap desk, I am ableContinue Reading
People laugh when I say writing is hard on your body. They imagine me a sitting comfortably in a chair all day long, but that’s precisely the problem. I don’t want to die like the French novelist, Honoré de Balzac. He was plagued with health problems because he often spendContinue Reading
I started writing four years ago after the primary school I was working in closed down. It was a small private school in a converted detached house and my main classroom was on the first floor, while the stock room, toilets, dining room and other classrooms I taught in wereContinue Reading
I kind of hate to admit this, but for me the biggest challenge of being a writer is the computer. I can always tell when I’ve had a good writing day—I can’t stand to read from my Kindle at night! Something about that little lit screen not only tires myContinue Reading
One of my biggest physical challenges to writing, and many other things, was neck pain and headaches. Like most everyone else who stares at a computer as part of their job, I hold my tension in my neck and shoulders. There were plenty of times I couldn’t write because ofContinue Reading
Being both writer and artist is a double-whammy in terms of the long-term health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. I developed severe near-sightedness in my early teens (which made me even less likely to go outside or get active) and I’ve always struggled to maintain a healthy weight. While IContinue Reading
Interviewer: You’ve acknowledged that as writers, we all have moments when we think what we’re working on is crap. Author Harlan Coben (Caught, Long Lost, and Hold Tight): Always. Every writer has that, if they’re worth anything. I don’t think it matters if you’re a writer, musician, new mom, orContinue Reading
Believing in ourselves is essential to living our best lives—we hear it all the time. “Believe in yourself!” we’re told. Then everything will magically work out. Still, it’s often easier said than done, so I gathered some tips to help you out. If you have more, please share! 1. DoContinue Reading