My life has always included physical activity. Main sports included golfing, swimming, running 10Ks, and playing softball. I learned in my youth the value of stretching to prepare muscles for these activities, and to avoid injury. Sure writing is sedentary, but it doesn’t cause physical problems for me because ofContinue Reading
I’m so excited to have Karen sharing her thoughts here on Writing and Wellness. She is a prolific writer, editor, AND publisher, so she knows about the difficulties writers face from all angles. Enjoy! I’m not the kind of person who can squeeze in 10 or 20 minutes here andContinue Reading
Biggest physical challenge of being a writer? Not plowing my way through a bag of chocolate when I’m writing. Wow, that’s hard. I don’t feel like I have any trouble getting exercise (my horse keeps me active), but when it comes to emotional eating… Writing is an incredibly emotional thing,Continue Reading
Writing is part of who I am, but it is not all of me. I like the description of myself as a house filled with various rooms, each with a different purpose. If I give all of my attention to only one room, making it bigger and more elaborate thanContinue Reading
Being sedentary for so long [is the biggest physical challenge of being a writer]. Not getting enough exercise. And posture/eyesight—it’s so easy for me to forget re-adjusting them every so often. I’m in the process of trying to lose weight that I gained the last several years. So the “sedentary”Continue Reading
Gosh, these last two years have held so many physical and mental challenges for me that have really messed with my writing ability. I used to sit down at a computer and complete ten, fifteen pages a day with no problems. I knew exactly where I wanted to go withContinue Reading
Whether I like it or not, the dang human body needs sleep, even if I’m on a roll. I tend to stay up way too late writing, much to the chagrin of anyone who has to deal with me during the daylight hours. I work out as often as IContinue Reading
Since my physical health is not typical, the obvious, typical answer for me would likely not apply to, or benefit, most authors and aspiring authors. So, I will direct attention to another physical “matter,” which is sometimes a challenge and sometimes a blessing: Yes, I speak of the hours weContinue Reading
People always think it’s exciting to be a writer—perhaps they’re picturing Hemingway on a big safari game hunt—but the reality is that it’s more like being Homer Simpson in front of the TV: you sit and snack a lot on sugary, salty treats while your brain goes into overdrive. ProbablyContinue Reading
I find I get very stiff if I sit in one position for too long. I’ve had neck pain for years, and I have to be pretty careful of my position. Also, I’m very antsy. I have trouble sitting for longer than about twenty minutes at a time. The Problem of SittingContinue Reading
For me the biggest challenge is getting enough exercise. Sitting at the computer all day is not healthy, but it’s easy to do. Fortunately, my dogs demand attention and distract me, making me get up and move around. Still, I do suffer from frequent back pain, the best remedy forContinue Reading
I should probably start with a disclaimer. I’m a dad to two-year old identical twin boys and that has completely changed the way I write. And many other things too, of course. Balancing Fatherhood with Writing Before they came along, I’d have probably said backache or a little RSIContinue Reading