Back Writing w/ a Vengence

Back to Blogging

Hey all, sorry for the long delay in between posts, but there has been a lot going on in the life of this writer, even compared to usual. For one, the freelance writing work is really starting to take off and seems to be making a recovery from the smoldering crater many of the freelance markets seemed to be in when the economy was tumbling head over heels through the middle of 2008. Yep, the work has not only been picking up again, but I've found some better consistent gigs that have helped me to push up my income level and even cut back on the hours I used to work. This was a very good thing since, as my last post talked about, carpal tunnel and writing don't get along.

Along those notes as well - I'm doing pretty good. I'm lucky in that I've caught it early enough that an ibuprofen regiment and occasionally wearing a brace have really dealt with 80-90% of the pain and discomfort issues for me. I've also learned to intersperse my work day with breaks, and as long as I take 10 minutes every hour, and a mid-day "siesta," it turns out I can still work 10 hour days without issue. I rarely even have to use the brace anymore, and ibuprofen usually only twice a day, which is good since I hate popping pills. I know, ironic for a writer, and yet that's one stereotype I defy. Can't drink anymore because of the ibuprofen, so I guess my OCD and general weirdness are the only writer stereotypes I have left :)

So between the move, the medical treatments, a few family trips & emergencies and a busy December to come, things are kind of returning back to better than normal, meaning now that most of the pain is gone and I have more time, I can spend more time on this freelance writing blog, which is definitely a labor of love.

That brings me to a critical last point for why the prolonged absence: at one point not only did I have to shed less profitable freelance work because my wrists limited my ability to type, but there was a very limited amount of hours I could work as a writer and so there was a choice to be made: creative writing or blogging.

I've wanted to be a creative writer all my life, and for the sake of my sanity, I need to write fiction. As my health, setting, and life in general has improved, so has my writing output. Soon I'm going to put one last polish on My Brother's Keeper before sending it out one more time (around 15 hand written rejections - so I'm so freaking close to getting it there), revising a novel I've co-authored with a couple buddies, and sending out a lot of fiction come January. This is in addition to my freelance work, and finding that ever important balance of freelance writing vs. creative writing is a major reason why my mood and outlook has improved drastically.

S0 in the next few weeks, or even the next few days, you can expect a flurry of blog posts here. Definitely part 2 to my original post of how to make money writing in college, since two months definitely counts as too long of a cliff hanger (my bad), as well as a few writing website reviews, including a "new" one that has only come to my attention recently and has helped push up my income and income stability immensely. My opinion of a few writing websites has changed, as well, based on recent changes & actions and I want to make sure to address those changes.

Beyond that I'm not sure what else there is to add. I'm still struggling with decisions on what direction to go with this blog, with how to organize posts and if I should stay with the long rambles I enjoy that sometimes get pretty random search traffic, or if I should post more often with shorter posts on really narrow topics. There are pros and cons to both, but I have a feeling for the next few months that business will go on as usual, and that's not necessarily a bad thing ever.

Thanks to all the new followers-nothing like coming back to a blog to see that people care. Feel free to leave a comment and as always I will try to get back to you relatively soon. Hope everyone is doing well and there is more coming, so stay tuned!

A Freelance Writer's Worst Nightmare: Carpal Tunnel

Writing Through the Pain

First of all, I'd like to apologize to my readers and friends for the long delay, and thank you for the kind words, comments, and e-mails over the past month. I'm not a big cliff hanger type of guy, so I assure you that part two of making a living freelance writing as a college student will be finished shortly as things have settled down.

There are many things that can affect a freelance writer's career, and one that has hit me for the first time a little over a week ago was carpal tunnel syndrome. As someone who is used to spending 10-15 hour days at the keyboard for years on end, I was probably long overdue for some type of repetitive stress disorder, and man did it hit me big time.

The pain in my arm was agonizing, and started in the hand, went to the wrist, and even shot up my arm all the way to the shoulder when I pushed too hard. I'm not going to go in to a lot on carpal tunnel or repetitive stress disorders, but I figure since writers are often pointed out as a classic occupation that suffers from this, I want to talk about it quickly.

Not all of freelance writing is about the writing. In my case when the pain was too much, I went to Wal-Greens and picked up a carpal tunnel wrist brace, which came with splint. This helps to provide support to your injured arm, and keeps the wrist from bending in a way that cuts off circulation to your hand (which is more or less how carpal tunnel works).

After even just a week of wearing this thing for a few hours a day, I am now a firm believer that every freelance writer with carpal tunnel should own one of these. And if you don't, consider getting one to help you at the first sign of discomfort or pain. Catching it early is a huge part of preventing it from getting worse.

Beyond the brace, take some ibuprofen three times a day to reduce swelling. This also means that you writers can't drink while treating CPT - not that any of us do anyway...:)

Other steps include breaking up your writing time into smaller slots, taking breaks, and reducing your work load by eliminating the things you really don't need to do and being efficient with your time. Carpal tunnel isn't anything to be taken lightly, as I've found out the hard way.

So while you're writing be careful, take care of your body, and if you need it or even feel slight discomfort in your hands after a long day, I strongly recommend a carpal tunnel brace to help treat your condition before it gets worse.

All you freelance writers stick together, and I'll be back with that long awaited second post on making a living as a freelance writer from college shortly. Thanks for the support and kind words, and to all the carpal tunnel writers out there - I feel ya'. Take care and keep on with your writing dreams.