Writing with Chronic Illness

Let’s talk about writing with chronic illness.

I’ve mentioned my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) a few times before, but not really how it affects me when it comes to writing.

The first book I finished (unpublished) I was able to write mostly on my laptop, but for TKTS – and now TBTD – the ideas just aren’t coming to me unless I’m handwriting everything first. Sometimes I’ll use a voice-to-text program, but still the story doesn't flow as well as with pen and paper.

This can be a bit of a problem if my RA flares up, so I end up taking preventative steps:
- I use my oh-so-fancy arthritis pens.
- I wear compression gloves. (Also when typing.)
- I wear a wrist brace, mostly to have something softer than the desk to rest it on.
- Sometimes, I even wrap a bandage around the joint where my pen rests to help lighten the pressure.

Honestly this is also why I give myself a little buffer time around deadlines! Handwriting an entire novel takes some time. 😂

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QOTD: Do you prefer to use pen and paper, type, or use a voice-to-text option when writing?

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[Image: Two legal pads sitting on a desk. Resting on top of the pads is @chcarterwrites hand, wearing a compression glove and wrist brace, while holding a larger-than-average pen made for people with arthritis.]