Lots of chatty chat today. Talked about what happened yesterday and kinda plotted out what I expect will happen going forward. The 200k goal seems very far off at the moment. Do-able, perhaps, but the cost might be too high.
Yesterday’s Word Count: 5695
Today’s Starting Count: 77,400
How many words behind: 15,937
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Hi Nathan,
Regarding your wrist pain, have you tried an ergonomic (split) keyboard? That really works well for me. I started developing a similar problem after I started doing a lot of typing each day, but I haven’t had any problems at all after switching. (I’ve been completely satisfied with this one http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Natural-Ergonomic-Keyboard-4000/dp/B000A6PPOK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321280804&sr=8-1.)
It will probably seem ackward at first, but after using it for a while and switching back to a regular keyboard, you can really notice the stress a regular key board causes on the wrists.
I’ve been looking at those for awhile, but I swap back and forth between desktop and laptop. That’s a lot of readjusting every time.
I may do it anyway, just because after 20 years of typing all day every day, it might make sense that some of my myelin might be wearing out a bit and could use a little buffering.
Problems with my wrists (and big hands), are the main reason I haven’t ever gotten a laptop. I’m trying to remember, but I think my wrists were noticibly better at the end of the day I switched, and had regained normal feeling within a few days. (Each day was better and better.) It took less than a day to adjust to the split keyboard, although a few bad typing habits persisted for a bit(can’t reach the “h” with the left finger on a split keyboard, or “g” with the right, and similar things with the “6” and “7”, but not that big a deal. The brain and hands adjust pretty quickly).
Switching back to use a regular keyboard also isn’t a problem at all, though I was aware of the difference the first few times. I probably use both types of keyboards every day without even noticing the difference (though I still do all my heavy typing on the split keyboard.)
To give your hands a rest you might try http://nuance.com/dragon/index.htm speach software you talk it types this would give both your hands much needed rest and instead of a split keyboaurd would work on a laptop and desktop situations
Problem is that I can’t dictate the story this way either.
While it does work to keep the words in front of my face, the nature of my living situation is that talking aloud for a dozen hours a day is not feasible.
I’m going to give the split keyboard a go. I think I pick one up at the local Best Buy today.
You can also try the sport strap right below the elbow use to be refereed as tennis elbow but with computers mouse and typing it releaves the same pain
A wrist brace may help your pain. I would suggest wearing one 24/7, taking it off to shower only. Worked for me!
As far as the word count—you’re a storyteller; be true to your story and let that dictate the word count.I think that’s what you’re saying, yourself.
The conflict in R’wood didn’t belong to Tanyth either, really. She could just as easily have shrugged and walked on down the pike when the bad guys showed up, but that’s not the kind of person she is. So it makes perfect sense to me that she’s involved herself again with a conflict that is not directly hers. The raven was the second POV in R’wood; is there any way of having a second POV in Z’s Call? From a crew member-observer, or some such person? A sea gull, watching?, but no, that’s too close to a raven….Is there a totem creature for the Sea that she might connect with, a la the 4 cardinal compass points in R’wood?
Just thoughts…..it’ll be interesting to see how this works out. The thought of trying to type while walking makes me dizzy just to think of it….
That’s a great point about the second POV. That was a fun theme, and I guess I assumed that the raven would be continuing with her. If not, then it seems like this ability to see through the eyes of others would still present some great story opportunities.
Nate, while your 200k goal is a nice target sometimes other work will get in the way.
At least it sounds like the main stuff popping up will be things that keep your ‘brand’ moving which is really as important to a certain extent as getting as much new content as you were thinking.
Keep it up, and good luck with the wrists… I’ve got a potential hereditary condition that gets aggravated by repetitive stress that I have to keep an eye out for. If it gets triggered my career path will mean I have to have surgery on my hand to fix it most likely.
Joyce has made most of the points I was going to make, the main one being that part of what makes Tanyth Tanyth is that she is a healer, it informs everything she does. She battles other people’s problems whether that problem is a disease, a process or a person. I’m also guessing that there is more to her powers than being able to work with a “familiar”. The rather profound effects which came from incantation followed by striking her staff to the floor seemed to hint at an ability to commune with or even affect the elementary forces of her world.
During my 25 years of Military Service the last half of it was spent writing or editing OPLANS. One of the things we knew without a doubt was that no plan survives first contact. We always expected a mid action review and revision at a minimum. I think it is almost the middle of the month. Time for a mid action review and revision of your goals and expectations.
I like the keyboard mentioned earlier. It is very good in relieving the stresses that cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I have had the surgery in both hands you don’t want to go there if it can be avoided. Typing is very hard on the hands and wrist.
Exactly right, John.
my two cents:
this book really helped me
How You Stand, How You Move, How You Live: Learning the Alexander Technique to Explore Your Mind-Body Connection and Achieve Self-Mastery by Missy Vineyard
drugstore—-wrist elastic to support the wrist and hand. Helps with carpal tunnel if that is what you have, but my bet is on tendenitis and that is a b____ to get rid of. Piano players get it. One of my friends had to do the doctoring thing and ended up with a brace type thingy. She had to practice (concert) so it helped a lot.
I agree with John H. Good is better than fast and you may have both if you stop and reassess mid book and know exactly what you need to do to get where you are going. Bet you would write faster, too. That does not mean that you are in a rigid plot. Surprises are fun, but you know where you are going—-mostly. I can tell you are involved, which is the important thing. It will be a good book.
What has helped me from time to time is a gel wrist support – long piece of gel cushion that sits in front of the keyboard.
I have one of these gel things. It gets in the way so I haven’t used it.