Things To Avoid When You Sprain Your Wrist

Within a week I stapled a finger on my right hand, sliced open a finger on my left hand and sprained my left wrist.  Not a bad week. ;)

On the writing front: I’ve hand to write in my notebook rather than use Word, so I don’t have a word count.  I’m finding a little footing with my story and now know what I want to write about for NaNoWriMo.  This week my goals are to finish this chapter, get a better handle on what my protagonist’s abilities are and what her major obstacle is going to be; I already have my subplot. 

I received two inspiring and encouraging comments on my last post regarding my struggles with writing.  The fact that writing is a solo act has been said and discussed many times and is the reason for so many wonderful sites that have been created and developed to bring writers together.  When you’re living in your head for a good percentage of the time, one’s thoughts can veer off in the wrong direction.  It is the encouragement and empathy of fellow writers that help you keep swimming. 

And now, some things to avoid when you sprain a wrist:

Do not hold a book.  Yes, it may seem at first as though it doesn’t hurt and you might think, “Oh, this is okay.” Don’t let this initial relief fool you! Within minutes shooting pain will cause the book to jump from your hand, landing on the floor and losing your page at the same time.

Do not offer to cook for the entire family.  While it is possible to cook some things with one hand, unless you strap your injured arm to your body, you will, at some point, reach for something with your injured hand.  This will hurt and can be dangerous if it’s the handle of a hot pan. 

Do not hold back from cussing like a sailor.  It helps, sometimes more than the Aleve.

Don’t forget about your injury and throw the ball to your dog with said injured hand. 

Do not type with both hands for too long.  

Looking For My Magic Key

You'd think reigniting my passion for writing would be easy considering how much I love it.  Sometimes this can be easy if a person is in the right mind-space, but I have not been in the right mind-space with really anything lately.

Uncertainty, fear, doubt..  Those three words certainly fit this writer at the moment.

Major curveballs have been thrown my way; I'm having to rethink/restructure my entire life.  So, I've been working through a bit of confusion about me and writing.

Have you ever felt like you couldn't do something? You just wanted to quit?  Do any of the following sound familiar?   -   "I'm just not cut out for this.  I can't write, my writing stinks.  I don't know what the hell I'm doing! Maybe I'm not a writer, after all."

Not the best thinking, eh?  But then I go through this whole other spiel in my head: if I'm really not meant to be a writer, why do I keep going back to it?  Why do I beat myself up when I don't write? Why do I see everything as a possible story, if I'm not a writer?

I have bits of story ideas written everywhere and snippets of scenes or dialogue in my journal and notebooks and even have a handful of docs sitting on my desktop, no titles, just saved as "new idea" or a character's name.

I decided to sign-up for A Round of Words in 80 Days to help me focus and reconnect with this love affair that is currently on ice.

Scoop on this week's goals so far:
Monday - 0 words (I made the decision to sign-up late and was exhausted after I posted so, no words on Monday.)
Tuesday - 314 words
Wednesday - 270, so far

Napoleon Hill said, "You are searching for the magic key that will unlock the door to the source of power; and yet you have the key in your own hands, and you may use it the moment you learn to control your thoughts."

Old pic, but so appropriate.