Day 6

"A deadline is, simply put, optimism in its most kick-ass form. It's a potent force that, when wielded with respect, will level any obstacle in its path. This is especially true when it comes to creative pursuits."

– Chris Baty, No Plot, No Problem

Tip of the Day:

This tip comes as I am somewhat behind in word-count, because I took it easy yesterday after having a couple rough days, physically.

Whatever your goal, however far behind you may get, if it hurts, take a break. This is one of the few tips I will ever give you that puts anything above getting word-count, but it is one of the most important things to remember during NaNo. Your body is precious. November will end, but you want to keep those hands, and wrists, and back, and stomach and eyes for the rest of your life.

If your wrists start to feel like you're being stabbed; if your hands tingle and go numb; if you can't turn your head because of that sharp pain up your spine; if you find you are struggling to hit the right keys because your hands feel sore... TAKE A BREAK. Eat something, take an anti-inflammatory (don't take aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxin, any of those things on an empty stomach- trust me), and/or use ice or heat until your wrists/neck stop hurting.

Do not keep pushing yourself because you can take the pain.

According to an article published in the New York Times:

Employees with CTS who try to work through the disorder often put more stress on the wrists to compensate for the weakness and pain. The end result is to make the condition worse and impair work performance.

Eventually, the worker with CTS may be forced to give up his or her livelihood. In one study, nearly half of all patients with CTS changed jobs within 30 months of an initial diagnosis.

Repetitive motion injuries are not a joke. It's not a matter of a sore muscle you can ignore and deal with later. It is your nerves being compressed and quite possibly damaged. Nerves don't heal the way other parts of your body can. Take this advice, coming from someone with loss of sensation in her hands, and take care of your body before you take care of your word-count.

... now that I may have scared the hell out of you, get back to work! Just be careful, and stop when you need to. Many people on the Nyeusigrube forum report that taking a warm shower or making and eating a meal your character would enjoy (or hate, actually) is a nice way to get past writer's block, anyway.

Prompt of the Day:

Your character suddenly recalls a previously unremembered appointment.

or

Your character walks by (or stops to watch) a street-performer.