Hello Fanciful Friends, and welcome to the page dedicated to my musings as a writer.
A Tip for Writing with a Disability
The other day, I was drawn to the idea of sharing some writing tips I’ve developed as a writer with disabilities, and so I uploaded my biggest tip. You can watch that to the left, but if you’d rather read it, I’ve got your back here.
One of the first pieces of advice that aspiring authors receive is that to be a successful author, they have to write every single day. That might work for some, but it didn’t for me. I found myself feeling guilty when I was unable to follow that advice. I felt like I was failing big time, before I’d even gotten started. And I came to realise that living with my disabilities and mental health issues made writing every day an impossibility.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t be a writer. I still wrote when I was able. Sometimes I would write consistently for a week or so. Sometimes I’d have to take massive breaks. I’m talking months. Despite this, I was still able to release my book, On Flightless Wings. It just took longer.
And you know what? That’s ok. Becoming an author isn’t a race. Your creativity has no expiration date.
Take care of your body and take care of your mind. Take the breaks you need. Work when you can. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Work at the pace that is comfortable for you. How are you going to continue writing if you’ve burned yourself out and run yourself into the ground?
Once I figured out that I had to take it slow and allow myself the time I need to manage my health, writing became a much more enjoyable experience for me. I felt more productive on the days I could work, and some of my anxiety surrounding the issue eased (I’d love to say all, but that isn’t how anxiety works, is it?).
You don’t need anyone’s permission to work in a way that makes sense for you. You don’t need permission to prioritise your health, physical or mental, or both. But if your brain insists that you do, because that’s just how brains are sometimes, then you have my permission. Take those breaks. Write when and if you can. You’re still a writer. And you will still be able to release your work into the world one day!
Be always tout the idea of being kind to others (extremely important of course), but please don’t forget to be kind to yourself too.
Rebecka O'Malley 