Fixing my ergonomic workspace by Author Jessica E. Subject

 

FIXING MY ERGONOMIC WORKSPACE

by Author Jessica E. Subject

Lately I've been experiencing a lot of shoulder pain. After visiting my physiotherapist, I've learned most of the pain radiates from my trapezoid muscles. I believe it's due to many reasons, including the way I sleep, overuse with some duties, my desk setup, and more. I'm trying to do what I can to remedy most of these situations. I no longer sleep on my side, but on my back with a cervical pillow to support my neck. I've retired from some of my other duties. I try to hold my phone up higher when I'm scrolling, reading, or watching on it. And I've bought a headset with a mic to transcribe my stories into a Word document from my notebooks. There's a learning curve to that, but I've been able to do it without having to buy any new software.

Ergonomics involves altering your workspace to provide maximum comfort, thus increasing your productivity and efficiency.

Rearranging my work station to make it even more ergonomic is my current project. I have an ergonomic keyboard and mouse. They have helped, but having them separate has been an issue. I need them both in the same spot, which means moving one to use the other. To solve this situation, I've ordered an ergonomic keyboard with a built-in roller ball. No more moving one to use the other, as they'll both be in the same spot. And I can switch back and forth to use the mouse with both hands instead of only my right. 

The next step is training myself to sit properly. I have a good chair with back support. But, if I forget to put on my glasses, I'm often leaning forward to see the screen. So, I have to remind myself to wear my glasses and sit up straight.

Ergonomics is also about having things you use at the right level in order to minimize discomfort. The exact level is different for everyone, since we are all different sizes, but I found this guide on depositphotos that shows how you can find the right level for you.

This is what I'm doing as I work on the first book in a new (spinoff) series. Hopefully I will have an update on that project soon!

Wishing you many great books to read!

jessicasubject.com

It's hard to say goodbye ~ Writing THE END by Jessica E. Subject

 

Writing THE END

I'm writing a story called RET right now, but lately, it's been hard to sit my butt down and write. Why? There are many reasons, but the biggest one is that I'm getting close to the end of the book. And that means I'm going to have to say goodbye soon. 

I always have this issue when I write any book, but with RET, it seems even harder. This isn't just the end of a book, but the end of the series. I'll be saying goodbye to the Kaddim Brothers and their family, and to the space racer team, ORIXA, pushing them out of my thoughts for good. I've had these characters in my head for over two years now. Yes, VAWN released in August of 2021, but the whole family occupied a space in my mind well before then, when I was still writing my Shifter Towers series. I'm truly finding it tough and very sad.

At the same time, I'm plotting out the first book in my new series. I'm not going to say much about it, except I have ideas for five books in this series already. They're all something new, but at the same time, they're very familiar for me. I'm so excited.

So, while I try to reign in my excitement for this new series, and deal with my sadness to finish writing RET, here's a teaser from the story for you that I shared last Friday for #FridayKiss.

If you haven't read the other Kaddim Brothers stories, you can find them here:

  

Happy reading!

No Resolutions! Checklists work for me! Post by Jessica E. Subject

It's January again, and that means many people are talking about the goals and resolutions they want to accomplish in 2022. I gave up on those years ago. I get easily disappointed with myself if I do not accomplish things by a certain date. And when I'm working on something creative, like writing my stories, that can be disastrous. Sure, I have stories I'd love to publish this year (see below), but I don't have any dates set, and I know that plans can change, and other ideas often invade my mind.

(notice the crossed fingers)

So, what do I do instead? I use checklists!!

I have daily, weekly, and monthly checklists, and started using them at the beginning of the pandemic to stay focused. The format has changed a bit since then to become what it is now. Some of the items on my checklists are personal, and others are work-related. But I get great joy from checking off the little boxes. So much so, it motivates me to get them done. 

Above is a screenshot of part of this month's daily, weekly, and monthly checklist. (The weekly and monthly ones are listed at the unseen bottom part.)

DAILY

These are my more personal things to accomplish. I always want to get them done, but I never set a target. Simply working on them for any amount of time is enough for me. Some days I will work on them longer, and other days only for a few minutes. It depends on how much time I have that day, and whether I am able to focus for long periods of time. Under write, any work on my stories counts, whether it be planning, writing, editing, etc. Right now I am reviewing all three of my Kaddim Brothers stories and making sure my world bible is up-to-date. Reading can be anything, though I usually read webtoons, print books, and/or ebooks. Exercise is usually a class through my fitness studio. They're all online now, as we're in another shutdown, but I look forward to getting back to the studio, as the people there keep me accountable. And I'm trying to learn Korean. Have been at it for two years now. I know it's going to take a lot longer, but daily practice from multiple learning platforms definitely has helped me.

WEEKLY

These are work-related tasks; things I have to or should accomplish each week. They are for other jobs, or for writing-related promo. I usually have set days of the week I accomplish these tasks, but I keep them off my daily checklist, as the day I accomplish them can sometimes vary.

MONTHLY

These are tasks I do once a month, like this post on Paranormal Romantics, or my author newsletter. It's more a reminder for me to do them so I don't forget.

The key is, you need to find what works for you. Not everyone is the same, and it's important to recognize that.

So, what works for you? I'm always curious about others. Are you for goals and resolutions, or do smaller tasks work better for you? Do you need set dates and targets, or do you have a more fluid sense of accomplishment?

Until next month!