by Linda Hall

I am so pleased to be invited to guest blog for your fitness and health month. I’ve enjoyed reading all of the posts- such great advice! Noodler Norah Wilson asked for my thoughts on the subject of what you do when you can’t write – when you physically can’t write.

Friday, February 29, of this past year I fell on ice and broke both bones in my right wrist. It was a pretty bad break and couldn’t have come at a worse time. (Or is there ever a right time?) I had guests coming on Sunday, a house to clean and I was bumping up against a deadline, and oh, did I mention that I’m right-handed? I can’t so much as draw stick figure with my left hand.

I spent the first few days at home in a morphine haze. The house ended up not mattering, company was rescheduled, and my package of edits from Harlequin sat in their envelope on my desk. At first I thought I would just do the edits. I would enlist my husband’s help and together we would muddle through the massive re-writes. So, I didn't tell my editor. This was a new contract and I didn’t want to blow it. I e-mailed my agent, however, told her that my right arm was totally out of commission, but not to worry – my husband and I would get this book done if it was the last thing we did.

A day later, my sweet agent called me and gave me a stern talking to. “I’ve talked to your editor. They’re moving the release date ahead.”

When I protested, she said, “Linda, you’re right-handed and you can’t write. It’s all taken care of. Don’t kill yourself.”

A nice email from my editor also made me feel better – somewhat – about my plight.

As the days wore on, I realized just how incapacitated I was. I couldn’t even blow dry my hair properly or put on eye makeup. I felt like a frump, and learning to eat with my left hand left many a soup slop on my shirt.

I was in a cast for seven weeks. I wish I could say that I endured it with grace and thanksgiving for all that I would learn from this experience. Not! Oh, there was some of that, I suppose. But mostly, I was just mad. Why couldn't I have fallen on my left arm? There were days when I was completely and utterly frustrated. Here I was a writer, and I couldn’t even add an item to my grocery list.

But even when we’re angry and frustrated, we can learn lessons if we listen and keep our eyes open. Here’s what I discovered:

1. The QWERTY keyboard is in your head not your hands. I was forced to move my mouse to the left side of my keyboard. It was awkward, uncomfortable, frustrating (you try it!). But, after about a week or so it started to be less so. As I began my one-handed typing, I realized that my left hand was automatically finding the letters that my right hand normally typed. The letters and words were all there - in my head.

2. I learned to listen. I am a note taker. I cannot sit in a meeting or church without taking notes. That’s my learning style, I guess. I’m also a journaler. With my right arm out of commission I simply couldn’t do that. I had to force myself to listen, to concentrate. For some strange reason, I found that if I cocked my head to one side, I could hear and remember better. Go figure.

3. One of the surprising benefits of using my left hand on the mouse was less shoulder pain. Long hours hunched into my keyboard, my right hand crazily on the mouse, as I scramble to a deadline, always left me with so much shoulder pain that I would reward myself with a massage when I finished a book. That hasn't happened since I broke my arm. I have a feeling it’s because I’m using my left hand and arm more, even now.

4. Maybe I’m increasing my brain capacity. After I broke my arm a friend sent me a link to an anti-aging article in Canadian Living magazine which suggested that to keep your brain fresh, try using your non-dominant hand for small things around the house.

5. I learned that this is a right-handed world. Simple things, like using scissors, or a can opener are incredibly awkward when you try to use them left-handed. It gave me an appreciation for our southpaw friends.

6. I learned the benefit of voice recognition software. Now, I won’t be without it. MacSpeech was newly available last year, and I ordered it for my MacBook. By the time I received it in Canada, however, I only had a couple more weeks in my cast. I loaded the program, anyway, and have been working with it ever since. I’m finding that it’s wonderful for first drafts. I put the headset on, stare into space, visualize my story and characters and just start talking. Come to think of it, maybe that’s helping with the shoulder pain.

It’s been a while and my right arm is better, but not perfect. But, I’ve learned that even through frustrating circumstances, there are always lessons we can learn.

BLACK ICE, ACFW Suspense Book of the Year!

SHADOWS IN THE MIRROR, winner of the Word Guild award for best romance

SHADOWS AT THE WINDOW, July '08 - an RT Top Pick