12 Tips to Write a Book with Multiple Sclerosis
For us who are living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), with varying symptoms, writing can be challenging at times or altogether.
From numbness and delayed motor control to mental fatigue that leaves you unable to have coherent thoughts – let alone express yourself. There are comes different challenges in both physically writing with a pen or typing on a keyboard.
Let’s see what we can do to be able to continue writing working with MS.
Table of Contents
General Tips with Writing and MS
- Find the time during the day you are less fatigue – Daily fatigue is a thing with MS. This may change day-to-day, so writing when you feel the best and staying aware of that helps massively.
- Have a list of your ideas – What I mean by this is not spilling out all your ideas at once. By saving a list of what you would like to write when you are struggling, you can refer to your notes and easily get back into the flow of writing.
- Understand what triggers your MS – By acknowledging and noticing what occurs before flare-ups and episodes, you can help find what to avoid. Better prepare yourself to write that book no matter if you have MS or not.
- Have fill-in guides – It’s tough to think about all the different aspects of what needs to be done when writing. Have a place to refer to when you’re stuck or that’ll actually help you write the best you can.
What about pen versus keyboard?
Physically Writing with MS
You may think, why should I use a pen (or pencil) when writing my book?
“The physical act of writing promotes brain health,” explains Juliann Hansen-Zlatev, an occupational therapist (OT) in Castle Rock, Colorado. So do other fine-motor activities of the fingers and hands, such as knitting or woodworking.
There are many other mental health benefits from writing in general (both with pen and keyboard).
The act of writing like this also helps you with memory recall.
Stepping away from the science behind this, writers have preferences and if your ideas flow better or you are more comfortable contrasting your story like this, what can you do to help your MS?
Tips to help:
- Wearing a glove – This sounds strange, but using something that helps you have more grip will help on weaker days.
- Pick the right pen – Fatter pens can be helpful if you have decreased sensation or impaired coordination.
- Write slower – The act of writing itself can be very tiring, I mean what isn’t when you have MS. This evenly distributes your energy better than furiously scribbling.
- Writing in cursive – Curved words are easier to write as they flow together, reducing fatigue rather than picking up the pen often.
- Rest your arm on a sturdy table – Lessening fatigue is all about the right support. Instead of having your arms floating, rest your full forearm on a surface.
Typing with MS
More likely you are able to type a lot faster than you are able to write with a pen, this is one of the main reasons people prefer typing. Not only this, you can spend a lot less processing time finding mistakes by using FREE software such as Grammarly (insert affiliate). A much more Ms friendly version for writing your story.
The editing process also means not having to rewrite passages entirely, but only highlighting and copy/ pasting chunks until you are satisfied.
Typing enables you to multi-task and organise. The act of thinking where is this and that part is no longer a taxing, fatigue-inducing and annoying experience when you place chapters in folders or sections in Onenote.
Tips to help:
- Tilted keyboard with wrists on a flat surface – This is a more comfortable position for your hands and wrist. Being tilted also means you are not reaching forward for the higher keys. Your hands should glide across the letter without lifting your wrists.
- Touch typing – This kind of typing ensures you are not making unnecessary movements and so not becoming fatigued as quickly.
- Folders – Section of chapters and ideas so you can quickly find what you are looking for. No more frustration forgetting things before you find the section!
- Suggestions – When editing, you can go into an editor mode, where you can highlight and discuss what needs to be altered. Instead of trying to do everything at once and being overwhelmed not remembering what you have or have not done.
Making small adjustments is all that is needed to help you write with your MS. I know memory and expression is one of my sore points when fatigued and I concentrate on what I can do to make that easier.
So find what your challenges are and take advantage of how you could write so much better with X.
What do you find helpful for your MS?
Hi! I'm Shannon, a blogger and author. I help people earn doing what they love as writers.
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