How Chronic Illness Influences My Writing | Collab with Gabe Cole
Transcript:
Today's video is a collaboration with Gabe Cole, author of BEYOND THE RED and host of bookishpixie here on YouTube!
I will link his video below and somewhere in the corner... we'll figure it out.
Today we're talking about chronic illness and how it influences our writing.
I have neurofibromatosis, which is a genetic condition that causes very very painful migraines. It's a lifelong condition and genetic, so I've had it since birth. I've mentioned my health a couple times on this channel, so most of you know that I deal with pretty much daily headaches.
My biggest issue in managing my writing with my health is managing my time.
If I don't plan to write I might get a headache before I can get my words in and then my day is pretty much shot. I think my headaches have been a pretty big factor in transitioning from a pantser to a plotter. When I was younger, I used to go headfirst into a story with no plan whatsoever. I don't do that anymore.
If I get a headache it suddenly becomes a lot harder just to figure out what words I want on the page, let alone create scenes out of nothing. Nowadays, I'm a pretty heavy outliner. A lot of that comes with taking my writing more seriously. I get very anxious about the quality of my work, so having a plan helps me remember that I'm working towards something good. And if I have a plan then if I get a headache I could just work on what I know now and save the rest for later.
I take advantage of every opportunity to write.
I made a whole video on finding time to create. I will note something down whenever it comes to me, even if my head is killing me. I would say my health informs my writing more on the page than it does in time management.
I'm not Lily: the headache girl. I'm Lily: the writer.
My condition informs my choices in many ways, but it does not define me. When I'm creating a character, I think of the sum of their parts. Who are they? What do they know? How do they live? What do they need to learn? If character has limitations or is disabled, I do not consider curing them as a goal in my story. I can't cure my own condition. But I live with it and I live with it well.
My dreams, my goals, they aren't negated by what I can and cannot do.
I can still do them. It might take me a little longer, I might have to work harder, but I can still do them. No one is perfect. In fact, I'd say the best characters are far from it. It's our jobs as writers to have empathy. I feel like my illness helped me in that regard.
I definitely know what it feels like to want and work for something that you just can't have, as well as I know how rewarding it is to succeed when you work really hard for something.
How do your experiences inform your writing?
Let me know in the comments. Don't forget to check out Gabe's video and if you're new here please subscribe!
I make videos on writing and books and happiness pretty regularly, as in like every week. Thank you for checking out my video. Thank you Gabe for doing this collab video with me and I will see you soon.
Thank you. Bye.
