a) I'm worried that you're overthinking this, but b) this made me think of a blog post I long cherished by J Robert Lennon, who wrote it to put a bomb (or at least a whooppee cushion) under the 'just sit in a chair and write everyday' thing. His contention was that he tried that and all he got was a fat ass. (He's American: can't tell his backside from a quadruped, but an interesting novelist.) The extract from it I could find is at https://simonsylvester.com/2013/04/23/j-robert-lennon-the-ass-in-the-chair-canard/, and raises a different question. Does buttock size and upholstering impact on literary quality? So much to overthink, so little time...
This is apt. Until recently I’ve suffered from outbreaks of eczema on my buttocks, thanks to the old-fashioned dining chair that I perch on while at my desk (I like a hard chair for work). I decided eventually to fold a throw and place that on the seat. Problem solved! Until, that is, I had my second bout of abdominal surgery for the inguinal hernia I acquired from the Covid cough while sitting at that desk in 2022 (tip: don’t cough with crossed-legs). Since then my groin has been too uncomfortable to make the L shape required to work that way. Five minutes is fine; a whole morning, out of question. So for now I stand and do it that way, but as it’s mainly microediting, it still leaves the big questions unanswered: two months on, is this the way it will be now? And more worryingly, can I write entirely new work in this fashion? Will my already troublesome back cope? As you may imagine, I have discovered I have even more respect for the late Philip Roth for the years at his lectern. Easy to understand now why he chose to retire.
Thanks for this, Toby Litt. You’ve cheered me up, as - by an ironic twist- I’ve had a stomach ache today, so wish I could detach that part of my anatomy 😅.
May I introduce the concept of a non-human cushion? (No, not the cat. She's my editor.) An inorganic square of padded artificial comfort to relieve the bony numb-bums of the writing world. Or is it seen as a fatal weakness? 'Suffer for the cause', etc.
I knew there was a reason why I keep eating enough food to fuel an athlete to swim the channel whilst writing my book! It all makes sense now :)
a) I'm worried that you're overthinking this, but b) this made me think of a blog post I long cherished by J Robert Lennon, who wrote it to put a bomb (or at least a whooppee cushion) under the 'just sit in a chair and write everyday' thing. His contention was that he tried that and all he got was a fat ass. (He's American: can't tell his backside from a quadruped, but an interesting novelist.) The extract from it I could find is at https://simonsylvester.com/2013/04/23/j-robert-lennon-the-ass-in-the-chair-canard/, and raises a different question. Does buttock size and upholstering impact on literary quality? So much to overthink, so little time...
You''re very kind. Overthinking is the least of this entry's issues.
I think it also explains why I’m better suited to short stories…
This is apt. Until recently I’ve suffered from outbreaks of eczema on my buttocks, thanks to the old-fashioned dining chair that I perch on while at my desk (I like a hard chair for work). I decided eventually to fold a throw and place that on the seat. Problem solved! Until, that is, I had my second bout of abdominal surgery for the inguinal hernia I acquired from the Covid cough while sitting at that desk in 2022 (tip: don’t cough with crossed-legs). Since then my groin has been too uncomfortable to make the L shape required to work that way. Five minutes is fine; a whole morning, out of question. So for now I stand and do it that way, but as it’s mainly microediting, it still leaves the big questions unanswered: two months on, is this the way it will be now? And more worryingly, can I write entirely new work in this fashion? Will my already troublesome back cope? As you may imagine, I have discovered I have even more respect for the late Philip Roth for the years at his lectern. Easy to understand now why he chose to retire.
Thanks for this, Toby Litt. You’ve cheered me up, as - by an ironic twist- I’ve had a stomach ache today, so wish I could detach that part of my anatomy 😅.
Conversely, Pascal: ‘If I’d had more time I’d have written you a shorter letter.’
I’m so glad you punched that person.
Writing really is exercise, not just for the mind, but it also makes your whole body react!
May I introduce the concept of a non-human cushion? (No, not the cat. She's my editor.) An inorganic square of padded artificial comfort to relieve the bony numb-bums of the writing world. Or is it seen as a fatal weakness? 'Suffer for the cause', etc.
I might invest in a standing desk…