Apps With ‘Tude

Writer Care and Recovery Edition

~ By Melina Kantor

Happy Friday, fellow chick lit fans!

We’re back, with more apps.

But first, a lesson:

So I took my own advice and used all those cool writing apps I was talking about. At the height of the frenzy, I was on a train, drinking a cup of coffee with one hand and writing my novel on my phone with my other hand (using just my thumb).

I had a goal, and there was no way I wasn’t going to reach it. Never mind that I made the horrible decision to revise and submit a manuscript in September and October, right before NaNo. That’s just icing on the cake.

Let’s not even talk about the day job.

Anyway, on Thanksgiving, I came down with one of the worst cases of the flu I have ever had. Two weeks later, it’s still going strong.

The lesson? It doesn’t matter how many words you’ve written if you don’t have your health or your sanity.

Which is why I’m here to recommend some apps that’ll help keep you healthy. I recommend using them in conjunction with chicken soup and plenty of sleep.

YogaStretch and YogaRelax: Yoga is a great thing to do before and / or after placing your butt on your chair and your hands on your keyboard! Bonus if you don’t have a dog who howls when he sees you get on the floor. I have a cute purple yoga mat with flowers on it, and no, I’m not ashamed of that.

Also, I can’t deal with the new age type music these apps play, but that’s fine, because they allow you to listen to music from your iPod instead. If listening to songs from Glee whilst doing yoga is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Stitcher and Pandora: When I get sick of listening to my story soundtrack, these apps are a great way to find music that’s geared towards my taste but that I haven’t necessarily heard. Warning though – Pandora links right to your iTunes store, which makes it almost as addicting as the Amazon Kindle app.

So kick back, listen to music, and forget about your WIP for a while. Who knows? Your music might get your muses to work, even if you’re taking a break.

Lastly, here’s a list of relaxation apps from the iTunes store. The list includes guided meditation apps, sleep aid apps, calming sound apps, etc. I haven’t tried any myself, but if you do, be sure to let us know how they worked out for you.

If you’re writing this weekend, good luck. But don’t forget to take a break. Trust me. You can’t write if you’re sick.

Here’s to a great, relaxing weekend! 🙂

Stay warm!

Melina writes contemporary women’s fiction with a pinch of oregano and a dash of chutzpah. By day, she is an elementary school computer teacher (hence the affinity for apps). You can visit her at http://melinakantor.com.

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