Chris Eboch's Blog

Expert writers often share adviceI’ve released a new book on the craft of writing, called YouCan Write for Children : How toWrite Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers. Tocelebrate the release, I’m sharing a excerpt from the chapter on Critiques. So far I've shared theintro to the chapter and advice on getting feedbackfrom family and friends; discussed some basics about critiquegroups; shared challengesto watch out for in a critique group, and listed specific charactertypes to watch out for in your critique group, and taking classes toimprove your writing. Now let's look at one final option, hiring a professionaleditor or critiquer.
Hiring a Pro

It’s tempting to stick with trading manuscripts for free,and you may get some excellent feedback that way. However, getting feedbackfrom family, friends, and even other writers might not be enough to perfectyour work. Many critique partners won’t want to read your manuscript through multiplerevisions. And unless they are experienced writers and writing teachers, critiquepartners may miss issues a professional editor would catch.
Hiring a pro may provide better advice. You might ask afriend to help you bandage a scraped knee, but if you have a bone sticking outof your leg, you’re going to the hospital. When the situation is serious,professional experience counts, so if you are serious about your writing,consider using a professional editor.
Professional developmental editors can help writers shapetheir manuscripts. They can help beginning or intermediate writers identifyweak spots in their skill sets, acting as a one-on-one tutor. They provideexpertise that family and friends, and even critique partners, often lack. Aprofessional editor will prioritize your work because it’s a job.
Some of my critique clients have mentioned that they’vetaken a manuscript through a critique group, but they know it still needs work.They’ve gone as far as they can with critique group help, so they’re turning toa paid critique. If someone is paying me several hundred dollars to critique anovel, I’m going to devote my time to getting it done well and quickly. I’lldig deep and be as tough – but helpful – as I can be. My novel critique letterstypically run five or six single-spaced pages, with comments broken down intocategories such as Characters, Setting, Plot (Beginning, Middle, and End),Theme, and Style. Most critique group members don’t have that kind of time,even if they have the skills to identify the problems.
If you aren’t sure if you need professional help, do a trialrun with a manuscript you’ve finished. Send out a half dozen queries to agentsor editors and see what kind of response you get. I’ve had clients come to me becauseeditors have turned down a manuscript they “didn’t love enough.” This is a goodindicator that the idea may be strong, but the writing isn’t there yet. No hirededitor can guarantee that your manuscript will ever sell, but a good editor canimprove the manuscript and also teach you to be a better writer.
If you are writing purely for your own enjoyment, or toshare your work with family and friends, you don’t need to worry aboutproducing something of publishable quality. But if you are writing forpublication, and agents or editors don’t seem impressed with your work, aprofessional critique can teach you a lot.
Preparing for theEdit

Even if you decide to hire a freelance editor, you’ll get morefrom the experience by turning in a draft you’ve already edited. According tofreelance editor Linda Lane, “Carefully preparing your manuscript for aneditor rather than simply forwarding the latest draft saves dollars, becausefreelance editors often charge an hourly rate.” (Use the tips in Chapter 14: Editingin You Can Write for Children to revise your manuscript as much asyou can on your own.) If you have critique partners, revise based on theirfeedback as well.
I'm an expert!Then start looking for a professional editor. However, ifyou want a professional critique on the content of your book – the plot,characters, overall writing style, and so forth – don’t wait until you thinkyou have a completely polished draft. If it turns out you have major problemswith the plot or character development, it’s better to identify those beforeyou’ve gone through 10 drafts and have proofread the whole thing.
Ask other writers for recommendations to editors. Try theSCBWI online discussion boards or local writers’ groups. Make sure the editorhas experience with the kind of writing you are doing. Someone who only writesfor adults is probably not the best editor for your children’s picture book.
Communicate clearly with a prospective editor to make sureyou know what you’re getting. Typically content or developmental editors lookat the big picture items. Copy editors and proofreaders can catchinconsistencies and spelling or grammar errors. Start by working with someonewho will focus on content, structure, and stylistic weaknesses. Don’t paysomeone to fix your typos when you might still have major changes to make. Askquestions or ask for a sample to make sure you are hiring the right editor foryour needs.
Professional Editors

Learn about my critique services here.
You can get this whole essay, and a lot more – including achapter on Advanced Critique Questions – inYou Can Write for Children: A Guideto Writing Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers.

Remember the magic of bedtime stories? When you write forchildren, you have the most appreciative audience in the world. But to reachthat audience, you need to write fresh, dynamic stories, whether you’re writingrhymed picture books, middle grade mysteries, edgy teen novels, nonfiction, orsomething else.
Order for Kindle,in paperback,or in LargePrint paperback.

image from Depositphotos

 

The Depositphotos deal is back! “Access millions of royalty-free stock assets using this content library. One-time payment. Lifetime deal. 100 one-time image/vector, video, or audio file credits from Depositphotos for only $39.”

Get it here (affiliate link).

I've used this for self published book covers as well as social media posts. I find it has a good selection and is much more safe and reliable (in terms of proper licensing) than the completely free places that could get you sued. 

image from Depositphotos

It has both photos and illustrations, and you can search for photos with no people or a certain number of people, and identify the gender, age range, and ethnicity. It also has flat lays – images shot from above with carefully arranged objects like flowers or holiday items, with space in the middle to add your book cover or text.

It's added an AI generator, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your views, but you don't have to use it. I asked if it was possible to exclude AI generated images from the search and got this response: "We do not accept AI-generated images from our authors. So you can feel free to browse the collection. If you have any doubts about any image, you may provide its ID so we can check it with the content team to be 100% sure."

Cover and flat lay images from Depositphotos

This is by far one of the best deals out there for authors or anyone producing a lot of social media! You can even stack it to double or triple the number of images you get and make sure you have enough for years.

Get the deal here.

Bonus: Grab your Depositphotos images and use them in Canva, a free browser-based design program. (I used it for all the images here.)  Canva bought Affinity and is making it free, forever. Per publishing guru David Gaughran, Affinity is professional, download-and-keep software for PC/Mac (coming to the iPad app soon). It a popular alternative to Adobe’s expensive creative suite with Canva integration.

2025 Inkers Con Digital Conference runs from June 7–20.
Inkers Con is a 10-day online conference created for independent fiction authors who are motivated to advance their careers.

I've heard good things about this online conference. It’s not cheap, but use my affiliate code as you can get $50 off. People who’ve gone have said it really helped them get more professional. There are workshops on mindset, marketing, Amazon and other ads, craft topics, and more. You can access everything for six years, but if you sign up before it starts you can join the networking events.

Just a few of the writing workshops titles:
Advanced TikTok for AuthorsSupercharging Your Mailing ListMarketing Your Audiobook Like a Pro (Panel)How to Add the Steam and SizzlePacing Your Dialogue to PerfectionHow to Dictate Your NovelThe Technical Creation of a Facebook AdBookBub AdsPlus roundtables, networking events, and author Q&As Sign up here . Use code CHRIS25 to get $50 off the price (normally $249).

Do you struggle to figure out the right categories and keywords for your book on Amazon, Kobo, Apple etc.? Could you use help deciding the best keywords for your Amazon and Facebook ads?

​Publisher Rocket searches Keywords, Categories, more to find your best options. It's especially helpful for self published authors looking for the keywords and categories they should use for their books, and you can use it for anything where you want keywords, such as  Amazon ads. After 6/8, it's going to subscription, but you can get it before then for $169 for lifetime use. You also get the Mastering Categories & Keywords Course. Try Risk-Free for 30 days.

Is saves time versus doing research yourself, so consider the value of your time. I think in general this company provides good products and a lot of free help to authors.​ Use​ my affiliate link to get ​this price​ (​otherwise $199): Get  ​Publisher Rocket

Here are some free articles,products and courses from Kindlepreneur:

Amazon BookCategories: My Secret Method to Choose Clear Winners: Seeit here.

Kindlepreneur BookDescription Generator [with Blurb Formatting]: Getit here

Sell More Books With Amazon Ads 2.0 – enroll for free: Getit here

If you read ebooks so much your wrists or other body parts start to hurt, you may benefit from these tools! (Prices/discounts are from the time of this writing.)

NKV Pillow Phone Holder, for Sofa, Bed and Desk - Phone Soft Pad Dock Compatible with Phone/Kindle, E-Reader -15% now $17

Viozon Tablet Stand Pillow , with cupholders (in white or black), great for in bed or relaxing on the couch -5% now $37.99

Remote Control Page Turner: Read in bed and hands-free with this remote for Kindle and Kobo eReaders, Camera Camcorder, iPad -20% now $16

In honorof NationalWomen's Health & Fitness Day (September 25, #NWHFD #fitnessday), Iwanted to share some lessons I learned from running.

 

In Marchof 2011 I started jogging. Despite the occasional illness, injury, and ‘I don’twanna,’ I’m still getting out regularly. On one long and rather tedious solorun, I started making connections between jogging and writing and life.

 

Get Some RunningBuddies

 

It helpsto have inspiration. I started jogging with a Couchto 5K group that met twice a week. Having the regular schedule kept us ontrack. The program helped us pace ourselves, starting with short runs andfrequent walks, and working up to a 45 minute run. We also had an experiencedleader to offer advice.

 

Severalof us continued running together after the program ended. I wouldn’t get outthere as often if people weren’t waiting for me. I’d be tempted to stop early,if I didn’t have the encouragement of the group. Hey, peer pressure ispowerful! You might as well make it work for you. Plus, it’s more fun to runwith other people.

Forwriters, it’s important to find the right peer group for your needs. For many,this is a critique group. They may be large or small, meet in person or online,have open or closed membership, get together weekly or monthly or as needed.Finding a group that suits your needs is invaluable.

 

Otherwriters share goals and deadlines, checking in with a friend daily or weekly toreport progress. There’s that peer pressure again! Even a non-writing friend canhelp hold you accountable. (But choose carefully. Most people don't understandwriting or the publishing business and have no idea how long it takes to getsomething published. Many people don't even realize that you may never sell amanuscript. You don't want someone making you feel bad because you haven'tfinished and sold your novel within six months.)

 

Finally,social groups can provide camaraderie and networking. I live in a small townwith a science and engineering college; I know far more computer geeks thanwriters. But by making monthly trips to Albuquerque to attend a writingmeeting, I’ve made many friends who understand what I do. I’ve also madeconnections by teaching workshops and guest speaking for groups like Sisters inCrime. For those who can’t attend in person, online discussion boards,listserves, and online classes offer information and a sense of connection.

 

It’s Distance, Not Speed

 

It reallyis about the journey, not how fast you get there. Pace yourself, and enjoy thejourney, or you might burn out along the way. If you can see the end, or atleast imagine the cheering crowds and free food, it might give you the extraboost you need to keep going. But take time to enjoy the sights, and theexperience will be a lot more fun.

 

As awriter, don’t focus so much on the response to your query letters. Sure,celebrate successes, and try to learn from disappointments, but put most ofyour energy into enjoying the journey. (That works for the rest of life, too.)

 

Robin LaFevers had a post at Writer Unboxed about keeping creativeplay in your writing .

 

But Keep Moving

 

A slowpace may get you there, but if you have a long way to go, you might as well doit running. A marathon will take a lot longer at a stroll than at a jog, even aslow jog. Run when you can, walk when you need a rest, but keep moving. That’sthe only way to reach the end.

 

Take thetime you need to learn and practice your writing craft. Do as many drafts asyou need to polish your novel. Don’t rush, but do keep working. Write a page aday, and you’ll have a complete draft in a year. It may not be perfect, but itwill be more than what you started with.

Practice Makes Perfect, or At Least Lessens the Pain

 

If you’re training, you need to get out regularly. Running once a month will just leave you sore and frustrated each time, and you won’t see any progress in your fitness.
It’s the same with writing. Establishing habits and sticking to them will keep your mind fit. Writing several times a week will hone your skills and make it easier to get started next time.
Beware of Shortcuts

 

If I map out a 5K run, but take every shortcut, that could cut the distance down to 3 1/2K. Easier, sure, but that won’t prepare me for running a 10K. It’s the same with life. Whether you’re trying to switch careers, meet the right man or woman, or finish a novel, some shortcuts may help, but others may do more harm than good.

 

I workwith a lot of writing students. The beginners want to know if they’ll getpublished after taking one course. Nobody wants to spend 10 years learning howto write, but you need to do the work in order to earn the reward at the end.If you beg your friend to send your rough draft to her editor, you’ll blow yourchance to make the best use of that connection. If you self publish your workbefore it’s ready, you’ll waste time that could be better spent working on yourcraft.

 

Sometimesthe long, hard path is the only one that gets you where you want to go.
Push Yourself Sometimes

Withenough practice, you should get better. When I started jogging, it was astruggle to go for 10 minutes without a break. Six months later, I could makeit through 45 minutes without stopping.

 

And thenI plateaued. Jogging had become comfortable, if not easy. Why cause more painby trying to go farther or faster?

 

Because that’s the only way to get better. And mostlikely, it’s the only way to stay interested. Fortunately, one of my joggingpartners is great about coming up with new workouts. We add in some sprints oneday, do hills another day. We choose different routes on different terrains.Variety keeps it interesting, which makes it easier to work hard.

 

With mywriting, I find that I get bored if I become too comfortable with something.After publishing a dozen children’s books as ChrisEboch, I wanted a change. I began writing romantic suspense for adults,using the name Kris Bock. This broughtnew challenges – writing books two or three times as long as what I was usedto, exploring romantic subplots, delving deeper into character. I didn’t alwaysget things right the first time, but I became a better writer – and I renewedmy interest in writing.

Online, on-demand writing courses

 

Start whenever you want and work at your own pace. Pleasenote:
When you are new to EzyCourse, you will need to sign up and get a password first. Then return to the course page to enroll and pay. You will not have access to the course until you "Complete Purchase."  

 

Advanced Plotting—Keep Those Pages Turning: Learnadvanced techniques that will make a decent plot dynamic. Take this onlinecourse at your own pace. It includes six videos plus handouts with notes andmore resources for $100.  GetAdvanced Plotting here.

 

You Can Write for Children:Learn about children’s publishing—opportunities and challenges, genres, ageranges, book and magazine markets, and resources to keep you going. Watch thisthree-session video course at your own pace. It's five chapters for $60.  Get   YouCan Write for Children here . 

Educational Publishing: Make Money Writing for theEducational Market: Do you want to make money from writing? Are youwilling and able to write on assignment if given a topic, word count, gradelevel, and deadline? Then you may be perfect for educational work forhire! 7 chapters, 14 lessons, $150 or the $350 subscription optionlets you send your work to me for feedback.  Get the Ed Pub course here .

I've done a few posts on  writer comfort  - tools that can make it easier to write (and do other work and read). Now with Amazon's big Labor Day deals event (August 26 - September 3, 2024), there's a chance you'll find something great at a fantastic price! 

Writers can improve their ergonomics with  Standing Desks , a High-Back Gaming Office Chair, the WAOAW Seat Cushion (which makes my back so much better) and Ergonomic Split Keyboards. 

Travelers will enjoy the Roost Laptop Stand (great for writing retreats) and the  Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow . 

Book lovers might want a  Amazon Fire HD 10 inch tablet  to pack full of books, with a  Pillow Foam Stand Holder  or  LUXURISM Adjustable Book Stand  to hold the e-reader. 

Now I want to mention a product I've really appreciated. It's not directly related to writing or reading – except that a good nights sleep makes us better at just about everything, and this helps me sleep. 

If you tend to be too hot at night (due to menopause or in general), try a personal bed cooler. It's like a mini air conditioner that circulates cold water to a pad under your sheet. I like it so much I take it with me for overnight trips that last more than a night or so. We'll make back the cost of the cooler with what we save in electricity for the house AC, and my husband likes it because he doesn't freeze at night!

I hope you find something here that makes your life easier. Check out the previous posts on writer comfort or click on the highlighted product names above for more useful tools for writers and readers! 

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, which causes as many problems as it solves. Sign up for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material, a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café, and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels.

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get a short story preview, or find the books at all E-book retailers.

Kris has over 100 books for children published under the names Chris Eboch and M. M. Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure used in many schools; and The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy. Jesse Owens: Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier are inspiring biographies focused on them as children and young men.  Learn more here . 

If you are a writer – or if you work at any job that keepsyou at a desk all day – you may be dealing with pain in the spine. I’ve beencollecting and sharing items my writer friends and I use for managing,soothing, or eliminating that pain.

My friend Teresa says, "I can work only at atable—doesn’t have to be big but it must be a table which makes the laptopmonitor low and that hurts my neck… so for at least eight years I’ve used aroost laptop holder—collapses down to about four 12 inch sticks stuck together,comes with a small bag carrying case." This Roost Laptop Stand is well rated, but you can also find cheaper versions.

Meanwhile, my friend Kimberly has been dealing with severehip pain. She says, “I bought aNaipo hand-held electric cord massager about 5 years ago that really helps if Iuse it for at least 10 minutes, the tight muscles will relax enough so that Ican sleep.” I didn’t find the Naipo, but Amazon has tons of Massage Guns at various prices. Be sure to check outthe reviews! Kimberly recommends using a heating pad to warm your muscles before using the massager.

Siting at a desk can contribute to CirculationProblems While Working, as this article shows. Be sure you get up andmove every hour! You might also find some ways to reduce the strain on yourbody at your desk.

Standing Desks let you switchbetween standing and sitting without even leaving your desk. You can schedulean alarm to remind you to switch – or do some stretches. While there are veryexpensive options, some of these are around $100.

If you’re standing while you work, you probably want an Anti-Fatigue Mat .These help cushion your feet to reduce foot and joint pain. They’re good if youdo a lot of standing in the kitchen as well! They come in several designs and some fun styles. 

You can also try changing your chair. I mentioned some options in a previous post, but you might try a kneeling chair, balance ball chair, orergonomic stool for “active sitting,” which engages your muscles more topromote core muscle strength, good posture, and blood circulation. Here are someActive Sitting Chair options.

Teresa also recommended the Desk Cycle Ellipse , which sitsunder your desk so you can peddle while you work. What a great way to burncalories, build up leg strength, and keep your blood moving! It has greatreviews, with almost 1800 ratings and a 4.7-star average.

Ihope you find something here that makes your life easier. Check out the previous postson “Writer and Reader Comfort” and  “Comfort at Your Desk” as well. I may have more as I discover useful tools for writersand readers! Feel free to drop your favorites in the comments. As an AmazonAssociate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kris Bockwrites novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. In theAccidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles thechallenges of turning fifty. Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employeesand customers at a cat café. In the AccidentalBillionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, whichcauses as many problems as it solves. Sign up for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free AccidentalDetective short story and bonus material, a free30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café, and aprintable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels.

Krisalso writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrotethe original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The FelonyMelanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends adecade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get ashort story preview, or find the books at all E-book retailers.

Kris has over 100 books for children published under the namesChris Eboch and M. M. Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventureused in many schools; and The Genie’sGift, a middle eastern fantasy. Jesse Owens:Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier areinspiring biographies focused on them as children and young men.  Learn more here . 

At a writer’s retreat, we all shared the tools we used to make our writing and reading time more comfortable. It’s amazing all the things you never knew existed that you desperately need! It’s not mere shopping mania though – these tools can help keep you comfortable so you can write your next masterpiece or simply read for hours. 

Imade previous posts on “Writerand Reader Comfort” and “Comfortat Your Desk.” Today I’m covering items that can relieve or preventneck pain.

Easing Neck Pain

Youcan find dozens of pillows designed to relax your neck and keep its naturalcurve. There are more expensive versions, but a simple tube works surprisinglywell. One of the retreat attendees sleeps on it, whether sleeping on her backor on her side. I use mine for a few minutes before bed and a few minutes inthe morning and that’s enough to help work out the knots.  Cervical Neck Roll Memory Foam Pillow

Thisone’s more complicated, with a firmer foam to support your neck. It has over60,000 ratings and a 4.2-star average! At the time of this writing it's less than $20, which seems like a great bargain if it might help relieve chronic neckpain: RESTCLOUD Neck and Shoulder Relaxer 

Thisone is designed specifically for sleeping. How old is your current pillow? Maybeit’s time for an upgrade. This claims to work for people who sleep on theirsides, back, or stomach. With over 40,000 ratings, clearly neck pain andsleeping well are big problems:  Elviros Cervical Memory Foam Pillow for Sleeping

Andhere’s a version you can twist into different shapes. You can use it as aregular cervical pillow at night, wrap it around your neck while napping on aplane, or bend one side up to cushion your head against the window if you’re acar passenger. Plus a comes in multiple colors! Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow 

And finally, if you still need somepain relief, this gel offers topical relief. I used to get it from my parentswhen they bought it in Mexico or got a prescription. Now you can get it overthe counter! It’s a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory gel that people use forarthritis, fibromyalgia, and other chronic pain. It doesn’t erase the pain butit quickly knocks it down a couple of notches: Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel 

I hope you find something here that makes your life easier. Check out my previous post on tools for comfort, and I have more coming up with useful tools for writers and readers! Feel free to drop your favorites in the comments. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kris Bockwrites novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. In theAccidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles thechallenges of turning fifty. Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employeesand customers at a cat café. In the AccidentalBillionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, whichcauses as many problems as it solves. Sign up for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free short story and bonus material, a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the FurreverFriends cat café, and

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas JEboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama.The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and theirfriends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get ashort story preview, or find the books at all E-book retailers.

Kris has over 100 books for children published under the namesChris Eboch and M. M. Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventureused in many schools; and The Genie’sGift, a middle eastern fantasy. Jesse Owens:Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier areinspiring biographies focused on them as children and young men.  Learn more here . 

I was recently at a writer’s retreat where we spent an evening sharing the tools we found to make our writing and readingtime easier. I decided others mightappreciate learning about some of these tools. I’ve also added a couple more ofmy own favorites. ( See part 1 of Writer and Reader Comfort here .)

Comfort at Your Desk

If you spend a lot of timeat your desk, a good chair is invaluable. I ordered the OFM ESS Collection Racing Style Bonded Leather Gaming Chair in 2020. I like the padded seat, armrests that can go up out of the way, adjustable height and swivel. It’s “currently unavailable,” but this one is similar and surprisinglyaffordable: High-Back Gaming Office Chair 

And here’s the “Executive” version if you're feeling fancy: Homall Executive Gaming Chair. 

A good keyboard is also key for writers. I was having painin my right shoulder, likely due to reaching out to use the rollerball mouse.This left-handed keyboard has the number keypad on the left side, which allowsme to keep my mouse closer on the right side. (I’m not actually left-handed.The primary difference is the position of the number keypad.) Getting used toany new configuration takes a little time but is worth it in the long run. Ergonomic Left Handed Keyboard 

If you don’t have a problem with the number keypad positionbut suffer from pain in your hands or wrists, you might prefer a split keyboard.I used this one until I decided to get the left-handed keyboard: Ergonomic Split Keyboard 

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this seat cushion,and I think most of the people at the writing retreat ordered their own. I havechronic back pain and can’t bear to sit on hard furniture. If you get one thing on thislist, I recommend this! WAOAW Seat Cushion 

I wanted something I could take with me when I might be required to sit on a hard chair. Yes, I bring this to friends’ houses and I used it at the writing retreat not only at the desk in my room but at the dining room table. It’s so nice I also use it on my padded desk chair. My husband ordered one too. 

Or if you need more lumbar support, check out the pillow combosthat have a back section as well as a seat cushion. Here’s an example:  Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion and Lumbar Support Pillow Combo

It's important to take care of our backs. That might mean yoga, visiting a chiropractor or acupuncturist, pain relief, or some combination of those things. It should also mean making sure you have a great ergonomic desk set up. 

Good ergonomics means you should also have your desk andchair at the right height so your feet are comfortably on the floor. It’s noteasy to change the height of a desk, however. Instead you can use a footrest.The first one I ordered was a little too high for my setup, so I passed it onto my husband. This shape adds a bit more flexibility: Everlasting Comfort Foot Rest for Under Desk 

I hope you find something here that makes your life easier. Check out my previous post on tools for comfort, and I’ll be back with a post on “Easing Neck Pain,” and possibly more as I discover useful tools for writers and readers! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kris Bockwrites novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. In theAccidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles thechallenges of turning fifty. . Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employeesand customers at a cat café. In the AccidentalBillionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, whichcauses as many problems as it solves. Sign up for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free short story and bonus material, a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the FurreverFriends cat café, and

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas JEboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama.The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and theirfriends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get ashort story preview, or find the books at all E-book retailers.

Kris has over 100 books for children published under the namesChris Eboch and M. M. Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventureused in many schools; and The Genie’sGift, a middle eastern fantasy. Jesse Owens:Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier areinspiring biographies focused on them as children and young men.  Learn more here .