Reduce your pain. Improve your health. Write for the long term.
Back pain, RSI, sleep, stress, eye strain and more, with practical ways through, from Joanna Penn and Dr Euan Lawson. Narrated by Caroline Holroyd and Joe Penn.
Do you suffer from physical pain relating to your writing life?
Are you struggling with back pain, weight gain from sedentary working, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, neck pain, eye strain, stress, loneliness, digestive issues, or Repetitive Strain Injury? These are the most common issues reported by writers, and if you struggle with any of them, you are not alone.
Writing is not a physically healthy job, but if you want a long-term writing career, you need to look after your body.
I’ve been through my own pain journey. I used to get crippling migraines that sent me to a dark room, back pain so bad that I couldn’t sleep, and stress levels so high that I couldn’t breathe normally.
Now my back pain, migraines and RSI have almost gone, and I manage my writing life in a far healthier way. I share my personal journey and insights with you in this book.
My co-author is Dr Euan Lawson, a medical doctor, who shares his insights into how we can reduce pain, improve health and build a writing career for the long term. We also include survey results from 1,200 writers.
Who this book is for
This book is for any writer who spends hours at a desk and feels it: in their back, neck, wrists, eyes, sleep, weight or mood. It’s for authors who want a long career and know their body has to last the distance.
It’s also for writers dealing with stress, anxiety, burnout or loneliness, and anyone who wants simple, practical changes to their workspace, habits and routine rather than a lecture.
What you’ll learn
The book has two parts: the unhealthy writer, covering the common problems, and the healthy writer, covering what to do about them. Here are the questions it answers.
- Why is writing great for your health, and where does it go wrong?
- How do I manage stress, anxiety and burnout?
- What can I do about back, neck and shoulder pain, and Repetitive Strain Injury?
- How do I write with chronic pain?
- How do I counter a sedentary life, and sort out sleep problems and insomnia?
- What helps with eye strain, headaches and migraine?
- How do I deal with loneliness and isolation, and look after my mood and mental health?
- What about weight, digestive issues, alcohol, caffeine and supplements?
- How do I improve my workspace, my sleep, my diet and my back?
- How can dictation give me a healthier writing life?
- What is the active writer mindset, and how do I start if I am sofa-bound?
- How do I build well-being with mindfulness and develop healthy habits for the long term?
Listen to a sample of the audiobook
Listen to a sample of the audiobook, narrated by Caroline Holroyd and Joe Penn.
Where to buy
Available in ebook, paperback, large print and audiobook, narrated by Caroline Holroyd and Joe Penn. Buying direct from my store gives you the best price on bundles and supports me directly. Thank you.
What readers say
★★★★★
What makes it a cut above the rest is that both authors, but particularly Joanna, are candid about their own various struggles with being healthy and neither claims to be a paragon now.
Kev Partner
★★★★★
The no shaming, start where you are attitude and Joanna's personal stories about her health struggles make you feel like you are not alone.
B Murphy
★★★★★
For many of us, writing means sitting on our backside for hours. It's simply not good for us, physically or mentally. I needed to read it and, most importantly, take action!
Kate Gordon
About Joanna Penn
I’m an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. I write non-fiction for authors as Joanna Penn, and thrillers, dark fantasy, horror and travel memoir as J.F. Penn.
I’ve hosted The Creative Penn Podcast since 2009, with interviews on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing.
I have a Master’s degree in Death, Religion and Culture from the University of Winchester (2026) and a Master’s in Theology from the University of Oxford. I live in Bath, England.
About Dr Euan Lawson
Dr Euan Lawson is a British medical doctor and a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. He is ex-British Army, enjoys fell running, and brings the medical evidence to the book alongside my personal experience.
Articles on writing and health
These articles and tips expand on topics from the book.
- Healthy writer tips: improve your writing workspace
- Healthy writer tips: managing stress, anxiety and burnout
- How to dictate your book: tips from professional dictators
- How to dictate your book
- Writing doesn’t have to be lonely: how to find a community
- What to do when writing feels like hard work
- You’re not alone: author mindset issues on the creative journey
Podcast episodes about being a healthy writer
Euan and I have talked about the book on The Creative Penn Podcast, and these episodes with other guests cover health, sleep and sustainable creativity.
- How to be a healthy writer with Dr Euan Lawson
- A personal journey to becoming a healthy writer with Dr Euan Lawson
- How to be a healthy writer with Dr Euan Lawson (2021 update)
- Improve your sleep and creativity with Dr Anne D. Bartolucci
- Music, writing, and the mind-body connection with Jennifer Roig-Francoli
- Making art from life: mental health for writers with Toby Neal
- Creative clarity: focus, self-care, and a little bit of tough love (Joanna Penn)
- 7 tips for sustainable creativity (Joanna Penn)
- Measure your life by what you create: 50 at 50 (Joanna Penn)
- Writing faster without burning out with L.A. Witt
Questions about writing and health
Is writing bad for your health?
Sitting still for hours, staring at a screen and living in your head takes a toll on your back, eyes, sleep and mood, and our survey of 1,200 writers showed how common these problems are. But writing is also good for you, and the book starts with seven reasons why.
What is the quickest win for back and neck pain?
Move more often, and sort out your workspace: screen at eye level, a chair that supports you, and regular breaks. For me, the biggest change was dictation while walking, plus yoga and strengthening my back. Euan covers the medical side and when to see a professional.
How does dictation help my health?
Dictation takes your hands off the keyboard and lets you write while standing or walking, which eases RSI, back pain and the sedentary hours. I dictate some of my first drafts this way. There is a whole chapter on using dictation for a healthier writing life.
Can I still write if I'm in chronic pain or have a health condition?
Yes. The book includes a chapter on writing with chronic pain, a personal essay on writing with depression, and strategies for the sofa-bound. The aim is to start where you are, make small changes, and build habits you can sustain, not to run a marathon next month.
What about sleep, diet, alcohol and caffeine?
All covered, without shaming. Sleep problems, insomnia, weight change, digestive issues, alcohol, coffee and supplements each get a chapter, with what the evidence says from Euan and what has worked for me, including my own journey through migraine, IBS and giving up sugar.
Is this a medical book?
No. It is a book for writers by a writer and a doctor, with practical, evidence-based suggestions and personal stories. It does not replace advice from your own doctor, and if you have symptoms that worry you, please see a professional.
Next steps
Get the free Author Blueprint
Join my email list and I will send you my Author Blueprint, with the steps on the author journey from idea to published book and beyond, plus my newsletter with tips on writing, publishing and marketing.
Listen to The Creative Penn Podcast
New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts: interviews and solo shows on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing. Browse the podcast.
Watch on YouTube
Tutorials, interviews and full audiobooks of my non-fiction on The Creative Penn channel.