How to Write a Romance Novel When You Have Vertigo

In honour of disability pride month, this July I'm creating posts that offer tips on how to write your romance novel despite certain chronic conditions and symptoms. I'm focusing specifically on chronic conditions and symptoms I have personal experience of; I don't want to share any tips I haven't vetted!

And to kick off the series, today I'm talking about how to write a romance novel when you have vertigo.

I've chosen tips that work for multiple levels of vertigo, because, at least for me, my vertigo varies day to day. I describe my levels as:

Mild Salsa

A day when I can mostly do my normal writing, but I have the occasional spinny moment to spice things up and keep me just slightly off-balance and distracted.

Pico de gallo, aka the mildest salsa, aka a salad by any other name. Alt text: A close-up of freshly made salsa, showcasing a colorful mix of finely chopped tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, and green peppers. The ingredients are blended together with visible juices pooling in some areas, creating a vibrant and textured appearance. The colors are rich and varied, with reds, greens, and purples standing out.

Minute Maid

Minute Maid vertigo is vertigo that changes in severity what feels like minute to minute. One minute, all I feel is a little dizzy as I walk around, and the next I'm certain I'm a human-sized hamster on a wheel, about to faceplant as the wheel spins upward.

Photo credit: Tavern Trove Auction. Minute Maid orange juice, a classic when I was a kid. Alt text: A can of Minute Maid 100% Pure Orange Juice. The label is predominantly black and orange, with bold white text reading “Minute Maid” and “100% Pure Orange Juice From Concentrate.” The background design features images of whole oranges, orange slices, and a splash of orange juice against a blue sky. The can holds 11.5 fluid ounces (340 mL).

Alice in Wonderland

Days like these, I'm wobbly on my feet, feel like I'm on a tilt-a-whirl, and the only thing that helps is a dark room, a soft blanket, and background noise, for as long as necessary until I can stand up without immediately falling over.

Photo credit: Alexandria Ramon. Alice down the rabbit hole=the best way I've ever found to describe vertigo. Alt text: The photograph shows a woman, meant to represent Alice in Wonderland, with dark blonde hair floating in space. She is wearing a teal taffeta dress with a white belt tied in a bow, and white tights, and black ballet flats. Her arms are raised, and her knees are bent. Around her floats a teapot pouring tea into a cup, a saucer, playing cards, frames, and a few blurred shapes. The background is black.

Tip #1: Do a writing sprint.

Good for: Mild Salsa vertigo

When I have mild vertigo, the dizziness is still bad enough that it inhibits my ability to concentrate, so I do writing sprints of 5-10 minutes. I don't make a word count goal; instead, I focus on getting into the writing flow and just typing what comes, whether it's the scene I was working on in my last writing session, or another one that excited me in the moment. I do a total of 2-3 sprints throughout the day, and reward myself with either silence, or mind-numbing, low-stimuli content, right afterward to sort of reset my brain, because on Mild Salsa days, I find it difficult to get both into and out of writing mode.

Tip #2: Listen, then speak your mind.

Good for: Minute Maid vertigo

Because Minute Maid vertigo changes so quickly, I find that whatever activity I pick has to suit me no matter how I feel. So, if I want to write, I choose a romance genre or writing-related podcast that lasts no more than 30 minutes (an author spotlight from Buzzing About Romance, a book review from Plot Trysts, shorter episodes from Learning the Tropes) or an audiobook in a sub-genre or using a trope related to my book's, and put a (softly toned) timer on for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I record myself talking about what, if anything, I've thought about my novel based on the podcast or audiobook. Sometimes, an author or editor on a podcast will mention a conflict or trope, and I'll realize that's exactly what a particular scene has been missing. And I've had more than a few epiphanies about dialogue after listening to banter in an audiobook.

The recording is always riddled with errors thanks to brain fog, but when I'm having a better day, I can listen to it and implement some of the ideas that hit me while I was relaxing with my eyes closed and something interesting in my headphones.

Tip #3: Talk to your characters.

Good for: Alice in Wonderland vertigo

Bring a notebook and pen with you into your room (or keep one by your bedside table, for times like this). Make sure the notebook is big enough that you can write pretty big, and pretty messily, and still be legible.

Turn off the lights, get yourself comfy, then open your notebook and uncap/click your pen. Now, dial in to your characters.

Write down any words that come to mind as you do so; they can be anything from bits of narration to lines of dialogue, or even scene summaries. Stick to writing just a few words per page, though; this makes it less likely that you'll end up with illegible notes! Do this for 5-10 minutes, then rest as long as needed, but keep the notebook out. If, while resting, your characters pop into your head again, you've got it there to write down whatever comes to mind.

Vertigo sucks. There's no way of sugarcoating it, and when it's bad, it can colour a whole day. It's happened to me plenty of times, but tips like these give me back some of the control I lose when everything spins. Sure, I can't go for a run or walk in a straight line, but I can still make progress on my manuscript, and that's a win!

Until next post, happy reading and writing!