In the twenty-first century we writers, authors, whatever we want to call ourselves, are very lucky. We can write, edit and publish our own books without leaving home and still wearing pyjamas—or not. Of course, selling them is another story.
In the Microsoft Word Era we can write a whole page, take a word out, replace a word or move a word, a sentence or even a whole paragraph to another place on the page if we so wish. We don’t have to re-write, re-type or erase. No white-out fluid needed—no blowing it dry—just delete or replace.
I was reminded of this recently when my computer crashed. My computer expert speculated that it had been infected with Malware. What the difference between a virus and Malware is, I don’t know?
Off to the computer laboratory my laptop went. But first I had to save all my information. Once again I thank providence that I started writing in the age of Google Drive—although I’m a baby boomer. All my important stuff is floating somewhere out there in cyberspace, retrievable from anywhere on Earth, or for that matter, Space. A disk-on-key or USB stick accommodated the data—yes, I know some IT words—I hadn’t had the foresight to send into cyberspace. I’ve since sent almost everything into cyberspace.
I sat at my desk, now devoid of electronics, took out a pen and warmed my hand. Many days later, my hand aching, in spite of massages with smelly creams from my loving wife, I completed the chapter for submission to my writing group of which I have been a faithful attendee for the past ten years or so. This group has made me think about my writing and is a sounding board. When I don’t get it right, and that sadly is often, my fellow scribes shove me, sometimes kicking and screaming, back onto the straight and narrow path of good, sensible writing.
My efforts were not in vain. The writing was, for the most part, well received. The praise I was given for going back to the previous long-forgotten age before Microsoft Word was unexpected, but satisfying. Computers are great when they work, but golems when they don’t. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/golem
In the Microsoft Word Era we can write a whole page, take a word out, replace a word or move a word, a sentence or even a whole paragraph to another place on the page if we so wish. We don’t have to re-write, re-type or erase. No white-out fluid needed—no blowing it dry—just delete or replace.
I was reminded of this recently when my computer crashed. My computer expert speculated that it had been infected with Malware. What the difference between a virus and Malware is, I don’t know?
Off to the computer laboratory my laptop went. But first I had to save all my information. Once again I thank providence that I started writing in the age of Google Drive—although I’m a baby boomer. All my important stuff is floating somewhere out there in cyberspace, retrievable from anywhere on Earth, or for that matter, Space. A disk-on-key or USB stick accommodated the data—yes, I know some IT words—I hadn’t had the foresight to send into cyberspace. I’ve since sent almost everything into cyberspace.
I sat at my desk, now devoid of electronics, took out a pen and warmed my hand. Many days later, my hand aching, in spite of massages with smelly creams from my loving wife, I completed the chapter for submission to my writing group of which I have been a faithful attendee for the past ten years or so. This group has made me think about my writing and is a sounding board. When I don’t get it right, and that sadly is often, my fellow scribes shove me, sometimes kicking and screaming, back onto the straight and narrow path of good, sensible writing.
My efforts were not in vain. The writing was, for the most part, well received. The praise I was given for going back to the previous long-forgotten age before Microsoft Word was unexpected, but satisfying. Computers are great when they work, but golems when they don’t. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/golem