Once upon a time I set a pen to paper to write. Oh, I still do that for my private journal, but these days--as I begin a new novel--I've had to spend hours making sure I have the right equipment, sorting through files, formatting.
Disaster hit when my laptop got crushed in the overhead compartment of an airplane. Yes, it had been secured within a padded bag. Yes, I have backup.
After visiting my local Office Depot and picking the tech's brain, I spent several hours online perusing reviews and sorting through features, searching out the best deal for a new laptop. Two weeks later, it arrived from China.
Finally, I told myself, I can get back to writing. All I had to do was transfer my files.
But even with backup, transferring all my data to a new computer (with a new version of Word which is less understandable than Greek) is a time-consuming exercise. Then, of course, I need to download Anti-Virus, DropBox, Open Office, Adobe, Firefox, etc., etc. Not to mention getting sidetracked with changing the background twenty times, choosing the screensaver, customizing sounds--and let's not forget sifting through (I'm not exaggerating) 5,000 emails and adding contacts (those I haven't lost) to my address book.
Then last night, when I thought I had everything set up, a lengthy automatic update led to loss of my carefully selected Background (it went black), spurring me to call support.
Needless to say, I haven't been writing. You may think that I've been making excuses, that--if I'd really wanted to--I would have set pen to paper.
The truth is: I've become so used to writing on a computer that it's part of my writing process. Also, I make so many changes as I write fiction, that trying to set something down on paper quickly becomes illegible.
I now own:
1) A new high-powered laptop which, in an effort to keep it whole, will never leave my condo.
2) A netbook (named Little Dell) that a writer friend gave me when my old laptop got destroyed. My friend could no longer see the typeface, but I can if I squint. Little Dell and I plan to travel.
3) An iPad. For about 5 minutes I thought this might serve my writing needs, but I quickly discovered that I'd bought it for sheer entertainment. Also good for Kindlegraph and reading PDF files. iPad will be traveling with me and little Dell. The good thing: they both fit in my purse (yeah, it's roomy) so no more overheads.
I admit it--I'm addicted to machines. And now I have no excuse to procrastinate.
Not even this blog will serve as an excuse.
Disaster hit when my laptop got crushed in the overhead compartment of an airplane. Yes, it had been secured within a padded bag. Yes, I have backup.
After visiting my local Office Depot and picking the tech's brain, I spent several hours online perusing reviews and sorting through features, searching out the best deal for a new laptop. Two weeks later, it arrived from China.
Finally, I told myself, I can get back to writing. All I had to do was transfer my files.
But even with backup, transferring all my data to a new computer (with a new version of Word which is less understandable than Greek) is a time-consuming exercise. Then, of course, I need to download Anti-Virus, DropBox, Open Office, Adobe, Firefox, etc., etc. Not to mention getting sidetracked with changing the background twenty times, choosing the screensaver, customizing sounds--and let's not forget sifting through (I'm not exaggerating) 5,000 emails and adding contacts (those I haven't lost) to my address book.
Then last night, when I thought I had everything set up, a lengthy automatic update led to loss of my carefully selected Background (it went black), spurring me to call support.
Needless to say, I haven't been writing. You may think that I've been making excuses, that--if I'd really wanted to--I would have set pen to paper.
The truth is: I've become so used to writing on a computer that it's part of my writing process. Also, I make so many changes as I write fiction, that trying to set something down on paper quickly becomes illegible.
I now own:
1) A new high-powered laptop which, in an effort to keep it whole, will never leave my condo.
2) A netbook (named Little Dell) that a writer friend gave me when my old laptop got destroyed. My friend could no longer see the typeface, but I can if I squint. Little Dell and I plan to travel.
3) An iPad. For about 5 minutes I thought this might serve my writing needs, but I quickly discovered that I'd bought it for sheer entertainment. Also good for Kindlegraph and reading PDF files. iPad will be traveling with me and little Dell. The good thing: they both fit in my purse (yeah, it's roomy) so no more overheads.
I admit it--I'm addicted to machines. And now I have no excuse to procrastinate.
Not even this blog will serve as an excuse.
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