Back in the day writing was simply a matter of having a pen, piece of paper, and an idea. Usually, at least for formal writing, there would be a series of revisions before you could call your work finished.
Then came typewriters and correction tape - easier but still time-consuming and often difficult to produce a readable final copy. IF you needed several copies we had carbon paper. You could usually get 3 readable copies on an old manual typewriter. Then someone added a cord and the electric version arrived allowing you to get 4 copies using onion skin paper for the copies. WOW!
Nope, there was no copy machine, YET. But eventually someone figured out that you could make a photographic copy of a document and print the photo. Yes, the photo-copy machine. The life of the secretary just moved into the future. No more black fingers from the carbon paper, or spilling liquid paper all over your desk. Yeah. Now we had more time to work more.
But there were also some drawbacks to these marvelous new machines like having to constantly fix a paper jam or replace messy toner containers. And when the fancy-dancy machines went 'down' the wait was sometimes days until the technician came to repair the monstrosity. Ah, technology. Wasn't it wonderful.
Now, as a writer, and one time secretary, I could think more about the words I wanted to share than the way I needed to struggle through sharing them. The digital age was here. Instant spell check, copy and paste, highlight and move. All the wonderful advancements made possible by all those '0's and 1's. But, this article was started using old-fashioned pen and paper. Something I still tend to fall back on. Sometimes old habits die hard and I tend to rough out my ideas on paper, wherever I happen to be.
But all this still leads to the point that writing is a process. Even in the age of computers, there is a process of creation that every writer must follow in some respect. An idea is born. It is noted, on paper or on a computer screen. It is revised, elaborated on, twisted and spun to create something the writer believes is worthy to share with others.
With a lot of practice I have learned to do this 'on the fly' so to speak. I can type almost as fast as the thoughts fly through my brain. I can quickly write something that is virtually complete. I mean it is something that needs little or no revisions. But that is from years of writing experience. This is probably not you.
I began this paper in response to someone yet again telling me they cannot write. I looked and noticed both of this person's hands seemed perfectly capable of using a pen or typing on a keypad. So, I asked the person to 'tell me' what he wanted to write about, if he could write of course, and he went on for some time about what he wanted to tell the world. My response.
Write that down! Yes, just like you told me. Type it out in a document program, run a spell check, and publish it. You see, each and every one of us has ideas and feelings about the world we live and work in. Each and every one of those ideas have validity, simply because they are ours. They belong to a thinking person who wants to share with others.
I am Barbara Cagle, a teacher and internet guru who has been online since about 1989. To learn more about writing and marketing online stop by my new Internet Marketing Business School. http://imbizschool.com. You will find a wealth of real information at your fingertips. Over 100 video tutorials, dozens of articles, and instruction to help you get your business off on the right foot. See you there.
By Barbara Cagle
0 comments:
Post a Comment