Tuesday, April 26, 2011

From Ink to Data Streams

Painted Cave, Santa Barbara County, California per Wikipedia

Once upon a time we authors scribbled our thoughts on parchment with ink from a variety of sources, even blood. Heck, even before that we were scratching our stories out on stone tablets, cave walls—you get the picture (snicker).

Eventually the press was developed and then the typewriter. The power of the written word opened the minds of the masses. Then came the computer, and many of us laid down the pen for good. Now we have laptops and the web. Information flows faster than water. And I have to say, thank god. My handwriting is atrocious! Seriously. I think if I had to write anything longer than a letter by hand (and even that I have nearly replaced with email, facebook and twitter posts!) it just would not get done.

I have a laptop, and I love it. I have the power to go where I want, write what I want, and I will be able to understand it later! There were times when I have picked up a handwritten note and have had no idea what I was trying to say.  Now I can type a note, create a file and a sub-file in a matter of moments! I know you are all laughing at me, all you techies out there with your data management systems, but this is big stuff for me.

So I am happy, but technology keeps changing! And I want more. Now we have ebook readers (and I admit I own both the Kobo and the Kindle and the original ebookwise and my daughters both have Kobos!) and the ipad, and tomorrow? Well take a look at this concept video. J



 

Can you just imagine? Now that will be cool. I might just have to trade in my stone tablet…er…I mean my Dell Inspiron 1520 and get one of these babies when they come out. Unless there’s something better out there. Anyone got any recommendations?

Lilly

Sci-fi erotic romance with Carina Press – The Confederacy Treaty Series
Alien Revealed - June 7, 2010
The Naked Truth – June 13, 2011

5 comments:

  1. Lilly, it's amazing how few mistakes there are in those "old" books, and I shudder to think of the work it would have taken to change a few lines. Now it's so easy to edit and write, although there is something neat about a pen or pencil scratching over paper. Like you though, I often can't read my own scribblings.

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  2. Hi Lilly. I'm far from tech-savvy but I have a Kindle and an iPad. I never get to play with the iPad though because my son hogs it! LOL. I do love the idea that I can voice record notes on my phone. It's perfect when I'm out walking and get an idea for a book.

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  3. The computer itself was one of the major advances that helped me get into writing. The other, however, although it runs on the computer, was an even more important advance - e-mail! When it costs paper, ink, envelopes, and from $1.50 to $2.00 postage to submit a story, the chances of making any kind of a profit are slim indeed. Now most markets (not all, some just haven't caught on yet) take submissions by e-mail, which costs, let me see, oh, yeah, $0.00! Even the markets I consider the most prestigious (Analog and Asimov's) are now taking electronic submissions.
    E-mail, or its counterpart the "submission form," have totally changed the writing landscape ... for the better, at least as far as writers are concerned.

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  4. Great blog. I think it's sort of sad that us new authors are having to learn how to now "make the book".

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  5. Hi Bev, thanks for dropping in! I remember taking all th eold editing courses in University - the confusing markings have all but been replaced by the insertable comment. You're right, it would have been so hard to make changes then!

    Hi Adrienne! That's why I bought both of my kids a e-reader, the Kobo! I wanted to be sure I got to keep my own, LOL!

    That's so true Jim! I used to snail mail my manuscripts and it cost a small fortune to print them out and pay the postage, plus a postcard with a return stamp for my notification that the book was received by the publisher! I'm so glad I got to submit my last 2 stories via email!

    Hi Renee - it's true that some of us are now doing our own formatting for self-published books. But the market changes as quickly as the technology so I think it is learn or lose out.

    Lilly

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