Unjob Tech: Writing in the 21st Century

photo credit: brokentrinkets

As computers become more commonplace in modern society, individuals who make a living out of producing content with it become more and more attached to their machines. It isn’t unusual for typists, writers and graphics artists, for instance, to engage in a staring match with their LCD screens the entire work day as opposed to the traditional method of getting down and dirty with a pen and paper.

Writers who have gone the electronic route and completely ditched their then-state-of-the-art typewriters (visit this blog and join the club if you haven’t) are faced with a double-edged sword: on one hand, computers make writing ultra-convenient, portable and practical, what with the vast amounts of makes and models as well as applications available. On the other, computers are very prone to machinery breakdown, data loss, and an apparent learning curve for some. The key to a congruous relationship between your computer and yourself is to reduce the risk of these negative effects from happening while allowing yourself to enjoy its positive values to their fullest potential.

If you’re using a Word Processing program that you’ve been familiar with for a long time, it might help to throw in some variety by using different software such as OpenOffice and KWord. A different writing software environment may help you get through a tough writing period by eliminating familiarity and forcing you to think (that may not be a good thing, in hindsight).

Reference material such as dictionaries and thesauruses are essential tools of the professional writer, and if you’re still using paperback versions of them, application, widget and wiki versions of these material have come a long way since that first Grollier Encyclopedia CD-Rom you bought in the mid 90’s. You don’t have to go flipping through volumes and pages anymore, although admittedly there is some therapeutic value going through the entire nostalgic process of page turning (hopefully, books never become obsolete).

As more and more files get stored in your computer’s hard drive, more and more maintenance and backups would be needed to make sure that data loss and the chances of your computer breaking down are kept at a minimum. Defragging your hard drive regularly makes it run at its most optimal state.

Most computers and laptops these days have CD and DVD burners, and it really helps to archive your important files at least quarterly. As an alternative, you might want to try online backup services, which are gaining in popularity because of their large capacities and ease of use. If you’ve got ultra sensitive/crucial information, back it up on a password protected thumbdrive as well!

Keeping your computer running happily along its merry way involves quite a bit of elbow grease on your end, but all these should become second nature, especially if it’s your sincere desire to keep it alive as long as possible before handing it over to the recycling plant. The 21st century writer uses a computer as a tool to let her creativity flow unabated while keeping hindrances and traditional obstacles (such as running out of paper and replacing ribbons) at bay.
photo credit: brokentrinkets