Before computers, I wrote in longhand, then typed it up, cursing whenever the small god of typos popped in. Back then, the biggest tech innovation was the electric typewriter that had auto correction. Writing was a sllllloooooooooow job, and my only obsession was the driving speed of the mailman. And pens and notebooks.
Ah, how quaint.
Today, the writing world has speeded up considerably. I rarely use paper envelopes or postage now; I get my assignments through e-mail, I turn them in through e-mail, I download photos from CVB websites, I upload them to the magazine's server, I even conduct some interviews through e-mail. I also check my email constantly as I work. That 'no new mail' icon is the bane of my existence as I juggle correspondence with editors, sources, my Nanowrimo group, and occasionally, friends. Do I have mail now? How about now? Now? And now? Is it there now? The internet has made it possible for me to turn around a 3,000-word article in a week, complete with five interviews and a folder full of research. It's also made it possible for me to get crazy quicker, so it's efficient all the way around.
The mailman's not off the hook just yet, though. Those checks still come the sloooooooow way.
2 comments:
You sound like me on the constantly checking e-mail front. Now if I could just get assignemnts and stuff to come in via e-mail....
hilarious! You just nailed me!
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