Going Solo

The computer was how I wrote! My attachment was dangerous as it now threatened to derail my progress on numerous projects, not the least of which was a manuscript I hoped to finish editing by the end of August. Losing time seemed impossible. I had to push through and figure out a way to adapt, to change the way I was working. I had to challenge my fixed thinking about my writing.

As my initial panic subsided, I saw what I could do alone, independent of my favorite technology. —Amy Wink —Going Solo (Inside Higher Ed)

I actually enjoy developing a syllabus in fits and starts, as ideas and inspirations strike me, and I jot them down in my Palm computer accordingly, when I’m in line in the grocery store, or when the kids are playing together nicely and I can spare a few moments.

Everything feels very different when I’m hunkered down in front of my keyboard in my office.

There are certain brainstorming and editing activities I prefer to do with pen and paper. I’m not so sure I’m interested in writing a hymn to the quill pen, but this article might be useful in my “Writing for the Internet” course, since my general assumption in that class is that most of the students have a long history of composing with computers, and little or no history of doing serious writing with pen and paper.