The Tips At The End Of Your Fingers
November 27th, 2009
I’ve been having a bit of a think about why I started writing, in case someone asks me. I can give them the long answer … which might involve a couple of bottles of wine, an open fire and some deep and moody background music. Or I can give them the short – I had a go, loved it and kept going. Somewhere in between there are some other interesting bits and pieces to pick over.
One of these is technology.
As a kid I used to play about with my mother’s old typewriter. Not writing anything serious - no precociousness here I’m afraid - but just to see what it did and how. The pressure required to push down one of those keys was enormous, requiring at least two sticky fingers and a tongue poking out. (It was old even when she bought it).
Then there was pen and paper. At university I wrote my essays in longhand and then would literally cut and sticky tape various paragraphs onto the wardrobe door. I’d have a long cascade of pages and snippets and scribbles and cut outs trailing down onto the carpet. I could read it in sequence, and cut and change as I felt necessary.
It was laborious, but few people had PC’s then. My first essay in General Philosophy was titled ‘Is it better to be Socrates Dissatisfied or a Pig Satisfied. Argue the case.’ Well, the answer was obvious, was it not? With my earnest undergraduate brow furrowed with concentration I feverishly rearranged my arguments until Socrates emerged triumphant. I’d think differently now, but that’s for another post.
Now I have more technology than I can poke a proverbial at – and doesn’t it make writing easy? It’s been my pet theory for years that access to this powerful writing tool has caused the explosion in creative writing. There are creative writing courses sprouting everywhere, but I never succumbed to their easy promise. After three degrees and a couple of stints in the tertiary sector I swore I would never undertake formal education again. Ever. I’ve chosen a different route and had to re invent the wheel numerous times, but it has suited me.
I do wonder however, that if I had to write a novel in longhand, would I do so? I don’t know the answer and I don’t have to test it. But I can say that having had the urge to write fiction; the ease in the physical doing of it has definitely contributed to my persistence. It’s not as romantic an answer as you’d get after the wine, but it is a small part of it.
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Categories: culture, on writing | Tags: creativity, culture, wine, writing
1 Comment
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I actually think I’d be one of those who would still have written longhand. With my first book, I did a good chunk of it that way because it was easier for me to visualize the characters and story. Now I type much faster and so my thoughts can be expressed more quickly than by writing. But I still enjoy sitting in a cafe with my hot chocolate and notebook, writing away.