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| Mister Bert's Adventure by Lorilee Guenter |
Technology offers many tools for writers and authors. I find it has many drawbacks as well. I choose between them based on a number of criteria, mostly though it comes down to preference. I prefer analog for some tasks, and I prefer digital for some tasks. Some things require technology.
I write 99% of my first draft long hand, including this post. The weight of the pen in hand and the sound of the nib travelling across the page are sensory details I don't want to give up. They tell my brain it's time to write. I also keep a journal, a prayer journal, and a travel journal. My travel journal is written from two points of view. I write my thoughts then I print an "Adventures Log" from the point of view of a small stuffed koala called Mister Bert. In this way my journal is both a record and a story prompt.
Subsequent drafts of writing are typed, printed and revised longhand. I just don't like staring at a screen for hours. I will edit small pieces without reprinting them but the majority of my work gets printed for revision and for a hard copy reference.
Technology offers many tools for artists. I have scrapbooked parts of our family traditions, travels, and general life. Most often I used digital tools to create the pages, then print some of them. The key reason I create a scrapbook page is to tell the story with words and images. As long as they are accessible by family they can count as finished in digital form. I would like to print more of them so we can hold the books in hand, but for now I'm happy having them done
For my other art, I need physical tools: pens, pencils, and paint. I use a variety of materials as my base such as: wood, paper, tea bags, and canvases. There's no digital replacement for the art I create.
Digital or analog, I find a place for the tools offered by both mediums. Digital is easier to share. Analog gives tactile feedback. I don't want to pick just one.
Lorilee Guenter is a Saskatoon, SK based writer and artist. She bridges the gap between Digital and analog technologies by using both. She writes a Substack each Friday.
I enjoyed reading this glimpse into your writing life, Lorilee, and the way you balance digital and analog processes. I agree with you that "The weight of the pen in hand and the sound of the nib travelling across the page" are things that I don't want to give up either. And as you concluded, writers don't have to choose one over the other. Thank you!
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