By Susan Knight
In times past, I used New Years Day to compile my personal journal. Before Facebook or phones had an app for that, I went through all my saved emails and made them into an e-journal, a Word document, i.e., Susan’s Journal 2013. It took me all day and then some. I found I received the most emails from my sister, Kathy. Second most were from a second cousin, once removed, with whom I researched our genealogy.
I don’t save emails anymore, my sister and I text instead of
phone or email, and since I’m working full-time, I don’t have time to do family
history research anymore. I don’t really receive that many “good” emails either.
I now have a memoir blog that I post to occasionally so my kids will know me and the
events of my life. I live for Facebook because, since I moved out west, I can
stay connected to my family back east. It’s my life line. I barely Twitter. I
have stopped myself from Pinning, and don’t quite get LinkedIn. Google+ eludes
me, I don’t play games and don’t want to, and I mostly use my Kindle Fire for
reading books. I’ve just discovered I can do more things with it. I am
learning, but slowly.
Times have changed, and in just a few short years.
While writing my book, and it’s been four years since I
started it, I’ve found technology to have changed so drastically that my MC can’t
be a wimp about using a cell phone, or avidly use a CD player. I have
her utilizing her land line to call people. That type of use has dwindled. In fact, when I started my job
here three years ago, I made up the phone list and everyone had a home phone
and an alternate phone number (cell). Now everyone has a cell phone number as
primary contact and only a handful have home phone numbers at all. Three short years!
Even though I have a dumb phone and don’t own an iPod or an
MP3 player, I guess I want to feel my characters have evolved with the times.
Why do I feel that way? Maybe I just want all generations to be able to relate
to my characters’ lives. If my MC can’t have a smart phone, at least the
younger characters in the book should.
Problem is, I don’t know how these
techno-savvy appliances work to be able to write about them—and I can’t afford
to purchase them to find out. I would like a smart phone, but I would also like
to pay my electric bill. I fall into the old and poor category (see above), but . . . I haven't succombed to the temptation yet. I like heat and hot water too much.
What’s a writer to do?
No, seriously, what am I supposed to do?
What to do? I would go to Best Buy or some other electronic store and act that I am shopping and ask them to show me features of the gadget you are researching. Ask what is most popular, the most reliant, what features are best (for your character...who you pretend to be. I used to detest shopping with my husband because even though we couldn't afford the things we were looking at...he always acts as though he is in the market. He learns a ton of stuff...and then when we are ready to purchase something, he already knows the ins and outs. I think the technique could work for your book just fine. hugs~
ReplyDeleteHmmm try talking to a tech savvier person. There is a lot out there now and hard to decide since everyone likes something different. Just tell the tech savvy person what you want the software to do, and they'll find the right fit for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I just found out there's a Geek Club where I work. I guess I could ask them.
ReplyDeleteI was secretly hoping someone here would say, "Here's a really great place to buy a smart phone--it's FREE!" haha!