Paging through some old magazines the other day, I ran across this ad from the December 3, 1965 issue of LIFE. The ad proudly points out how portable the Royal typewriter is. So portable, you don’t have to be chained to a desk to create. I smile at that ad, because I started my writing career on a portable typewriter like that. And as you can see from the image at the top of the blog page, I still have one (although it really needs a new ribbon after all these years).

Then or now, inspiration comes at strange times and in many places. So I am glad we have now progressed to very portable laptop computers, and even to truly take-anywhere writing with the iPad.

Earlier this month, an author friend had several days in New York to do research for her novel in progress. She was fortunate to get an iPad in time to load what she had already written of the story (and backstory) on it. She then could easily add notes as she dashed around Manhattan, trying to cover all the locations on her list.

I haven’t used my iPad in that context yet, but even being closer to home, it’s making the creative process easier. Somehow, I am never at my desk when that great snippet of dialog pops into my head, or what was previously a vague idea for a scene becomes crystal clear. Thanks to the portability of an iPad and the ability to record quick audio notes on my iPhone, I can capture those mental breakthroughs and later on integrate them into the developing story. At the end of the day, that is what matters: Keeping the creativity flowing, being able to quickly capture ideas and then to refine them again and again. In that respect, I don’t miss the days of typing on paper at all.

Claes

posted in computers, writing

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