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Electronic Writing Instruments
Posted: 02 September 2023

While taking a break from some household projects and listening to some music while flopped on the couch, a possible short story idea came to me. This would usually get scribbled into my pocket notebook or clacked out on a typewriter if one were right there and unoccupied by any work. But an old AlphaSmart 3000 was in reach on the end table so I grabbed it.

Pressing the power button, nothing happened. The batteries were dead. That's what I get for using Duracell despite the brand's garbage quality. I muttered the plot point to myself over and over like a retard trying to remember a grocery list as I checked the battery compartment to see if the cells exploded as Duracell is wont to do. Lucking out there, I muttered out of the room to get fresh batteries and all the way back. My mantra was kept up while installing the AAs, booting, and navigating to an empty file.

Despite such a simple bobble often being enough to throw a nugget of inspiration out of my head, I managed to type it out. But even that was not without a bit of difficulty. I caught myself second-guessing a character trait and deleting a word to a "better" one. On paper with pen, pencil, or typewriter; that "correction" would be a margin note or strikethrough with the original thought still legible. That sort of thing could give me an editorial choice while going through the drafting and editing process. As such, I had to delete the correction, re-type the original thought, and add the bracketed second choice on the little LCD screened SPED word processor. On top of that, the tacky keystrokes exacerbated my poor keyboarding technique and left more typographical errors than usual. These were mostly corrected as they were noticed. But editing is not typing. Is not drafting a story. It is a break in the flow and a creative nuisance.

A quickly scribbled note in a tattered pocket notebook would have taken less time and been preferable. At least the AlphaSmart auto-saves so one can walk away from their work and come back whenever like a hand or typewritten paper project. And isn't an over-powered distraction box of a full computer. The little story prompt will be there when I get around to fleshing it out into a rough draft.

Last Updated: 01 January 2024