tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post558821275827858364..comments2023-11-03T06:32:14.034-07:00Comments on ClassicAndCozy: Seven Ways Writers Lives Have ChangedSofie Couchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702484708743477860noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-2960159599101670902014-12-29T13:20:53.569-08:002014-12-29T13:20:53.569-08:00Hi Paula--
Carbon paper and ditto masters (mimeogr...Hi Paula--<br />Carbon paper and ditto masters (mimeographs)! I remember those :-) <br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-29751694212191909332014-10-02T17:49:30.734-07:002014-10-02T17:49:30.734-07:00Funny. The first article I ever had published was ...Funny. The first article I ever had published was typed on a typewriter, but I bought my first computer - with a student loan - in 1982, having gotten involved in a research project on word processors and the writing process at the Program in Composition and Communication at the University of Minnesota. (There's a story about that, "Choices," on my blog.) The computer was a Xerox 820 with a C/PM system and 8 inch disk drives. I wrote my dissertation on it. Whenever I bring this up my daughter yawns and says "yeah, yeah, mom, back when there were woodburning computers..." Still, I remember typewriters. And carbon paper. And -aargh - ditto masters. Though more from my teaching life than my writing life. Glad you retweeted this; it was a fun read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-71270727729003119132014-04-06T21:55:29.072-07:002014-04-06T21:55:29.072-07:00Hi Pat--
Ha ha ha! That is definitely a vote for t...Hi Pat--<br />Ha ha ha! That is definitely a vote for the typewriter over the computer. You raise a great point that we had time to think with the typewriter, versus fighting for superiority with our computer. Thanks Pat, for sharing your thoughts.<br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-67551568824378213732014-04-06T19:45:38.801-07:002014-04-06T19:45:38.801-07:00I have fond memories of the portable electric Smit...I have fond memories of the portable electric Smith-Corona I used in the 1980s and '90s. I did some good newspaper features and travel articles on that machine because it was slower and allowed some thinking to go with the typing. Today's computer is handy but tries to do my thinking for me and comes up with some weird stuff sometimes. I hate it when the computer thinks it is smarter than I am.Pat Browninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09827344209588183175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-92091303714562532742014-04-06T14:24:20.439-07:002014-04-06T14:24:20.439-07:00Hi Neringa--
That's right. Authors can just ta...Hi Neringa--<br />That's right. Authors can just talk into the voice recognition software or a voice recorder these days. These are a huge advantage for those who are typing-challenged :-)<br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-40198118137582334892014-04-06T14:22:32.604-07:002014-04-06T14:22:32.604-07:00Hi Vickie--
Oh, good point. Isn't is nice we ...Hi Vickie--<br />Oh, good point. Isn't is nice we don't need as many filing cabinets? I also do not print out as much as I once did. Thank you for your comments.<br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-89597811175021857732014-04-06T14:19:42.194-07:002014-04-06T14:19:42.194-07:00OMG!! You really could have used google back then...OMG!! You really could have used google back then! On the bright side, at least you didn't ask anyone that question at the newspaper office :-) Your husband must really love you!<br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-89229136502660848012014-04-06T14:16:01.434-07:002014-04-06T14:16:01.434-07:00Hi Sydell--
The eighties isn't that long ago :...Hi Sydell--<br />The eighties isn't that long ago :-) Thanks for stopping by and great to know you had similar relationships with your postal staff. <br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-13250565614009303592014-04-06T14:12:06.630-07:002014-04-06T14:12:06.630-07:00Hi Fran--
I'm happy the post brought back memo...Hi Fran--<br />I'm happy the post brought back memories for you :-)<br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-88932707347303034212014-04-06T12:42:01.968-07:002014-04-06T12:42:01.968-07:00Ah, memory lane... my biggie, I still can't ty...Ah, memory lane... my biggie, I still can't type, but it doesn't matter... machines do it all...Neringahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02621637429259896651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-38027829121082704342014-04-06T06:30:09.237-07:002014-04-06T06:30:09.237-07:00Interesting article. There's been a lot of cha...Interesting article. There's been a lot of changes, many of them in the past few years. The ones I notice the most personally is that I used to wait for the mailman to bring acceptances or rejections. Now they usually come by phone or email. Also, with most publishers accepting electronic submissions I don't print out near as much and don't need as many filing cabinets.Vickie Brittonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04114585289919142932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-21606659643431659772014-04-06T01:13:40.899-07:002014-04-06T01:13:40.899-07:00What a hoot! Very early on, (early 90s) I was prep...What a hoot! Very early on, (early 90s) I was preparing for an interview with John Grisham and Tommy LaSorda for my University's newspaper. (They were both attending a silent auction to raise money for UVA baseball.) No internet - well, none to speak of - so I had to figure out how the two were connected - by picking up the phone to ask the baseball fans in my family what John Grisham had to do with baseball. They filled me in on his connection to Little League. Then I asked the Million Dollar Question: who is Tommy LaSorda? To this day, my husband cannot believe he's married me. :) Opposites attract.Sofie Couchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11702484708743477860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-63922114537396979192014-04-05T16:54:12.269-07:002014-04-05T16:54:12.269-07:00Victoria, I'm really dating myself, I'm af...Victoria, I'm really dating myself, I'm afraid, but my writing goes back to the mid-80s. I could relate with every one of your points. The local mailman at the post office really got to know me--and would often ask about what I was sending "this time."Sydell Voellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02862642258281995462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-33761385166852722632014-04-05T16:35:53.353-07:002014-04-05T16:35:53.353-07:00Victoria, your blog was "right-on" for u...Victoria, your blog was "right-on" for us who started writing with all the non-technical things we have today. What memories! Thanks for reminding us that even though writers still do the same things we did back then, we do them in different ways.<br />Fran McNabbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17193141285229214245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-37710553700642856392014-04-05T13:55:41.326-07:002014-04-05T13:55:41.326-07:00Hi Loretta--
I am the same way with the post offic...Hi Loretta--<br />I am the same way with the post office, a place I once visited so often, I hardly go there anymore. I still frequent my library though. I, too, wonder what the future holds for us.<br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-53983562695972959142014-04-05T12:42:19.725-07:002014-04-05T12:42:19.725-07:00Enjoyed seeing your writing space. I thought I had...Enjoyed seeing your writing space. I thought I had a lot of books, but you've got me beat. I once depended on the library loan system. Now, of course, there is Google. Except for monthly writers meetings, I don't go to the library as often. I haven't been to the post office in a while because everything is done online, including buying stamps. Times have changed. I wonder what the future holds.Loretta C. Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13477553413309389196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-41376403754637483712014-04-05T12:29:26.837-07:002014-04-05T12:29:26.837-07:00Hi Gina--
The binder clips! Yes, I used those, to...Hi Gina--<br />The binder clips! Yes, I used those, too. And I still have some Tyvek envelopes in my office :-) I'm so happy we can just email our manuscripts now.<br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-40318069695433463372014-04-05T12:20:35.264-07:002014-04-05T12:20:35.264-07:00I'm another 90s writer and, yes, this is all v...I'm another 90s writer and, yes, this is all very familiar to me! Binder clips. I still have hundreds of binder clips from clipping the manuscript together for mailing. And the Tyvek envelopes from the post office. Gina Arditohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16066100570160886920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-83855587548863514022014-04-05T11:59:28.263-07:002014-04-05T11:59:28.263-07:00Hi C.M.--
Wow what a vintage typewriter you starte...Hi C.M.--<br />Wow what a vintage typewriter you started on! Carbons... oh, yes. Did you click on Sheila's name above to read her experience with carbons? How terrible for you to mail an accepted manuscript to Canada (very expensive postage) only to have it refused. Good thing you hung in there and kept writing.<br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-38892204392579017442014-04-05T11:54:31.904-07:002014-04-05T11:54:31.904-07:00Hi Sandy--
Aha, I'm not the only one! I'm...Hi Sandy--<br />Aha, I'm not the only one! I'm also looking forward to seeing what writer's lives will be like 20 years from now.<br />Victoria--Victoria M. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734245351838987045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-44912462403293159142014-04-05T10:52:29.936-07:002014-04-05T10:52:29.936-07:00Story of my life. I started out on a 1928 Underwoo...Story of my life. I started out on a 1928 Underwood office typewriter I picked up for $10 at a flea market. Trying to make carbons...Ay ay ay, especially the way I type. And those SASEs. And hours spent at the library doing research on a subject, or looking for likely publishers. When my first book was accepted I sent it (to Canada) and it eventually came back as refused. I contacted the editor and she said, Oh, they do everything on the Internet now. I merely had to send an rtf copy. As the man said, too soon ve get old, too late ve get schmart. C. M. Albrechthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04659697389872692820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079931541460049406.post-6680251817955311002014-04-05T10:08:41.664-07:002014-04-05T10:08:41.664-07:00You've just detailed the past twenty years of ...You've just detailed the past twenty years of my life, Victoria. I, too, started writing in the nineties (I was a late bloomer in as far as writing goes) and have gone through the same changes and adjustments. Nice post. I enjoyed looking back and seeing how far we've come.Sandy Codyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02824301408180614516noreply@blogger.com