I Completely Forgot I Had This Blog!

 May As Well Start Using It Again

I'm writing this entry in the Markdown Language pre-processor. What the heck is Markdown? Just click on the link for the lowdown on this useful formatting language.

While Blogger doesn't directly support Markdown, it does support HTML, so once I've finished this entry, I'll have to figure out how to convert it to HTML, which I can then paste into a new entry here on Blogger.

Oh! Wait a minute! The markdown editor I'm using--MarkdownPad 2 already has a function that does that! All I have to do is click on File-->Export-->Export HTML. Then it's a simple matter of copying and pasting it into a new post.

So it's yet another tool I'm adding to my Writer's Toolbox. If you're interested in using Markdown for your writing, most of the editors listed in the Tools section of the Markdown Guide referenced above also support exporting to HTML.

So that's the lowdown on Markdown. Give it a try; you just might like it!

AlphaSmart Neo: Further Considerations

As with everything else new, there’s a learning curve. Fortunately, with the AlphaSmart Neo, it’s not very steep.

At first I was concerned about being able to add special characters and symbols, such as é, î, or even ™ or ©.

Already taken care of! The Neo was, after all, designed to be used in educational settings, so it was part of the original design. Pressing CTRL-H brings up a help screen, including both International and Greek/Symbols key combinations.

For example, typing OPTION E then E results in “é.” For me, this is more than a mere option: without this feature, I wouldn’t be able to type my middle name, “Sinéad” (Irish for “Jane.”)

Another blessing is the lack of both auto-complete and auto-check abilities: on both my iPad and iPhone I was constantly having to go back and correct “myself” to “my” because both devices thought they knew better than me.

Still, I will admit that at times I miss the onscreen suggestions of words I can pick to insert. But it’s definitely not a deal-breaker.

Things I Miss

Being able to insert pictures and images. Then again, being able to go on the Internet and searching for anything would defeat the goal of distraction-free writing, so I simply wait until I’ve transferred the files to my laptop to do that.

The ability to use italics, bold-face, or otherwise format my text. Again, I leave that up to the laptop.
I’d like to be able to set the auto-off time to something other than 4 minutes (the default) but that’s the lowest it can go (the maximum is 59 minutes). I’m obsessed with saving battery power—but since 3 AA batteries will last for 700 minutes of use—I can get used to it. And if I’m going to the kitchen to brew a cup of tea, I can simply shut the Neo off. It’s an acceptable trade-off,since sometimes I’ll stare out the window for a minute or two whilst I gather my thoughts. After all, we writers are always writing, even when we’re staring off into space.

Besides, one simply cannot write without a decent cup of tea to hand.

 

My Workflow

Even though I’ve only had my Neo since last Wednesday, I’ve already figured out a workflow that suits me: Once I’ve transferred a file from the Neo to my laptop (and backed it up as well), I open the file on the Neo and select the Clear File function. When prompted, I select Y (for yes), and it’s gone, freeing up that space for a new file.

That’s pretty much it for now. As always, as I learn or discover more I’ll share it with you right here. Oh, yeah: I’m already doing most of my writing on the Neo. I really do like it that much!

Yet Another New Tool!

As a writer, I find the biggest problem with modern technology is all of the potential distractions. I love writing on my iPhone, iPad, or laptop, but it's too easy to get distracted by email, IMs, Google searches, etc.

For example, I'll need to check Wikipedia for information. I find it, but there are so many interesting links in the article, and 30 minutes later I'm down the rabbit hole with Alice only to discover when I surface that I've lost my original thought.

Enter the AlphaSmart Neo. Originally designed as a basic word processor for schools, it's found a new following among writers. It originally cost $200 per unit, and it's no longer being manufactured. But you can find them on eBay--which is where I bought mine (brand new) for $20.

So what's the big deal? it's really quite simple: it's a word processor. It doesn't connect to the Internet, so it affords me hours of distraction-free writing. Once I'm done, I can connect it via USB cable to my laptop, open a Word or Libre Writer or Scrivener document, and send the file over from my Neo.

It powers up almost instantaneously, relying as it does on 3 AA batteries which folks I've talked with say will give me about a year's worth of power, or roughly 700 hours.
Mine arrived today, and so I'm still getting used to it. I'll be giving a more thorough review in a week or so, after I've had the opportunity to put it through its paces.

Oh, yes: I wrote this article on my new toy! It's more like writing on a typewriter than on a computer. And another thing: it only displays 4 lines at a time, so there's no temptation to go back and edit as I write.

It has a spell-checker, with the option to add new words to the built-in dictionary, as well as a (very primitive) thesaurus.

When I turn it on, it returns to my last position in the last file I was working on, which is handy.

I also like being able to add to a file without caring about where it fits best: I just write without editing, and then edit the document once I've sent it to the laptop.

The display is bright enough to use the Neo out of doors--at least in the shade.
Indeed, as I'm writing this I'm sitting outside in an Adirondack chair, enjoying the fresh air.

I thought about buying a protective case for it, but I'm not about to shell out a hundred bucks for a case for a $20 item!

I don't think I've been this excited about a new tech item since 1981, when I bought my first computer--a Kaypro CP/M computer.

My Own Tool Box

I do most of my writing on my iPhone. It’s convenient, and I’m rarely without it. Sometimes I’ll use my iPad, but the iPhone does the bulk of the heavy lifting. Sometimes I’ll post directly to my blog, but usually I upload a draft.

Then I download the draft to my laptop, using Open Live Writer (OLW).This is a free, open-source version of Microsoft’s abandoned Live Writer. This is where I do the fine-tuning of my posts. It’s where I add graphics, pictures, etc., before finally publishing the final version here.
Because it runs under Windows, OLW takes advantage of the operating system’s tools, such as spell-checking. It also automates such details as resizing images, adding hyperlinks, and publishing the final product.

Uploading the draft also ensures that I’ve got a back-up version in the cloud, as well on my hard drive.

Which brings us to my next tool:

ROBYN’S FIRST RULE OF COMPUTING
Be Paranoid And Compulsive!

If you’ve used a computer for anything longer than a month, you know that it’s not a question of if you’ll lose a file, but when.

Hence the need for backup copies. In addition to using the cloud, I also run a backup every night, copying my latest work to an external SSD drive. Yes, I’m that paranoid, with good reason: I grew up on MS-DOS, where it was all to easy to type C:\DEL *.* then hit “Y” when I meant to hit “N” when prompted if I was really sure that’s what I wanted to do.

‘Nuff said.

And We’re Off!

I’ve been writing and blogging for several years. In fact, I’ve been writing on the Internet before it became the Internet. EdNet, DARPANet, and a few others.

I started this blog today, 11 November 2018 as an introduction to some of the writing tools I use, and why I use them. I’ll discuss the positives and negatives of each—why I like and dislike about them.

The First Tool

A nice heavy tea kettle. I hear you now: “Why a tea kettle, Robyn?”

Let’s be honest. a tea kettle or a coffee pot, it doesn’t really matter which one. But the truth is you’re not going to sit down at your writing desk and type for hours without wanting something to drink. And coffee or a nice cup of strong tea can give you the break you need.

And a little jolt of caffeine can’t hurt, either.

My own drug of choice is a strong Irish Breakfast blend, brewed they way my dear old Nana taught me: “Strong enough that a wee mousie might trot along the top of it.”

Indeed, I just finished such a cup right now while I was writing this.

The Second Tool

A laptop or desktop computer. A pad of paper. A pen or pencil. Smartphone or tablet. Whatever you feel most comfortable writing on. It’s your choice, but in the 21st Century you’re eventually going to want to publish your work, and that means electronic format of some kind.

For example, I began this blog on my laptop before saving the first draft to Blogger. Now I can access it on my iPhone or iPad wherever I am—so long as I have an Internet connection.

It lets me add to the post whenever I have some time to fill. My doctor’s waiting room, riding on the bus, wherever.

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