You Cant Always Believe What You See On Your Computer Screen

You may not remember this, but in the early days of the personal computer, many industry insiders were predicting a paperless society.

Of course, this hasn't happened. In fact, we use more paper today than we ever did before computers.

This has happened because computers have made creating everything from e-mails to articles to business plans so easy that there's been an explosion in document creation. Naturally, we decide some of these documents need saving. How do we save them? We print them out, and file them.

For example, when I finish a short story or an article or a novel, I not only save it on disk, I save a hardcopy that goes into a filing cabinet. You might do this, too.

But that's not the only time I print out a copy of my work. In fact, before a story or novel is finished, I might print it out as many as five or six times.

Why?

Because I've learned that I can't always trust what I see on my computer screen.

Sounds bizarre, I know. But believe me, it's true.

I discovered this the hard way, after the rejection of what I had believed was a solid short story.

Getting rejected is part of the business of being a writer. It happens to all of us. Most of the time, I don't think twice about it. I just submit to the next publisher and get back to work on something else. If a story gets rejected three or four times, then I sit up and pay attention. Because that's a sign there might be a problem.

But I was convinced this particular story had been good. So I printed out a copy and took it to lunch with me.

This was a story I had written and edited completely on screen. Words were words, after all. What did it matter if I wrote and edited on screen or in print?

Apparently, it mattered a great deal.

I discovered sentences that made no sense. Transitions that were clumsy. Words that were undeniably the wrong choice. It was stunning how different this story was from the story I had read on my computer screen.

Of course, they weren't any different. They were exactly the same.

But it was like seeing the forest on a bright sunny day as opposed to a foggy overcast morning. Every broken branch, every twisted knothole was suddenly clear and unmistakable.

I couldn't imagine a reasonable explanation for this. I still can't. But whenever I had the opporunity to talk with another writer, I asked if he or she had experienced anything similar.

To a person, they had all come to the same conclusion: you can't trust what you see on the computer screen. You have to print out a hardcopy and edit your work on paper.

As I said, I can't offer you an explanation. I can only tell you that it's true. Write your first draft on the computer. And for every draft after that ... print it out and mark it up directly on the paper. Your writing will be better for it.

If you don't believe me, try testing it for yourself.

You'll be shocked at the results you get.

David B. Silva
The Successful Writer
http://thesuccessfulwriter.com

---

Rejection ? Have the Right Perspective and Don?t Quit

If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit... Read More

Baby Boomers and Booklets ? Share and Share Alike

As one of those fabulous Baby Boomers, you now own... Read More

How To Avoid Viewpoint Slips

Sit back, and imagine what it feels like to be... Read More

Crime Writing Beckons

If your cash is running out fast and you have... Read More

Freelance Writing: How Many Regular Clients Should You Have?

This is a tough question for every freelance writer. For... Read More

Time to Write

SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?Many people have entertained... Read More

Writer School?

Here's something from my mailbag. "Dear Michael, do you need... Read More

What is Screenwriting?

Simply put, it is the art of writing scripts for... Read More

Writing Made Them Rich #5: Peter Mayle

Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.His fascination with... Read More

The Importance of Writing Clearly for Business

Creating written documents reveals so much about you and your... Read More

Increase Your Chances Of Winning Writing Contests

Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For... Read More

Writing Press Releases That Get Noticed

Among the various foolproof methods used to boost traffic to... Read More

How To Stay Fit While Writing

Day after day, writers tend to sit for hours writing... Read More

Conflict - How To Keep Your Readers Turning Pages

Some writers are just too kind.They hate to put their... Read More

Every Result is an Asset

Not long ago, I went to an Internet Marketing Seminar.... Read More

Local Knowledge: Background and Historical Setting in Novels

You're writing a story set in your local city, but... Read More

Characters In A Romance Novel

Before you even begin writing your novel, you need to... Read More

Friendly Critiques

When a writer is working on their next literary masterpiece... Read More

Good Writing

Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved ?... Read More

Writing Query Letters

A QUERY LETTER is written to an editor or agent... Read More

In Your Own Words

More Tips For New Writers (Part I)Explain in your own... Read More

Becoming a Writer

The urge to write fiction seems God given for some,... Read More

Retail Margin, Trade Discount, and What it Means for the Author

DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale... Read More

You Cant Always Believe What You See On Your Computer Screen

You may not remember this, but in the early days... Read More

Understanding Editorial Guidelines

Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules... Read More

Does The Title Reflect The Story?

Short Story Writing Tips ?We all have different tastes in... Read More

Why Manners Maketh the Freelance Writer

Lately I've been noticing an odd trend amongst the freelance... Read More

Letter Writing Journaling

When you read a letter from someone, we are immediately... Read More

Mixing and Mingling: The Door to Publication?

Mixing and mingling with industry professionals is an opportunity that... Read More

How To Filter Description Through Your Characters

How do you describe a scene without slowing down the... Read More

Whats in a Name? Giving Birth to your Characters

So you've got your plot outlined, a title lined up... Read More

Writing Business Letters That Get The Job Done

Despite the widespread use of e-mail in commerce today, traditional... Read More

Effective Editing: It Spells the Difference!

If you think proofreading equals editing, then you're wrong! Editing... Read More