My new printer (which I love because it just spits out MS in no time) got me to thinking--what's the best "extra" that you invested in your career as a writer? Not necessary things, like time and stamps, but stuff like a "Requested Materials" stamp or new software and the like...
Best Extra?
- Thread starter Elektra
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Time-wise:Spending some time on these boards every day. Seriously. I've received so much great info, that for me it's the best investment, time-wise.
Purchase-wise: Several years ago, when I first started seriously submitting to editors, the Writer's Market book. By the end of the year, that book was so marked-up and the pages dog-earred.
Purchase-wise: Several years ago, when I first started seriously submitting to editors, the Writer's Market book. By the end of the year, that book was so marked-up and the pages dog-earred.
I've been thinking about that myself, but keep shying away from the though of spending for it - then I remember that my little printer probably couldn't do my whole MS without catching fire; sadly not from the stunning prose.
Is Staples expensive? I know the UPS Store in my area is awful.so far, my own best expense is probably high speed internet - way out here in the boonies that's not an easy (or cheap) thing to get.
and: free but time-consuming - AutoREALM. a definite improvement over PaintShop Pro for map-making.
PS: love the chickens! I had a friend in 8th grade who thought it was the "Poet Surprise" - that still makes me laugh.
My new laptop. My fiance and I got it for me when we decided I would quit my job when we get married.
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Staples charged about fifteen bucks to print out my ms. Plus, they'll do it on paper with holes in case you want to send a copy to your mom in a 3 ring binder (which I did).
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Any number of the fountain pens I use on a daily basis. (This morning was the Lamy 2000, for the record.)
The Mobilepro 790 I bought off eBay earlier this year. Doesn't seem like much, but it helps me focus on writing and only writing when I have it out. It's a great little portable machine for writing anywhere, anytime. A big comfortable keyboard, instant on/off, plenty of memory, and weighs a pound and a half. I can fit it in my coat pocket.
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docs.google.com
Much better than a small USB stick that can get lost.
It saved me a few weeks ago when my laptop harddisk decided to stop working completely. Even when put in a USB case my laptop (outfitted with a new harddisk and freshly installed Windows) refused to talk with it.
Much better than a small USB stick that can get lost.
It saved me a few weeks ago when my laptop harddisk decided to stop working completely. Even when put in a USB case my laptop (outfitted with a new harddisk and freshly installed Windows) refused to talk with it.
I do a lot of work in places off-line (though I'm not criticising docs.google and its utility). I treat my USB stick with the same care I treat my car keys and glasses. And I have a couple of them now. They just continue to fall in price; soon they'll be paying people to take them.
caw
My flash drive. ALL of my writing and writing related stuff is on it, and nothing else. It actually lives in my computer's slot, but I take it with me when I work on my laptop. I also back it up at Gmail every so often, just in case. I love it.
My best free investment is likely Gmail, which I use to backup my writing docs periodically. Just zip the whole flash drive, mail it to myself, and I am worry-free.
My best free investment is likely Gmail, which I use to backup my writing docs periodically. Just zip the whole flash drive, mail it to myself, and I am worry-free.
Yeah, it's amazing. When I first bought my thumb drive, 1 GB, it was $55. And that was only about a year ago. Now you can get 1 GB for (I think) about $14.
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A succession of notebooks for scribbling in when seized with a sudden idea on a train or the bus or somewhere else without my laptop.
Also for keeping a travel diary in when I'm on a road. Which is currently being turned, slowly and painfully, into a travelogue. I love, love, love writing on the computer. But I get most of my ideas when I'm away from one.
Also for keeping a travel diary in when I'm on a road. Which is currently being turned, slowly and painfully, into a travelogue. I love, love, love writing on the computer. But I get most of my ideas when I'm away from one.
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I'm thinking of getting myself one of these MP3 player sticks that double as USB drive. At least then I think I'll be careful enough not to lose it.
Multi-session CD-R's or CD-RW's also help out a lot as added security. You can add things to them at any time, and they are large enough not to get lost easily.
I also bring along at least 2 (preferably 3 or 4) pens and a notepad that's about the size of a thin novel with me when I travel by train. Then I can write down anything I think of when staring out the window and/or reading other novels.
I'm thinking of getting myself one of these MP3 player sticks that double as USB drive. At least then I think I'll be careful enough not to lose it.They are helpful, but mine tends to have trouble with the MP3s if I put too large a non-MP3 file on it for some reason. Though that may be because I cheaped out on the MP3 player and splurged on the thumbdrive.
Regarding google docs, how secure is it? I'm getting so I want several versions of backup, and I've never dared to email the whole MS to myself since my somebody explained what 'sniffing packets' was, and showed me a draft script sent to Ballywood that he intercepted.....brrr. Not that I believe my glorious masterpiece is on anybody's hotlist.
-then again, I suppose I'll have to get used to the concept of emailing my MS if fate is good and anybody asks for it that way...sigh.
The Klipsch THX computer speakers and subwoofer my husband got me a few years ago. I'm serious—music that sounds good is important. And it helps in writing those Really Big Scenes to have speakers that blow your hair back. Not to mention that the rumbling from the subwoofer shakes the kitchen ceiling, and everyone knows that Mom is Busy.
My slanted editing desk with book holder and pencil tray, which I got from Levenger in 1991.
Pilot Precise rollerball pens.
The Internet.
My slanted editing desk with book holder and pencil tray, which I got from Levenger in 1991.
Pilot Precise rollerball pens.
The Internet.
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It's not a secured site. But one of the biggest advantages I've found with it is the ability to share your documents with others on a file-by-file basis. This is extremely useful when showing stuff to beta readers.
There are most certainly other sites out there that do provide secured storage of files. But most often those tend to be sites you need to pay for.
As for emails, you are correct in assuming they are insecure. But there are ways to secure them, and free at that as well. Do some research for PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) email security. It's a free system that helps secure emails pretty good, as it says. And yes, 'pretty good' does indeed mean it's still hackable. But only expert hackers with some serious processing power would get through that. The large majority of hackers (that tend to know just a few tricks) won't get in.
There are most certainly other sites out there that do provide secured storage of files. But most often those tend to be sites you need to pay for.
As for emails, you are correct in assuming they are insecure. But there are ways to secure them, and free at that as well. Do some research for PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) email security. It's a free system that helps secure emails pretty good, as it says. And yes, 'pretty good' does indeed mean it's still hackable. But only expert hackers with some serious processing power would get through that. The large majority of hackers (that tend to know just a few tricks) won't get in.
Tough to decide.
The iPod comes in very handy, for providing soothing background noise, to block out noisy children/random chatter (especially when I'm not at home and am trying to write).
On the more low-tech end of the scale, my mom gave me a multi-colored pen with 10 different colors of ink. It's overkill, but it makes editing a tad more fun, and I'm big into color coding.
And I never overluck the productivity-inducing properties of a decent bottle of wine!
The iPod comes in very handy, for providing soothing background noise, to block out noisy children/random chatter (especially when I'm not at home and am trying to write).
On the more low-tech end of the scale, my mom gave me a multi-colored pen with 10 different colors of ink. It's overkill, but it makes editing a tad more fun, and I'm big into color coding.
And I never overluck the productivity-inducing properties of a decent bottle of wine!
I've got tons of gadgets (tools, if my wife is listening) but I'd have to agree the USB drive is the best. Though running second is my foot-and-a-half long booklet stapler.
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