Michael Carnell

Blame It On Andra

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I stared upward at the motionless ceiling fan. A faint glow filtered in the open bedroom door from the nightlight in the hall and reflected down off the still blades. It was four in the morning, my head was pounding, and there was a dull throb in my ear meaning that almost assuredly my infection was back. Great. To top it all off I was trying to come to grips with the dream I just woke from which involved performer Amanda Palmer, her husband and writer Neil Gaiman, a mysterious collection of architectural ruins in a coast line not far from a train station, and a small mysterious decaying skull.

Andra WatkinsThat was how I woke up this morning. I blame it all on the far ranging discussions of the previous evening. Well maybe not the earache, but who really knows.

So let’s go with the previous evening. If I lay the blame there, I can transfer a good amount of it to my friend Andra Watkins. Whenever we get together the discussions take unusual turns, and last night was no different. Her first book, “To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis”, is about to be published and so our conversations naturally centered on that. Topics ranged from author interview questions to publishing formats to the effect paper quality has on the reading experience. The most lively discussion though was around the premise of her book in general, shall we say a post-death do-over.

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Review – The Maker Movement Manifesto

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The Maker Movement is really gaining steam these days. From “Make Labs” down the road to Arduinos in every RadioShack, the maker phenomenon is spreading like wildfire. For some this grassroots movement to create new things is hard to understand. That is where Mark Hatch’s book “The Maker Movement Manifesto” comes in to play. Published … Read more

A Choice of Simple Tools

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My primary requirement for a tool is that it stay out of my way. Ok, so maybe that is requirement number two, right after the requirement of the tool fulfilling its purpose. But honestly, if a tool can perform its required function then the next most important characteristic for me is that it be as non-obtrusive as possible. This applies to simple tools like screwdrivers and hammers as well as more complex tools such as computers and their software.

Simplicity ToolsWhen I pick up a hammer I expect it to be able to drive a nail into a board. I do not need it to have a compass to guide the way or a light to illuminate the path. Such things would only add needless complexity to the device and would thus get in my way. It is the simplicity of the device that makes it both useful and appropriate. The same goes for a screwdriver. Multiple attachments, lights in the body, and fancy sheathing may sound attractive at first, but when I am trying to get a job done those added complexities could actually make the job more difficult. The beauty of simplicity is that it represents just enough. Just enough to accomplish the work – not too little so that you require more time or tools, and not too much so that extra effort is expended.

This simplicity is also how I choose software. I am an Apple fan; there is no doubt about that. But I am an Apple fan for a reason. I will not deny, not in the least, that Windows and Linux may be immensely more configurable than Mac OSX. But that configurability adds a level of complexity that I find in no way necessary. That configurability actually gets in my way. I feel the same way about the Android mobile operating system versus IOS.

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A Look at a Online Word Processors

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More and more I find that ideas occur to me and the need to write calls to me when I am on a computer, but not necessarily my main personal machine. What all of the machines I might be sitting at have though is a web browser. From there I can check my main, search the Internet, and most importantly, access a web based word processor. There are quite a few options when it comes to web based writing, and I decided to take a look at the major ones so I could find the one most suited to my needs.

Writing In The CloudsFirst though we need to mention the machine-based Microsoft Word. Yes, I know that the native MS Word is not an online tool, but let’s face it, Word is the standard. I am not going to say it is the best or the brightest, but it is the word processor that almost all people cut their teeth on. Because it is what we learned on, and because it is the industry standard for document submission, and because most people have a copy of it already on the computer, like it or not Word is what we judge everything else from. Sure I would love to turn off 90% of it off for my daily use, but when I need those extra features it is really nice to have them around. So this is what we will be judging against.

Word in Office 365 Online

Since this is a much different product to MS Word that runs directly on the machine, I wanted to test this out and see what is or isn’t available.  I really don’t care too much about all the layout tools because what I am trying to do is write, not do pretty publication.

The product looks very nice, but there are unfortunately a few features missing that are very important to me. I was about to say that word count was missing, but then I found it. It was just hiding down there in the bottom left corner. This is symptomatic of Microsoft – things you need are just too darn hidden. On the other hand, a grammar checker doesn’t exist. Some might not like having a program watch over their grammar for them, but I find it is very useful in catching wild misspellings and also pointing out some blatant wording blunders. I can always ignore it if I like, but I do like having it available. A spelling checker is available, but grammar is not.

There are headers and footers available, as well as page numbers, tables, images, hyperlinks, and all that stuff. However, none of that would I really use in my daily writing. But at least the features are there.

In operation it is actually quite comfortable to write in, and with the push of a button it will open my local copy of Word and I can keep on working.  And since the document is stored in my SkyDrive account that is synced up on my numerous computers, it is backed up and available everywhere. I can even use it on  my iPad. I will also say that to Microsoft’s credit the web-based writing is very fluid. I have not experienced any of the odd freezes or lags that I have seen in other software. Not bad. Not bad at all.

And now on to Google Apps.

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Distractions and Determination

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I am far too easily distracted. There are so many things, many of them not even interesting, which will pull my attention away in an effort to keep me from writing. And yes, I know it is all up to me, and it is my own fault. It is my own psyche that is stepping in front of my progress to keep me from putting words on the page.

The distractions and pulls can be anything as simple as wanting to go to the restroom or stopping to find a new feature in my word-processor to things as complicated as my hands suddenly deciding they hurt or an email coming in that demands I read it. Of course if I give in to that demand and read the email, then I am going to have to either answer it or do research and maybe a bit of delegation. All of that takes time. Time that should be used to write.

David's DeterminationIn truth, it is my own fault for giving in to the earthly desires of urination or software features, and even more so for not turning off my email notifications or better yet turning off the internet in its entirety. Of course, as I type another question comes to mind – is going back and correcting mistypes, grammar mistakes, and misspellings a distraction or a necessity of writing? Sure they would all need to be corrected at some point, but is that point supposed to be while I am in the flow of writing? Or should it be in the future?

Anyway, what I have then are those distractions that keep me from writing – the ones that stop me from ever getting a single word down, and additionally those that slow me down or limit the words I produce. It is not an all or nothing battle. In contrast to an alcoholic who has to resist the urge to drink totally, and even if they give in once they can start all over by not drinking, we writers have to start and then work to keep going. Writing then is more like running. Perhaps it makes sense that we call them “writing exercises.”

Just as with the traditional forms of physical exercises such as running, there are the roadblocks that stand in the way of our ever starting to write. The sometimes seemingly mundane circumstances that try to keep us from getting to the gym. The traffic, the busy schedule, the malaise, the thought that we need better equipment before we even start. But then there are the forces that work on us while we move. The exhaustion, the soreness, the unrealistic comparisons of ourselves to others, and yes, even boredom. Even a writer can get tired of laying down word after word after word while our hands get sore and our minds get numb. And while our well meaning friends call us out to play. But we will not get better without practice, and we will not produce the mileage of words without discipline and dedication.

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