Onward, Offline!
Dear Readers and Fellow Writers,
Oh, the irony. I haven't posted anything in ages and here I am to tell you about my journey as a mostly offline author. Right now, I haven't any choice in the matter: I spent two mornings and early afternoons designing a new cover for Swing as I am updating and it to several new distributors. And now I'm sitting on my bed, typing on my Freewrite because my eyes are once again strained. (If you don't know what a Freewrite is, it's an expensive little device somewhat like a hybrid between a typewriter and an Etch-a-sketch.) The important thing to know is I am typing words onto a screen with no backlight. I've been exploring using my phone and computer as little as I can for everything except writing and producing books. You know, "work-related" stuff. But I have discovered that it's almost all work-related and every modern book-launching, platform-building program is centered around social media and online store fronts. Which puts me in a strange position as an author whose body struggles to handle exposure to blue light, bright screens, and the Electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) signals from WiFi and Bluetooth and telephones that are all upgrading to 5G. For a few months, I have been dabbling with exploring the various aspects of modern life and how much a "normal" person can shape her job and leisure around situations and solutions that don't require a glance at Google, entering information into a spreadsheet, opening an app on a phone, or obtaining an item via two-day shipping. I have lots of reasons for doing this, some good and some I'm still questioning myself. Sometimes it goes well and sometimes I slip into old habits. It has been interesting, often frustrating, and surprisingly rewarding. But today I realized: I am not normal. I may never be normal. So why not embrace this and make it a challenge instead of an obstacle? This week I will be testing the idea that work will fit into the amount of time that you allow it. I will be using screens across all devices for only 3 hours a day and exploring the tasks I can do offline for the rest of the time. I’ll post next week and let you know how it goes! What do you think will be the hardest thing to leave behind? What is your favorite screen activity? Leave a comment and let me know!
Love, Lindsey
