Nows and Forevers

I’ve been trying to find ways to increase writing moments, stealing back some of the time that I should be writing but haven’t. I do a lot of writing, both professionally and for myself. A lot of it is on either computer or mobile device, or both. A fair amount of it is handwritten, in myriad notebooks or scraps of paper.

I’m a prolific but sometimes messy writer. I have lots of electronic nooks and crannies where I’ve put full drafts, partial drafts, first drafts, final drafts of published pieces, and the like. And that’s just electronically. I have boxes of writing from the over past 40 years. I wonder if I will ever get organized.

But, I try.

My latest strategy has been to streamline my writing process. Maybe don’t write in as many apps or software programs, try to keep to a minimum the number of notebooks and pads and scrap papers where I’m writing. I’ve kept a journal for a long time, but that’s only in the chronological sense. I’m not good at keeping one in the physical world, completed volume after completed volume, in a nice row on bookshelves or neatly tucked away in boxes.

Remember, I’m a messy writer.

I wish I could say I was better on the computer, or at least synchronized across devices. But even there, I have a lot of real estate: multiple websites, Google docs, apps and an iMac, a MacBook Air and several hard drives. Oh, and I can’t forget all the disks I still have from my Mac and PC days.

I’m getting heart palpatations, just thinking about it all. Really, some day, I oughtta get super organized. ‘Cause I’m not.

One of the reasons why I use so much paper — beyond actually liking the physical act of putting words on a page, as I do — is that I don’t have a handy computer. The iMac is in one place. My MacBook Air, an 11-inch model that’s nearly eight years old now, is wonderful but I don’t like bringing it everywhere. I’m afraid I need something that is sturdy, has strong battery life and also I wouldn’t mind if it got beat up a bit. Or worried about it getting stolen.

For a few years, I’ve been eyeing what they now call the Hemingway Freewrite. If you haven’t seen one, it’s a small, e-ink device that’s strictly for writing. It’s expensive but fit for purpose: There’s no worry about distractions because, well, there’s nothing to distract. You’ve got a keyboard, a small screen and your thoughts. That’s it.

That appealed to me. So did the long battery life. I liked the idea that I coudl bring it with me anywhere, and just write. But the price tag, well, that’s one of the things that’s stopping me. I don’t think I’ll ever get one.

I like something portable. The MacBook Air is portable but it’s not something that I could feel that I could take with me anywhere, like a park or sitting among friends and family, or just in the downtime, in the car or something. It’s still too expensive. I tried the iPad, along with a good keyboard, for a while, and that worked well. As a writer, tools are important to me and an iPad and a detachable keyboard worked OK but it always felt like too much kit.

I’ve had a real writing spurt over the past several months, ever since the fall. The words have spilled out, often intensely. It’s been a while since I’ve written that much, that intently, with that much purpose. I’ve had to pull over my car — or use dictation — to capture it. Sometimes I’ve woken up in the middle of the night to write, and it’s been a while since I’ve done that.

It’s a blessing, all this writing. But it’s also led me to try to find ways to make it easier.

Using the iMac or MacBook Air, yes sometimes. But I can’t be portable with the iMac and the MacBook Air is convenient but I always feel like I’m going to break it. (Plus I don’t like the keyboard as much as I wish I did.) I can be more portable with the iPad, but it’s not a long-term solution. (And again, the keyboard leaves a lot to be desire.) I have written a lot on my iPhone, and before that the Blackberry. But my thumbs don’t work as fast as my brain. The convenience factor has led me to do a lot of writing on paper, which takes an extra step to translate or shape up into a computer draft.

Does anyone else have these problems or is it just me?

Last weekend, I found a solution. It had been staring me in the face for about two years, and I’m surprised I didn’t think about it sooner.

What about a Chromebook?

I know what you’re thinking. A Chromebook? You already have one of the most portable computers in history, the 11-inch MacBook Air. Why do you want something else? You already have a pretty good vehicle for writing.

I didn’t buy a new Chromebook. I already had one, new in the box for the past two years, tucked away in the back of a closet. My father bought it for the kids, but they haven’t needed it. So I put it away, thinking that at some point one of the kids would break theirs and they would need a replacement.

But that didn’t happen in late 2020, all through 2021 and 2022. Now, six months into 2023, I wondered during spring cleaning whether the Chromebook would ever get out of the box. It wasn’t looking good. So I pulled the box off the shelf, opened it, and found an 11.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 CB, circa late 2020/early 2021. I charged it, turned it on and then went through the steps to connect it to my Google account.

I work almost completely in MacOS and iOS, for more than a decade now. (My first Mac was in 1986 and I’ve always had one for work ever since.) I went all-Mac in 2012, quickly forgetting anything that I ever learned about PCs. I haven’t looked back. But I also didn’t know much about Chromebooks.

That hasn’t stopped me, really. I’ve found the experience almost universally pleasant, even if I am still getting used to being tethered to Google Docs. The 11.6-inch screen, and the relatively small footprint, allows me to bring the Chromebook everywhere. Or almost everywhere. It’s low price (about $200) means that I don’t have to be worried about breaking it because it’s somewhat replaceable, and all the files are in the cloud anyway. The keyboard on this thing is wonderful. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a laptop or notebook computer that I’ve enjoyed typing on. This one has a solid feel, keys that have substance, and they aren’t slowed by my quick touch typing.

And the battery life! I got 12 hours out of the box, which is about two days of writing. Even in its heyday, my MacBook Air couldn’t do that. My iPad barely makes it that long. I can’t remember when I had a device that lasted that long.

It’s only been a week, but the signs are looking good. I have written a lot more, in a lot of different places, just like I anticipated. I bring paper with me, but I haven’t reached for it as much. I still sometimes wipe away text — my Welsh tutor used to call it “banana fingers” — but I’m working on that. I lost a whole day’s worth of writing because I hit a button on the side without (I think) saving it. Being able to write on the Chromebook has been a revelation, and only a little bit of a workaround and change to my process.

I expect a summer of writing on my Chromebook. Can’t wait.