Anyone over 30 seems to get written off these days as an old geezer, which is kind of ironic and funny to me. The music accompanying TV commercials to present-day TV shows and movies are chock-full of retreads, ahem, reboots they’re called by the younger generation.

Wedge-heeled shoes that women wear in the summer aka espadrilles (uh, we did that).

Horn-rimmed aka Clark Kent eyeglasses (“Birth control glasses” are what we called them when I was in basic training in the Air Force. If you wore eyeglasses, you were issued a pair. And trust me, they weren’t considered cool back in the day, especially for those of us women that were forced to wear them if we wanted to see. Yikes! I didn’t even wear them in my basic training photo. Who knew that they’d actually come back into style one day? I sure didn’t! And really, I have to admit, they were even a little ahead of my time.

So when I began writing as an adolescent, it was first with a pencil and then using a pen and later, the big time, a typewriter!

But what really separated us ancients from you young ‘uns is technology.

Not that long ago, those of us would-be writers had to read the book, skim it at least or lug the book(s) home from the library if we wanted to take notes. I did this many a day when attempting to write my first book and a screenplay from which I “adapted” my manuscript. By the way, I never tried to get it published but that’s beside the point. I still considered myself a writer. Back to the library, though–I had to take notes until my fingers cramped if it was a reference book, which weren’t allowed to be removed from the facility. And if another library patron was using a book that I needed, I had to either drag myself to the next closest library that had it or ask if it could be sent to the first library. Now THAT was technology! 

Nowadays, young buckeroos, unless you are poor and don’t have a computer of some sort, smartphone or tablet, acquiring information and the ability to write anything that you want to submit for public consumption is easier than it has ever been.

Okay, yes, there are hacking issues and electronic devices practically becoming obsolete overnight. But if you’re able to circumvent these obstacles or if you’re like me when it comes to the outdated nature of your laptop or tablet and will use it ’til the wheels fall off, it is even easy to self-publish a book.

Of course, you young writers still need to do your due diligence and ensure that your electronically-written works of art are formatted correctly, along with having it edited and proofread. Although the jury is still out in some camps, whereby some budding young authors assume that reading it over or having a friend whose proofreading skills are just as bad as theirs, is enough. Trust me, it is not. I must admit that this reasoning is not limited to you kiddoes. I grudgingly admit that older authors are also guilty of this misguided notion.

This is an exciting time in the wonderful world of writing and self-publishing and I truly wish all of you the best of luck.

And now I raise a toast to Ollivetti, the manufacturer of the manual (you heard me right, not electric) typewriter I learned to type on in middle school typing class. By the way, it used to be known as junior high school when I went. Anyhoo, thanks for leading us old people and the rest of you to where we are now in the technological age.

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