Tip Tuesday #40

Hey everyone! If you didn't have a chance to read Sue Walker's interview yesterday, please do. I put it up later than I meant to. Today, your Tuesday Tip comes from Daren Hansen of the Laws of Making. This is his second time on the blog, so please give him a visit!

When I described the WriteMonkey text editor a few weeks ago, I shared only half of my distraction-free writing story. The other half is that I use WriteMonkey on a netbook. Netbooks are smaller, lighter (and some would say underpowered) laptops designed for common applications (like writing), email, internet browsing, etc. There are many models to chose from and you shouldn't have to pay more than about $300.

I did remove most of the software that came pre-installed, which noticeably improved the netbook's performance. In most respects the system was what I expected, but there were two things that surprised me, in a delightful way: the netbook's 9-hour battery life and its light weight. Together, those features opened up my writing horizons. Because the netbook is so light and small, I nearly always take it along if I'm going someplace and might have a chance to write. Similarly, it's perfect to take to whatever corner of the house is relatively quiet and distraction free. And with the stunning battery life (and a captive audience in the car), I was able to turn a road-trip into a productive read-through-and-revise session.

If you're considering a new computer for your writing, I encourage you to take a look at netbooks--their liabilities as a general computing platform are assets for writers who want to minimize distractions when they're trying to write.

Thanks Daren! I've been wanting to get a netbook for this exact reason. It's a pain to tote my regular laptop around and the battery life is awful. I'd love a reliable, on-the-go writing companion! : )