I admit it, I am constantly thinking about the 18th century and “olden times.”

I love the instantaneity of blogging but sometimes hate it too. Why blog when you can write a book, a book that smells like ink and has raggedy, hand cut pages.

This is what my 18th century writer mind thinks. My modern writer heart gets excited at WordPress.com updates and watches Lynda.com to try and learn to speak Adobe while my 18th century writer is shocked at such technology and yearns for ink wells, quills and the days where memorising poetry was everything.

Here are some musings for the pros of both camps.

Pros for being a modern day writer

The Good Stuff…

• TAGGING
  Can’t find any readers? Just tag your article. It sends out a little cheerleader for you on a big football field who does a little dance and says – “Whoo!!! I’ve published!! You might like my article!! Come, follow me and read it!”
• SOCIAL MEDIA
  Share your thoughts with friends or agreeable acquitances in “real time” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus – the choices are endless. Connect with writers and readers instantly and get feedback!
• EVERYTHING HAPPENS INSTANTLY
  You write something. It goes viral. Suddenly you have 50,000 fans and so much traffic coming in that SOMEHOW you can quit your day job and live the life of a blogger. You get to wear lots of pajamas and stay home a lot.

Pros For Being An Eighteenth Century Writer
*Or a writer in any century except ours

• LESS DISTRACTIONS
  We all know it. The Internet!!! Our best friend – on a good day – and a life sucker distraction on most days. How glorious to write in a time when all you did was write. And read. You wanted milk? You milked a cow! You didn’t just walk to your fridge and get it. Which brings me to the next point – the fridge! Another one of a writer’s greatest distraction… and that’s not even mentioning the kettle!
• HIGHER STANDARD OF WORK
  Arguably. You had plenty of time to refine, edit and prune your work before sending it off to the publishers
• THE GOLDEN AGE OF PAPER
  Oh yes! After the invention of the printing press, paper was roaring to go! None of this oversaturated literary market and newspapers closing down – there was room for everyone!! *Jolly, Santa-like laugh*

What do you think? Would you prefer to be a modern writer or an 18th century one?