I am become darkness, the destroyer of pixels. Once upon a time, I was, to whole forests of conifers, the thing that goes scritch, scribble, crumple and crunch in the night. Soybeans whisper my name to their children, in the dead of night, that they might heed – soak in the rain, absorb the morning sun, and and grow up to be tofu.
I am an author, and the resources I greedily consume are electricity, paper, and ink – all in relatively smallish quantities, mostly from renewable sources, and yet, I am glad that my drafts can now be readily composed on the PC, so that they need not end the lives of innocent trees and soybeans. I recycle paper and boxes, now, and use notebooks made of second-hand, mostly-post-consumer pulp. My books are printed in short runs or on demand, as sold, so that there is little waste. Less need for warehouses, more room for trees.
Do I regret my younger days – the crumpled drafts, carelessly tossed across the room, into the circular, metal void alongside yesterday’s fish and this morning’s pencil shavings?
The screams of the soybeans haunt me.
But they have made me a better writer.
I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words #6. Today’s prompt was to “write about a resource you use.” Want to read more bloggers’ #WTFOW posts? Click here. If you enjoy our posts, please share them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or your other favorite social media sites, using the hashtags #writetribe #writingbravely #festivalofwords. And comment! Don’t forget to comment! We love to hear from you.
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I’m sure the soybeans will find it in their heart to forgive you. After all they have a hand in your success. LOL.
Most of my writing happens on PC too, though it has taken a toll on my handwriting. 🙁
Paper and trees are a valuable resource. Recycling has been part of our culture for years and if it makes you feel any better, traditionally our grannies ate on Banana leaves that normally consisted of left overs from their husband’s meals. And after the leaf was licked clean, it was offered to the family cow! So that save a lot of resources – water and soap included…..
Fascinating! A little sad and ever so slightly disgusting – I thought we treated our elders poorly over here! 🙂 But efficient, if looked at from a resource and recycling standpoint!
Writing on paper is addictive, even if writing on the device is kinder on soya beans. That scritch and scrabble has broken many a block.
Very true! At least both are renewable resources!
Nice! I enjoyed this imaginative post. And I find myself a bit frightened. ;o
LOL, be glad you’re not a tree or a soybean.
Writing on paper can break the writer’s block with ease. I find it more accessible to heart. Loved your post and imagination.
I agree. Actually, any change to the routine can break a block. I don’t really believe in writer’s block. I think that all “writer’s block” is is a creative urge that won’t be satisfied through writing. So I like to sneak up on it by painting, taking photos, doing crochet, sketching, cooking – anything BUT writing. “No, you can’t write right now. I know you think you want to, but you’re really just sitting there staring off into space and that’s no good for anyone. So no. No writing for you!” If the urge to write really is strong, and I have something worth saying, it’ll rebel and insist on writing. 🙂
I love your take on the prompt – but what I love more is the way you write. It has a poetic ring to it 🙂
You’re so sweet to say that, Prisha! Thank you. I’m glad you’re enjoying my writing; that means a lot to me.