This week: Online - Open Borders Edited by: Vivian  
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In the past, if writers couldn't travel, they couldn't attend conferences or workshops or classes. Thanks to the cyberspace/online improvements, now authors can attend many types of webinars.
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Online Possibilities Equal Open Borders for Writers
Once upon a time, people attended meetings held with a TV screen filled with pictures of attendees from various other places only in fiction or in huge corporations that could afford state of the art systems. However now, anyone can attend a meeting with people around the world without leaving their living rooms.
Until a few years ago, if anyone wanted to attend college, a conference, or a workshop, she or he had to travel to that event's location. Now, people can and do earn college degrees without ever visiting campus.
For writers, this online technology can mean a difference between never attending a conference, a workshop, or a class and being able to attend, learn, and network. Complete writing conferences are being held as completely virtual or hybrid (onsite and online) events. Due to the Convid 19 pandemic, most conferences, book events, and festivals were cancelled. A few switched immediately to an online presence, but others joined the second year. WriterCon, a conference held in Oklahoma City by best selling author William Burnhardt, has held a hybrid conference the past two years, not cancelling the event. The OWFI (Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc.) conference, on the other hand, cancelled its 2020 conference but held a fully online conference in 2021. I don't have names, but I have heard of other online conferences and events.
William Burnhardt, through his Red Sneaker Writers organization (https://williambernhardt.com/red-sneaker-writers/), holds monthly webcasts. People can attend live, ask questions, participate, or they can watch the videos later. Between the Covers of 4RV (my company) does the same thing each month. Other writers and organizations provide interviews with experts in the writing field, including authors, or discussions about writing.
Universities often have degree programs and classes taken online. Some require students attend some classes on site with the remainder online, but some colleges have all classes for a degree online.
Now, people can join writing groups that meet monthly, weekly, or bi-monthly online. The writing group, an OWFI affiliate, that I'm a member, meets monthly through Zoom. We have members all over the U.S. and one in the U.K. We couldn't do that without current technology.
Technology has opened the borders for writers, allowing them to participate in events and activities closed to them in the past unless they could travel and possible live away from family and home. We don't have any excuses not to network, attend classes and workshops, participate in conferences. Research in your area for opportunities, or research outside of your locality. Find groups, events, and opportunities to help you improve as a writer -- online. Remember, we are a part of an online writing community on Writing.Com.
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Words from Our Readers
Olivia: it's NaNo-Time
16588 
And I always felt BAD when I felt the need to revise after the first three, thirty, etc. pages, but not after finishing. *FacePalm* I agree with Chang-rae Lee here.*ThumbsUpL*
All the time I ignored that the in-between-revise made the respective story better and advanced it. *Pthb* So strong condition can be, eh? Also, I instinctively seem to include Sam Carver's tips from point 6: loads of emotion, foreshadowing, flashbacks, showing no telling (at least I hope so*Wink*). Love that!*BigSmile*
Guess no need to feel bad anymore. *Wink* Write and polish ahead, eh?*Wink*
This is a really good newsletter which made me understand my writing habits, also with easy to integrate tips that might help me even further improve. *ThumbsUpL*
Thank you.
I'm always glad I can help. Keep working and writing.
Winchester Jones 
I like this article. Very informative. I, too, edit as I write. The computer has made re-writing much easier. I would like to see an article on ways people wrote and revised before the computer-age. I began writing with pen, then typewriter, now computer, and it seems to me I did a lot less editing in those days.
I started in the manual-typewriter era. I would write my manuscript by pen on paper and type it using the Royal Standard my parents gave me as a senior in high school (many, many years ago). I did as much editing then as now, only editing was much harder and time consuming. I probably went through a whole planted-for-making-paper forest by myself.
Tadpole1 
Hi Vivian,
I would add another step to revising--listening. There is a listening function in Word, and Natural Reader is a free program. My ears often catch things that my eyes refuse to see. Also, I find that listening helps me to focus on what I am reading as opposed to having parasitic thoughts barging in, and it helps to find repetitions.
Ah, yes, another little tidbit that I use is changing the fonts. I remember three of us reading a text written for an application without finding an error until I glanced at the text after it was pasted into the form, changing the font. An error jumped out at me. The three of us were amazed that no one had spotted it before.
Just my two and a half cents. *Smile*
Tadpole1
I know many people use the "listen" editing process. Since I was never one to like to read aloud, I guess that helpful hint didn't stick with me as well as reading silently. I hope every writer uses different techniques and sticks with the ones that help create a more polished manuscript. Thanks for sharing.
Jon Little (they/them) 
Amen! I usually don't know what the story is about, or where it is going, until I have edited a piece a half dozen times. Editing is as much a journey of discovery as the first draft, or even the first imagination of a scene.
How interesting. I know every writer has his or her own method, and if it works, it works. I already have the "movie" playing in my head before I begin writing. Somethings may change a bit during the writing, but the main plot and characters stay the same. If the method works for you, then keep using it.
Thank you for joining me again. I hope you will continue doing so. Do let me know if there is a topic you would like me to cover, and I will do my best.
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For Authors: October 06, 2021 Issue [#11006]
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