Technologies of writing impact my composition process in very specific ways. The word processor program “Microsoft Word” can be uploaded onto laptops. Because laptops are portable, my own composition process can take place in just about any environment that I can bring my laptop to and I often write in a variety of places. Keyboard design is also standardized. Any person who spends enough time typing will soon develop muscle memory regarding the placement of letters, numbers, and other symbols, and this has greatly sped up my own composition process. This is obviously different than manually writing something with a pencil or pen, which takes me a much longer time.

            Another plus of using a word processor is the “Copy and Paste” function, which was discussed in our readings.  This has the benefit of saving time and energy by transporting large amounts of text like a quote, or passage to be revised into the word document in an instant, similar to what Seth Grahame-Smith did when writing Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Using a word processor also helps the writer save paper, as corrections can be made in the document, and do not have to be done on countless sheets of paper, which in turn helps me and many others save some money.

            On the flipside, when composing something on a word processor like Microsoft Word, which is itself, not a tangible item like a notepad or piece of paper, but a software program, physical copies of a composition are not being gathered. They are also not being physically revised. In order to save a composition, the writer must continually “save” the piece, which poses the risk of losing some if not all of what the writer has written, if there is no automatic “save” function. This has made me a bit of a “manic” saver due to past misfortune.