Week #4 – Emerging trends in technology
Today’s ultra-wired society gives us all so many opportunities to stay connected and catch up on emerging trends in technology. If you are Jane Friedman, you’ll be adamant about connecting in certain ways. The average Joe may feel differently. Your job is to discuss whether e-mail is the best way to stay on top of emerging trends in technology.
Creative Idea Gal’s Thoughts Email management has its pros and cons. Those of us who love subscribing to newsletters, updates, RSS feeds, and every other blog under the sun have a high threshold for receiving large amounts of emails. Many people are the opposite. These are the email-phobes who never check spam filters, keep an impressive assortment of bookmarks, and delight in downloading apps. In other words, they get their news and technology updates through sources other than email.
Email can be an asset or a detriment, depending on your point of view. Today, I make no judgment call as to the value of e-mail except to encourage you to adopt both points if view. Discussing the pros and cons of e-mail as the best means of keeping up-to-date with emerging trends in technology is a great way to write.
Tips on How to Spark Creativity in Writing
- Tip #12 – Read your e-mail!
This one is a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how people, especially writers, so easily pass up the opportunity to add the tastiest ready-made fuel to their writing. Checking e-mail and reading it is a free, easy, and effective way to be inspired and subsequently, to write.
I’m not suggesting that you start subscribing to 1,000 newsletters and start inundating your inbox to the point of no return. However, that doesn’t also give you free license to delete everything willy nilly just because it happens to be selling you something. Advertisements, while appearing to be annoying, often lead to great discoveries in news, products, and emerging trends.
Emerging Trends on Twitter
Here is a sampling of yesterday’s emerging trends based on Twitter hashtags:
- #Ariel Castro (Cleveland kidnapper who has agreed to plead guilty)
- #FreshmanAdvice (related: #sophomoreadvice, #junioradvice) (appears to be snarky advice)
- #BlogHer13 (chatter about the BlogHer conference in Chicago, Illinois)
Writing Prompt 087
Prompt: Discuss whether e-mail is the best way to follow emerging trends in technology.
- Step 1: There are many ways to keep abreast of the news. E-mail happens to be one of them. Start thinking about your response. Do basic Internet research.
- Step 2: Virtually everyone has e-mail these days. Do you subscribe to any news updates from any source? If so, how do you feel about those updates? Do you read them or routinely delete them? Why?
- Step 3: Discuss whether e-mail is the best way to follow emerging trends in technology. List the pros and cons of receiving e-mails, reading them, and following up with them. Do you think e-mail is more effective than other news sources, such as t.v.s, computers, or smartphones?
Please be sure to leave comments about this writing prompt. We want to hear from you!
About the Author
Amanda M. Socci – a.k.a. Creative Idea Gal
Amanda M. Socci is the creator of this unique 10-month training program providing writing prompts to nonfiction writers. Amanda is a diehard creative and an aspiring book author, currently blogging a book on faith, A Slice of Faith, on a community website. Visit Amanda’s blog. Follow Amanda on her journey to book publication. Like A Slice of Faith on Facebook.
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Dear Amanda,
Much appreciate the mention here, thank you. I did want to clarify—since it’s something I say frequently at conferences and other venues—that every writer has to choose what tools are best for them and their readership. That means I would never say that Twitter is a must, or Facebook is a must, or any other social media channel is a must.
Twitter happens to work very well for me, but it may not work for everyone. A writer usually has to enjoy the network they’re using to be effective on it, and it’s pretty easy to separate out the people who are using a tool out of guilt/burden/obligation, versus a desire to connect, serve, or inform.
Thank you so much for your eloquent reply, Jane. I just received it by the way. Sorry for the late reply. Naturally, I follow your blog, as so many others do, and am always analyzing your thoughtful comments. I am always pleased to direct folks over to you to learn more and balance their writing and publishing needs. Thanks again!