Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Will someone please invent this?

Joined at the wrist. That phrase has special meaning for me because it brings to mind something I long for. In fact, I've longed for this for decades: wrist keyboards.

I use a split keyboard (and can't imagine why anyone would use another kind). So I'm used to having a half-keyboard at each hand. What I want is something that attaches to my hands -- two half-keyboards -- that I can wear when I'm out in the world. I want to be able to write as I walk around, simply by pressing the keys on my handy wrist keyboards.

This may sound strange but think what you, as a writer, could do with this. You could walk through a crowd and write about what it feels like, what you're seeing, smelling, thinking. You could walk through a park and describe what you see, or sit in a restaurant and write about the sounds and sights and scents. It would be such a great way to capture scenes from real life. And yes, of course you could use a recorder -- but that's another medium. It's not writing; I can't relate.

Afterward, if I wanted to write a scene that takes place in a diner I could haul out the file I wrote while I was actually in one. It would describe the scene in fresh, present ways. I think that's different than making stuff up. I'd at least like to try this system and see if it gives me something more than I can dream up on my own.

This would be useful in so many ways. Hear a curious turn of phrase? Type it into memory. Even during conversations it might be handy because I could record a particular way something was said. I love the different ways people speak, and so much of it goes by the wayside. I'd rather collect it. Gimme wrist keyboards. Heck, I'd wear them to bed to catch the thoughts that shoot by as sleep tries to snatch me away. I'd never lose anything!

Lastly, give me a display in the form of a pair of sunglasses. That's it. With these tools I could conquer the world. So would someone please invent these items? Pretty please? Now?