October 2005. I’m on my early morning walk before my college classes. I had read about a short novel competition at school the day before, and I was yearning to write something again. But I had no time. The days when I could sit worry-free in front of my notebook and craft cool stories and poems for hours were long gone. My life was becoming hectic. But a writer is always a writer — as evidenced by the fact that I’m writing this now. I looked down at the Nokia 3250 Xpress Music in my hand and wondered: Could I type a short novel on a T9 keyboard while walking? Challenge accepted.
One week later, my 13-A4-page novel was submitted to the competition (spoiler: I did not win), and a dramatic shift had occurred in the way I thought about writing. Digital allthethings! No more pens, papers, notebooks, and paraphernalia I couldn’t carry with me everywhere. The smartphone that was already in my pocket was all I needed to get creative anywhere.