I thought the article North of Boston was a very interesting read. We get a look into the transition to writing using computers. Computers are a tool that we can take for granted in this day and age. Whether writing an award-winning essay or a high school research paper, it is more than likely that a person will use their computer. Because of how abundant computers are, and how frequently people will use them, little thought is given into what is was like before this technology changed the world.

This is why the article and Stephen King’s transition to computer writing gives us this unique perspective. Stephen King’s moving over to utilizing computers for his writing gives us a look into how revolutionary the introduction of this technology to the public was. Before Stephen King did all the traditionally, writing out then printing his work. When he wanted something changed, he’d have to rewrite the entire thing then print it out again. But when he started using the Wang System 5, he need only go back and retype that line. He was able to decide if a character’s fate with a simple press of the keyboard.

A photo graph of Stephen King at his desk with his Word Processor, as well as a corgi.
The photograph of Stephen King with his Word Processor that was discussed in the article.

Stephen King’s transition to computers reveals how impactful the technology was to writers. We see how it gave them new control, invoking astonishment for what they could do, the potential.

This would only grow as computer technology advanced over the years. More possibilities emerged for writers. They were given more control and writing became far easier. And their feeling of control, having the power to decide a character’s fate would extend to the readers with the beginning of hypertext, giving them choices and the power to choose what will happen.

Computers are a powerful tool, and seeing how it impacted one of the most successful authors in recent history really puts into perspective just how lucky we are to possess it.