This is a big moment.  As I hit the keyboard for the first time in my role as an 'ATTACHED WRITER'  (sound effect: fanfare) I am conscious that this is yet another opportunity for me to cock up, but this time it's going to be different.  This time it is going to be the first step on the ladder to ...  well, something.

    Having visited trAce last Thursday to suss out the place and the protocol, I have already met Bernard and been given enough instruction (thanks, Sue and Carolyn!) to be able to open up Composer, create a document and save, so it's hands-on and away.

    The first thing that has hit me about doing this journal via the keyboard is that I am thinking through my fingers.  Instead of sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper writing 'write it down' and sinking progressively deeper into a black hole, I find myself freeing up and talking to the screen almost as if I'm having a chat on the 'phone.  The words are taking a short cut from the grey cells to the pixels, by-passing the feet in treacle syndrome which usually clamps down as soon as I try to put pen to paper.  I'm audio typing from my inner voices - spooky!

    I still haven't managed to get myself onto the net from home, which is frustrating, but it's one of those things which come under the list of 'never straightforward'.  We tried a disk from Cable and Wireless, and when it came to the bit where you have to type in your credit card number neither myself nor my husband would volunteer the card.  I thought he should put it on his and vice versa.  While we were disagreeing (euphemism) over the ten quid, we were tipped off that BT Click would put us on line FOC.  We sent for the disk which we promptly lost, so have had to re-order it.  For further instalments of this riveting saga, tune in next week, same time, same channel.

    Whilst I was typing the previous paragraph, Helen Whitehead called in to see me.  We've batted around some  ideas about what I want from the attachment, and have already laid plans to do some one-to-one sessions on creating a home page with links to other sites of interest and some graphics to liven things up.  I can't imagine how this all works but I'm a Believer  (sound effect: short burst of Hallelujah Chorus) - all will come clear in time.  Martin Glynn has said in his journal 'The only way to improve one's skills is to go ahead and do it' (13 May 99) and taking this advice on board, I have jotted out a reply to his   new poem  at the end of his journal entry in week 7 as a first foray into the brave new world of online writing: poem for Martin. I'll dedicate it to Dale Spender.

Go to Week 2