EXCERPT from "eFabulous: Publishing in a Paperless World" by Penny Dawn in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction
In the early 80s, the Betamax went the way of the dinosaur. For those of you who weren't around to witness the war between Beta and VHS, these were home video media, predecessors of the Laserdisc (an obscure, LP-sized video alternative the size and shape of a frozen pizza). The Laserdisc, while wildly popular in Japan, didn't hold consumer interest in the United States, and was replaced by hip, smaller DVDs, at a time the word Blu-Ray might have conjured images of marine life. With the emergence of internet streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, the Blu-Ray may soon find itself a shell on a sandy shore, too. You have to roll with the changes, baby.
It's easier said than done. I confess I still house my collection of original Disney masterpieces on VHS, as well as the platinum, anniversary releases on DVD. And while working in the field of home interiors, I still design, upon request, entertainment centers housing slide-out shelves for these bulky dust-collectors. Yet there will come a time when even the few lingering, diehard fans of these should-be-bones-by-now media will eventually forfeit their relics for one reason: no one produces VCRs anymore. Nothing lasts forever.
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Penny Dawn is the author of seven novels, seventeen eBooks, and countless poems and trade articles. She teaches her craft at two colleges in the Chicago suburbs, volunteers at elementary school writing centers, and edits the work of hopeful writers through The Calliope. When she isn't writing, or teaching others to hone their ability to do so, she immerses herself in other passions: parenthood, the discipline of dance, home improvement, and her yellow lab. Visit her online at www.pennydawn.com.
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