Ready to write in text-speak, slang and emoticons?

"The internet is there for snacking, grazing and tasting, not for the full, six-course feast that is nourishing narrative."

Agree with that statement or think Ben Macintyre (left) is selling the internet short? It's in an article I'd like you to read before Tuesday night. The headline sums up the point of the author:

"The internet is killing storytelling: Narratives are a staple of every culture the world over. They are disappearing in an online blizzard of tiny bytes of information."

And if that's true, how should we, as writers, respond to the internet and its possible threat to the long-form narrative. Let's talk about that Tuesday night.

BTW, here is the article Macintyre mentions that appeared in Atlantic Monthly. Strange that he didn't link to it. Perhaps it is his way of keeping us from engaging in what he calls "moving incontinently on to the next electronic canapé." The article by Nicholas Carr (right) in the Atlantic Monthly is also worth reading, but I warn you: You can get lost in all the links from it.