Maybe we're just different. When I do the actual writing I already have a pretty good ideia of what I'm going to write. I used to tell a lot of jokes when I was younger. And, probably, the way I write now has been deeply affected by it. By jokes I mean short amusing anecdotes. These are really good practice because every telling is a rewrite. Everytime looking for the most impact. Everytime looking for the most punch. And everytime making good eye contact because that's how you tell a story. So I already know the joke, I'm just putting it down on papper. And there's a lot of backspace involved. I understand a lot writers do the first draft more loosely and take improve it on the rewrite, it's just not the way I do it. After all words and story are completly different things. You can tell a story with no words. Although you could make the case that everything is a story. Or that we turn everything into a story to be able to understand it. But maybe I'll try it your way. ____________ On another note, do you also write music? I also write lyrics by playing the song and singing the verses as they come to me. Over and over until I have a song I like. ____________ And also: nice username.
YEAH! And they should do the same thing on pianos! They pushed back 5 pieces and made them black, but what about the rest!? Also, isn't it racist that every black piece is either sharp or flat?
I hope you understand I was just kidding. It's late here and I tend to post silly rambles when I'm tired.
The other way around is still racist, just the other way around... That I play mostly guitar instead. No racism. Also you can't drag a piano around... ...well, I can't.
I don't think my typing is good enough to type with my eyes closed. I would use a recording device if I had one, though. As a bonus, I could even use it with my eyes closed.
I don't think I could do it with my eyes closed. I can type touch perfectly but I need to see what I'm writing so I'm aware of what I put on the page (Usage of words, flow, structure, etc.) to make sure it all melds together well.
Just a few weeks ago I wrote about this in my blog. I don't close my eyes though, instead I do what I call "The Stare." ~Chad Lutzke
I haven't tried writing with my eyes closed (I would end up to scared to open them again and see the madness on the screen), but I do close my eyes (or stare straight out in space without seeing anything but my own thoughts) every now and then during writing sessions to develop or reorganise ideas. (Much like minstrel, I can touch type pretty well, but it comes from doing a lot of programming.)
I can pretty confidently guarantee that we're different and yes, I do write music sometimes. Often the way you just described. I play and then sing whatever fits (I love singing) until it's something I like. And then I rarely write it down and will forget it a week later! And thank you, I might just be a liiiittle obsessed with DW.... Yeah, I can say that flow is important as I'm writing, but pretty much everything else gets taken care of after it's on the page. I'm big on editing after I get everything out. Otherwise nothing would get done! But that's just me. Oh yes, I'm very familiar with The Stare. It usually happens when I'm away from my computer and new ideas are coming and I tend to make a lot of different facial expressions as I picture what's going to happen in far too much detail!
I've never closed my eyes while typing. However, I do kind of space out while typing because I'm thinking about the story in my head and not the words on the screen. I think it's possible to visualize without closing your eyes. The world around you just sort of disappears. But maybe I'll try it your way sometime.
Even though I do sometimes write my songs down, I never read them again. I have a pretty good memory, if the song is any good, I'll remember. Like Stephen King says, taking notes is a good way to immortalize bad ideias. If it isn't memorable, it's not worth worrying about it. For music, even more so. Then again I only have a couple of original songs that I still routinely play, and some unfinished that I like. But probably the main reason I stopped playing all the others is because I grew to hate them... I liked David Tennant a lot on that show. The Stare is what everyone used to do in school. And you'd just stare into the big nothingness...
I write with my eyes closed quiet often actually! For the same reasons you outlined, it helps my thoughts flow more freely and I am lucky enough my hands can keep up! It also helps me to focus a bit more intensely and as someone whose brain NEVER shuts off, this is a life saver. Honestly, this is my preferred way to write and I am sure some people think I am crazy. However, doing so has made me super speedy in my typing abilities!
I haven't tried it personally, but I'm not sure it would work for me. My thesaurus brings life to my writing. Because as I look up a word that I know is not quite right, word after word in the results spark a new thought, triggering new possibilities for how to shape the words so that they better relate to each other. For me, writing is about fitting the words together like a puzzle. It's very much like coding websites, in fact. Like writting CSS and XHTML in perfect coordination, which is a very visual process for me. I do however, visualize all my scenes BEFORE I write them down, day-dreaming them. BTW- major whovian here allonsybadwolf. Go on, PM me which fics you've written. XD I too play the piano, and can type without looking. If I ever have a block, maybe I'll try this method.
I definitely know what you mean about the thesaurus. By the time my writing session is over I end up having to close so many thesaurus tabs, because I know the word I'm looking for exists, and this word is almost right, but not quite perfect, and the search goes on. But the difference for me is that I generally change the wording around after everything's on the page. And my DW fanfictions are staying on my hard drive safely out of the public eye, thank you very much!
I've been caught staring into space as I type, and am focused on a scene. I sort of drown out everything around me for a moment as I furiously attack the keys. These times my typing is up to 90 wpm and I get a lot out in a very short period of time...that is until someone has to comment, yell my name and start laughing at my awkward posture and zombie stare.
I'm really shit at typing. I like to think that typing is like playing the piano, but I'm really shit at that, too. I wish I could use all my fingers touch-type style, and really look like playing an instrument. Instead, I still type carefully with three fingers. The index of my left, and the index and middle of my right. Oh, and my left ring for Shift. That's all. And I have to stare at the damn keyboard to make sure I hit the right keys.
I use all five on my left hand (pinky only for shift/ctrl, ring finger only for 'a', 'z', 'q' and tab) but only three on my right hand. For some reason I seem to never use my right ring finger (and I don't use the pinky since I don't need to press shift/ctrl with that hand). I guess practice makes perfect in this case, just keep typing and you will eventually get better at it. Like playing the piano, most people start out hitting the keys with their index fingers, but with a bit of practice (and someone shouting at you that you do, after all, have 10 fingers) all fingers gets introduced into the dance. What I want to learn right now is typing using my Leap Motion. Then I will be able to truly type with my eyes closed.
Negative on the piano aspect. Anyone who ever develops any sort of proficiency, no matter how little it is has had some formal training even if it was self taught from a book. You are never taught to play a piano with just your index fingers. It is ALWAYS five fingers on the keys. The same goes for typing. You start with all fingers on the keys. I never took a typing class, but did independent study via a computer program years ago. I typed 12 words per minute when I started. It was pathetic. HOWEVER, with the program in 10 days I was up to 45 wpm. Within a year up to 60. Currently I tend to type 75 wpm on average, but like I said, when I get in a groove I can go 90. If you are concerned about typing skills, get a program, take a class, but learn right instead of pecking away hoping it will get faster.
I never said people are taught to play with only their index fingers. Only playing with index fingers is the part before the teaching (where you have no idea how to play, and someone shows you a simple sequence of keys to press for some simplified lullaby or something). At least this is how all people I have seen has done their first time(s) at the keys, including myself when a friend of my brother's first taught me a (very) basic version of the Monkey Island theme.
