Handwriting vs. Typing

Good morning to all-
Of course when I did my academic writing- Lord, so many years ago- I did handwritten drafts and then typed. Typing research papers back then following MLA style guide was a chore from hell, but let that go...
Today, since I write almost everything for publication, I start and finish on the screen. I do appreciate all of the built-in tools that come with word processing, and I really do treasure the ability to save and come back later to revise. If I were forced to keep up with handwritten stuff, I'd have to give up the word-biz- I'd never find what I had written earlier.
I say go with whatever form meets your needs.

good day to all- Ed

 

I tried dictating to my computer for a while, and thought it would solve all my problems, but there were too many typos and too often the computer would misunderstand me. I ended up having to type just as much as if I had begun that way. In fact it was even more frustrating, because I felt like I had already 'written' it once and shouldn't have needed to correct like 2/3's of it after the fact (always with the possibility of missing some errors).

 

Have used computers since the late 1970's (yeah, I'm that old) and word processors forever (Wordperfect before WYSIWYG and then Word) and am very comfortable in front of a screen.
Over the years have written many business related papers (many several hundred pages long) directly into a computer.

But when I recently (about 2 years ago) started to write fiction - novel & short story length - I found it easier and better to write it out longhand for many of the same reasons as already stated.

The most essential points for me was ease of moving concepts, notes, etc. around and laying out notes to myself for follow-up. And, it gave me a good reason to buy more fountain pens .

On a more serious note, what I found was when I worked directly on the computer I would get distracted by formatting, spell check, grammar check, etc. and it actually took me much longer and required more editing to reach the final text I wanted.

Now I do all first drafts and all major edits on paper. I use a disc bound notebook system which makes it easy to keep things organized as well as add additional pages wherever I need them. Then I enter everything into the computer (use Word) and perform a basic edit as I type.

What I do enter into the computer from the get-go are general plot outlines, character information, research notes, and time lines. I use OneNote to organize these items.

 

I write using a laptop for a very specific reason. If I write by hand after about two paragraphs start getting nasty hand cramps. Even when I write with my other hand the same dang thing happens. Didn't use to, I think age is starting to catch up with me. With regards to differences, I haven't noticed many personally. Perhaps this is because I'll often visualize the scene in my head while I'm writing.

 

I write on my remarkable tablet. It's like I'm using a pen on paper. My creativity flows freely when hand written.

 

Lol! The confusion I experienced briefly here reminded me of a scam I saw once, on some online store. The blurb said something like "Order now and receive a free tablet!" People asked what that means, and the response, when it finally came, was that you get a tablet of writing paper!

 

I thought about getting one of those since I like handwriting so much, but thus far I've been unwilling to fork over the asking price.

 

For me, writing by hand is just too slow. It can also get painful (i.e. hand cramps) if I'm writing a longer story. I pretty much stick to using my computer.

 

I enjoy both, but i do get ha d cramps. The faster i hand write, the tighter i clench/hold the utensil which equals painful hand cramps.

I like hand writing bacause i can write anywhere ... I dislike it because i lose notebooks, notepads, and stickienotes.

Computer is more convenient... But not having it doesnt atop me from writing. Ive written pages and pages in a notebook while attended a boring staff meeting

 

I'm the only one in my family who doesn't need glasses, so I'm trying to hold on to that... That said, I do still love typing on the computer. But it's probably best for me to write by hand and not get so distracted.

 

I wrote by solely by hand for decades (I am old) and typed the final copy. With the advent of affordable computers, I developed a satisfactory hybrid method for fiction (notes, first drafts, ideas by hand; bringing it all together and editing on computer) and a strictly computer method for non-fiction. I find I think differently, depending on how I am writing, where I am writing, and with what I am writing.

When writing by hand, it is astonishing what a difference one's writing implement makes. I used to teach creative writing to adults , and one of the things we discussed in the first class was equipment. I had a fistful of different pens, pencils, and crayons that I passed around for people to experiment with and urged students to share their own implements of creation. My favorite pen for fast, effortless (in terms of friction and drag) writing is Precise V5 Extra Fine. An occasional pen leaks, but despite that inconvenience I've bought many boxes over the years and will buy more. Classic #2 pencils are slow, have an incredible amount of drag, and make my hand ache if I use one for very long. However, when I want to slow my thoughts down and plan things out carefully, I sharpen a heap of pencils and have at 'er.

 

I love writing by hand. I think it is great to carry a small notebook with me, or have it next to my computer, to jot down ideas and brief pieces of writing, and any detail that I feel it fits my writing. I think it is important that I do have it with me and that I do those small writings by hand. But sadly I found out that my writings, when done by hand, are a lot worse than those that I typed. Not quite sure why, maybe it is because I can't write fast enough and I lose my thoughts, or because when I want to change things around, then it is so much time consuming erasing and rewriting everything (I tried just scribbling over, but the page end up looking awful). However with a pen I can freely doodle if I like, which helps me think, something I cannot do on a computer screen with the same feeling of satisfaction.

 

I do most of my writing with a pen and paper. I love the whole process, especially watching the amount of handwritten pages build up. I can type pretty quickly but I am more productive when writing by hand, as I am less distracted by other things. If I see a blank sheet of paper I can easily just start writing and fill it with words; if I see a blank Word document I can very easily switch to the internet and waste precious time. The other things about handwriting that I like: 1) notebooks; and 2) I can read through it all, make initial notes, type it all up and call this the first pass at editing. I find it easier to read properly from paper than I do from a screen.

 

i write on paper when I get the feeling that I ought to be writing on paper. It doesn't happen that often.

 

This is definitely how I write. I don't think I've ever stopped and actually conceived and nursed a sentence in my head before typing it out. It just happens. I almost spam words out. Obviously there's a basic set of grammatical rules and an idea I want to convey, but I feel as though I barely think about them. My writing is honestly equivalent to a sculptor hacking away at clay and then patching other pieces of clay on. On 4x speed...

 

That's what I do pretty much, except I rarely write my ideas by hand.

 

I think I have a "best of both worlds" solution.

One thing I like about typewriters is that they're faster than pen and pencils in getting content out of your brain and onto physical paper, while being more difficult/inconvenient than computers when it comes to changing your mind and erasing massive sections of your work (which may or may not be a good thing).

They also keep working when the power goes out. You also won't forget that you're carrying one around in your pocket and tear a hole in it and/or leave an ink stain on your butt.

And it's fairly simple to scan typewritten pages into word processors for spellcheck and editing.

 

All true, but a word processor had all the positives you just mentioned. I mean an actual physical word processor, not the virtual kind that lives on your computer. I bought one a few years ago and I like it because I can use it wherever I am (runs on batteries) and it still works if the power goes out. Of course light is a different matter. But unlike a typewriter (which I used to use for years) you can connect it to the computer and download everything you wrote. Another benefit—it doesn't have games or internet. A notebook computer will also work when the power goes out, and has a lighted screen, but they do have games and internet.

I type pretty fast. I took a typing class in high school where I used to be able to do 60 wpm. Can't do that anymore, and I can't use all my fingers like I used to. I now use just my 2 forefingers, but I don't have to look at the keyboard (which slows you down immensely). I still have memorized where all the keys are. In fact, on this cheap keyboard I'm using, half the letters are worn off. If I ever lose concentration and look at the keyboard my typing slows way down and becomes laborious. Not because the letters are worn off, it happens even with a brand new keyboard, it's just because when you look you're working from the conscious mind, which can only do one thing at a time and is slow and plodding. When you've got something memorized and don't have to think your way through one step at a time you're fast.

 

@Xoic are you talking about something like an Alphasmart or an older device?

 

Yeah, I have an Alphasmart. From like the 80's I think, designed for use in classrooms.

 

Wow. That's an old one. I know there will still making some models up until about 10 years ago. I don't know if there is a company currently filling that niche.

 

Oh, there is this: https://getfreewrite.com/products/freewrite-smart-typewriter

I'd never buy one at that price point. I could get an old laptop or netbook for less than that and put Linux on it with a distraction-free writing program.

 

Poetry, sketched by hand, refined on the PC.