i was sure that i couldn't possibly 'create' on a keyboard, that the words could only flow from my mind, through my hand, onto paper... till the day when i was transcribing my handwritten work and found i had gone three pages past what i had written! so, i had to admit that i'd been lying to myself all those years... i soon found i could turn out many times the amount of work by making use of the computer, than i could with my favorite pastel lined pads and fat, blue ink ballpoint... i still will write some stuff by hand, when the mood strikes, or i'm too comfy in bed or recliner to move, but do probably 90% of my writing right on the computer... with no diminishing of quality, only a great increase in quantity!
I used to hand write everything too... but i find writing on a computer much easier. The thing with hand writing too means that, over the years, I have lost much of what i've written. The good thing about writing on a PC is the internet. A click of the finger and you can find whatever you need to know in a heartbeat. Also as said, the saving on the wrist and cramped fingers so you can turn out much more work
I find that when you're typing a story you're kind of above everything, staring down. You've got a bird's eye view of your story, plot, and characters. If you don't like a paragraph you can just highlight it and -- poof -- it's gone. It's convenient, but it's more .. 'distant'. With writing in a notebook, you're kind of in the trenches of the story, right in the middle of everything. You do take more time as well, because obviously you don't want the burden of having to erase too much or cross out too much (that can just get depressing after a while). Even so, there's something just cool about writing the old-fashioned way. I've done it both ways and find both ways to be great in their own ways. Currently I'm writing a novel by hand and finding it to be lots of fun (albeit with minor finger aches now and again).
Writing on the computer is a lot quicker and easier to read. However, I enjoy moving the pen throughout the piece of paper. I am not always going to be around a computer.
I was just thinking about this the other day. I prefer typing because it is quicker and you can edited more easily. Writing by hand seems more therapeutic, imo.
I prefer to hand write everything. I have a fascination with pens and paper and have several journals and more pens in more colours than l can count. My mood dictates which pen and journal l use. I prefer hand writing my journal because l also doodle in my journal. It's not unusal for me to stop mid thougt to doodle for a bit and then pick up writing where l stopped. I think it gives my journals some character. I prefer to hand write my stories because l like to edit the old fashioned way with a red pen and notes in the margins.
I actually keep a journal (which lets be honest is just a manly way of saying 'diary'). I hand write all my journal entries with one of three different fountain pens because my journal is a personal extension of my mind which somehow seems to become lost when typed onto a computer screen. If I'm working out ideas for a story then its all done with pen and paper until the actual act of writing the thing then its all onto the laptop for efficiency and quick editing and storage. In my opinion (and this is mine alone), I feel there are some things that technology and computers have made worse. I do not like digital format books (such as the kindle). My brother swears by them though, he has something like 400 books currently stored on his. I don't believe he will ever read all of them and I don't believe he will develop the kind of personal relationships with his books that I have. I have been steadily building a library of leather bound books at home. The next one I am buying is going to be Dante's Inferno. The one I am reading at the moment is Moby Dick by Herman Melville. A book is special, a book should be personal and a book should be treasured. I have often given books as presents to people who are close to me. I was particularly pleased with an edition of the Canterbury Tales which I gave as a gift to my best friend, he was blown away by it and loved the feel of it and the reproduction of the brass rubbings of each character were marvelous. You just can't get that kind of thing with a download. I also feel music has become sterilized due to technology, but that is going off topic. In a nutshell though I feel that the sound of a pen gliding across a piece of paper adds to the atmosphere of character building and plot working. You become one with your work and it doesn't feel like your simply churning out ideas on a computer screen. Try it sometime, buy some decent paper and just start writing how you feel and what you want to do, I guarantee you will like it.
I've always journaled by typewriter. (Yep, those still exist.) Typing comes as second nature to me, so I don't think there's any hindrance in creativity. Plus I'm really lazy to read things on paper... An old high school friend of mine showed me her entire novel that was written by hand, and I was thinking in my head, Wait. Are you asking I have to deciper these hieroglyphics?" I have terrible handwriting skills myself, so it would be awful to write a bunch of awesome stuff on paper only to go back to read it and find out that I have no idea what it was that I wrote.
I will jot notes in books, but as for intensive writing over 500 words I have to type. I get cramped up like carpel(sp) tunnel and its too much. Plus I can type extremely fast. Now the one thing I do is work with a program like FocusWriter which allows me to create a fullscreen ambiance with typewriter sounds on my laptop. I do love the old school typewriter feel.
Why do people write by pen? Paper can get lost or torn or stained. Cramps will appear in your arms, your pen will run out of ink etc. With a digital version you have no muscle aches, you can copy your draft to a billion storage places(try emailing the document to yourself and storing it in Google docs so you won't accidentally delete it), editing is ten times easier and you can use tools like italics(useful for foreign words or emphasizing words).
I usually prefer typing, but longhand has a great advantage - no distractions at hand. I just sit/lie and write. No checking for new messages on forums, etc. No overediting (I'm one of those people who constantly keep coming back to readjust already written paragraphs), the only direction is forward. But I don't do that often, only when I feel I should make myself write and other options aren't working.
I prefer to write on my computer when I am feeling disciplined enough. Sometimes pen and paper is the only way to go. So far I haven't been able to get apps for my notebook to check twitter, facebook, or play simcity.
For me it seems to not interrupt the flow of writing as much, but I love Thesaurus.com too much to not use a computer. Only times I use a notebook is when I know I'm not going to be around a computer for some time, like when I'm traveling.
pros: you can write anywhere, sitting/lying comfortably on anything [even the john] without needing to disconnect your laptop from the printer, modem, whatever and balance it on your lap [a note pad is a lot more movable/comfy] transferring your handwriting to the computer is your first opportunity to edit you won't forget how to write something other than scrawling your signature!
For the most part, when I write, I type on the computer. It's quicker and I normally manage a lot more words than I would writing longhand. However, there are a few times when I do write by hand, and there are several reasons for my doing so. One, is that the very nature of writing by hand is that it is very portable. I can bring a notebook and a pen to school and write during lunch, between classes, and when I finish all my homework early without bringing a computer with me. Which I'm not allowed to do anyways. I get a few strange looks, and sometimes my friends (especially guys) will grab my notebook to look through it, but I don't really mind, so I deal with it. Two, is more a time when I write by hand. If I'm stuck on a particular scene, and am having a very hard time with it, I will often bring out the paper and pen. My mind works better when I'm writing by hand; I think I read somewhere that longhand stimulates the brain more than typing a computer does, or, at the very least, it stimulates a different part (I don't remember which it was now; should be easy enough to find via google). Thus, my brain tends to make more connections when I'm writing with a pen. I don't know if this works for everyone, but I do know that's why I do the majority of my brainstorming/outlining by hand, especially.
I didn't have a computer when I was young so I used to carry around a clipboard with looseleaf paper. I wrote so much I used to go through a pack of Bic pens in less than two weeks. I even made a red groove mark in my finger. I tell you - I wouldn't like to go back to that - but because it was so easy to grab for when inspiration struck I put in my best hours with a pen and paper. I still use notepads and carry them everywhere and come up with some terrific scenes on the go. And for brainstorming - just jotting down random words free form - stream of conscious - pen and paper can't be beat! P.S. - But I love-love-love my computer for editing and organizing. Some of my earlier works were written on cheap paper - it's only been maybe 20 years but the paper is yellow and the ink has faded.
When I use the computer to write, I often find myself forgetting what I wrote before the current scene or what the characters said. However, if I write by hand I find it much easier to keep up with the flow of the story. I can recall things much more easily and connect things more accurately. It also makes good for second editing, as for losing papers,you can use a notebook instead of loose papers.
Honestly, I do love writing with pen and paper. It feels so natural, cutting out the middle-man of the computer. I love the way that the words flow out of my fingers onto the page. I also love the sight, feel and smell of a notebook full of handwritten tales. I do, however, do most of my writing via computer, as otherwise I have to type everything up for editing and submission, and working a full-time job I don't have the time. So with pen and paper vs. Computer, I think it's really as simple as aesthetics vs. convenience.
I always write my poetry longhand first - there is something about forming the words, seeing them in my own hand, that creates a power that allows me to authentically express what I want. Story writing longhand for me is impossible - carpel tunnel, otherwise I would. Besides, when I then transcribe it into the computer, it's an immediate opportunity for editing. If I have a difficult scene or idea I'm just not able to express while writing, I often find I can resolve it with a pen and paper. The extra time it takes to write allows my brain to think ahead slightly. The extra time translates to more carefully worded prose/poetry.
I like the extra edit it imposes. I don't like the idea of dropping a laptop into my bathwater. I use composition books that cost about a buck apiece.
I normally write on my laptop. I do use a notebook when I'm in a boring lecture, waiting on class to start, or when I can't find a plug in on campus for my laptop. Also, if I'm having trouble with a scene on my computer it helps to be able to grab a pen and paper. Then I can doodle or write my character's names or whatever, a few time to get everything loosened up. I prefer a computer, but sometimes a notebook just hits the spot.
