Oh, well - time to break out my manifesto again: I've posted this before, because this question has been asked before. It's my last word (for now) on this subject. I write either with computer (Microsoft Word Scrivener, these days) or with a pen. The pen and a notebook comprise the best word processor ever invented. Of course, like everybody else, I type much faster than I can write by hand. In my case, that’s irrelevant. I’m not one of those geniuses who can write good prose at typing speed – about 98% of my writing time is spent staring off into space thinking about what the next sentence or phrase should be, not actually setting it down on the page. My writing speed is definitely not limited by the speed at which I get the words down; it’s limited by the speed at which I can think of the words, and that speed is not very high. So it really doesn’t matter, speedwise, whether I use a computer or a pen. One of the major benefits of writing by hand is that the user interface, so to speak, is very free-form. I cross out words I don’t like, but as another poster said, never enough that I can’t read them after. So all “mistakes” and corrections are always visible. Sometimes when I can’t decide which of three or four words to use, I’ll write them in small print in a column where the final choice should go in the manuscript so that I can choose from them later. I can add new paragraphs by writing at right angles to the normal text in the margins. If I have to insert a large amount of text, I put a red circled A (or other letter) where the insert goes, and write the insert on the reverse side of the page. If I favor one version of a sentence over another at the time of initial composition, I write both down with the favorite written larger. I use several colors of pen and each color has a different purpose. Some people who do this kind of thing wind up complaining that their manuscript looks like a mess, and that’s why they prefer using a computer, but I think my pages look kind of like works of art in themselves, and they’re certainly a better record of my thought processes than any computer-written page. Another benefit of using a pen is that I get immediate psychological feedback from doing it. I can tell by the look of my handwriting, and by how my hand feels as I write it, how I’m feeling at the moment, and I can use that information as I write. I can, to a certain extent, play myself into and out of moods with my guitar; I can do the same with handwriting. I get a little of the same kind of feedback when I write by computer, but nowhere near as intensely, and the effect is only there as I’m actually writing – I can’t look at the results the next day and see what kind of mood I was in because the computer text looks the same no matter what I was feeling like when I wrote it. Lastly, there’s the pure physical pleasure I get from writing by hand. When I’m playing a synthesizer, I’m keenly aware that my fingers are on plastic keys and the sound emerges from a speaker separated from my fingers by a long chain of transducers, electronic hardware, and digital signal processing software. There’s no connection between me and the music. When I’m playing guitar, my fingers are touching the strings that are vibrating and producing the sound, and I feel very physically connected to the music. The same thing happens with writing by hand – I feel connected to the words in a way I never do when typing on a keyboard. I’ve never tried to quantitatively measure whether that affects my prose at all – whether or not my sentences are longer or shorter one way or another, or whether I use more metaphorical imagery, or whatever – but after an hour of writing by hand, I feel like I’ve been doing an artist’s work, whereas after an hour of typing, I feel like I’ve just been, well, typing. Oh, one more thing (so the previous paragraph shouldn’t have started “Lastly”, I guess): Obviously, I can’t submit a handwritten manuscript to anybody, so when I’m writing by hand, I know that I’ll be typing the work into a computer at a later time. It may be that the knowledge that what I’m writing isn’t the “final” version, that I’ll have another pass to make corrections and rewrites, makes me freer during the composition to experiment, maybe, or just to be a bit more adventurous in my choices of words, images, and rhythms, than I would be if I thought I might be working on a “final” version. So there it is: about 800 words on why I like writing with a pen, all written on a computer.
I don't think I'd be a writer without the invention of word processors for every home computer. I got through college with correctable typewriters. I just can't get it right without editing and editing some more. I believe JK Rowling mentioned writing a lot on napkins in coffee shops or some such place. When I'm without my Notebook, I will scribble notes on anything.
@minstrel Oh man! when I first saw you, I thought I was in trouble for something, I even had to look at my name to see if it was crossed out or not. . Thanks for posting, and i apologize for making a repeat post. Also, I feel your 800 words perfectly sums up why I also like to work with Pen and Paper over computer, despite the advantages the computer has over it. If you don't mind, I may steal some of what you wrote for future reference. .
I noticed that I tend to change my sentences over and over again to make it more clearer to understand. The computer allows me to do this quickly. And I save a lot of paper. On the other hand, I get tired more quickly if I look at the screen for a long time. And it's harder to concentrate and think when I'm looking at it for some reason. I noticed the difference between typing and writing more when I started to type with the computer for the first time. That was when I was a high school student. Just typing my first sentence was a struggle. I think it had something to do with the brightness of the screen. It became less of a problem when I started to lower the brightness level.
I know I wouldn't be a writer without a computer. I have a storage tub full of my early scribblings before computers became affordable to have at home. (Because you know all that garbage might spark an idea one day!) Don't think I ever finished a single thing because my hand can't write as fast as my brain works - and all the scratch-outs, the arrows pointing forward or back for sentences or paragraphs that needed to be moved, more scratch-outs, etc. Ugh. Skip ahead to the first computer I ever had and within two years of getting it, I was writing a weekly column for the local paper and a year or two after that, I'd written my first full novel. It was shit, but I put 90,000 words on "paper" and proved to myself that I could. That said, I can't write WITHOUT a pen and paper handy (and they must be good pens and high quality paper!). I have a spiral-bound hard-cover notebook that I'm currently using as my "scratch pad." I make notes about characters, lists of names, timeline thoughts, I keep a list of anyone who's helped me, print out sections of the manuscript and scribble on them then tuck them in the pages of the notebook, draw sketches of various settings, draw family tree diagrams, make notes on research I still need to do, etc. I really don't know if I could actually write an entire story without being able to jot notes with pen and paper. I even have scratch paper in front of me when I write a column or an article for my magazine, but I usually toss that in the recycle bin when the column/article is done. Though I go through every page in the recycle bin before I take it out to be picked up. Oh the weird, obsessive habits we have ... lol
I prefer the computer for speed, just so I don't lose track of the sentences unravelling in my head. But sometimes I need a change of position and setting, so I tend to go to handwritten when I have writer's block.
Pretty much what minstrel said. The free form style of pen and paper is something magical. It may hurt after a while, and my pages may be a mess of scribbles and scratches, but the physical effort promotes the feeling of having gotten something done. Like minstrel, I stare into space to think of my next sentence and the perfect wording. Having a computer at my fingertips while trying to write a first draft is often counterproductive, as it's a nagging distraction that tempts me with instant gratification while I'm trying to do something that is very much delayed gratification.
Hey guys, Is it just me, or is my writing significantly worse and more fanfiction when I'm typing on a computer instead of using the old pen and paper?
I think writing on paper uses different areas of the brain than typing. For me, personally, it is easier to be creative and keep words flowing if I’m doing the first draft long-hand. I think the output is better as well.
Almost all of the stuff I write is done on the computer. But for poetry and song lyrics, I often go to pen and paper first.
Using pen and paper may drive a person to feel the oneness between him and writing more; I mean ink and how it harmoniously flows with the ideas that's being put to reality through writing. As for me, I got used to write on the computer; and nearly managed to get same outcome, if could be said.
I suspect that if my ability to hand-write were just a little better, it would often be useful to hand-write certain things. But I’m so slow that the frustration overwhelms any benefit.
An interesting thought, the link between creativity and the manual effort of writing. Lately, I've been working to remember writing requires high concentration. On something short, I don't have a problem with that. Trying to plan something longer, though, generally turns out contrived. Part of the problem is bringing the same degree of concentration to the task as I do to something short, where every word not only counts, it's obvious every word is important. Maybe the computer acts to "gamify" writing, and maybe a more direct link between writer and reader helps.
PC person. Reason why? I'm Left handed. When I write a lot of anything, creative writing, notes in class, whatever, my hand turns gray from graphite or ink gets smudged on me. I use word processors whenever possible. As a sidenote, I feel more professional typing. My handwriting isn't the best.
I'm a lefty, too, but smudges have long ceased to bother me. Of course, I work on cars, too, so I'm used to getting smudges all over my hands.
Years ago I was working on a writing project on my computer. Then my computer died on me. Even though I had older stories backed up, this one was still a work in progress - therefore it wasn't backed up. So I lost it. Because of this reason, I never do big projects on the computer - unless of course I'm typing it up from paper to show others, (Even then, I'll save the paper copy). Only downside of using pen and paper is that if I decide I don't like where my story is going, or wish to rewrite it, then that is valuable pen ink and paper wasted.
Just curious—why no backup for a work in progress? These days there are a lot of real-time backup options, so no matter what you’re working on and what stage it is in, you can always have multiple backups.
I might scribble some notes here or there, but I never write fiction (or any written material of a substantial length) by hand. I don't see any value or advantage to doing so.
I write both in paper and on my computer. Both have their advantages: PC: Can write faster, easier to edit and insert stuff, unlimited space to jot down notes. Paper: Feels good, can be done anywhere and at any time, fewer distractions. All in all I would say paper wins by a small margin.
