Basically how do you write what you write. I use a laptop to do the brunt of my writing. I had never been a fan of laptops before. I never saw any use for them when you simply had a desktop at your disposal. But using a laptop feels so right for writing stories. I'm not tethered to my desk or room. I can sit down wherever I please and write what I feel needs to be written. I still use my desktop to jot down some stories ideas that come to me, but I stay away from it mostly When I don't have either at my disposal, I usually write it down in a special writing notebook I made for myself. I usually use this method to write down summaries of plots or certain character descriptions, mostly while I sit in class. Just seems like a more worthwhile thing to do than actually listen to the lecture. But that's just me What do you use to write?
My handwriting is illegible. I do my writing on a laptop or desktop PC. For notes away from the computer I use a digital voice recorder.
It has to be done on the computer, using either Microsoft Word or OpenOffice. My handwriting is terrible. More importantly I can never seem to find the right way of putting something down. My thinking just seems so limited when I handwrite stuff. I have only handwritten 1 short story and half another using pencil and paper. But when I went to type them up I realized it had so much more potential. Things just seem to flow so much easier when I type. Also it helps that I can read over my stuff instead of trying to decipher the writing. Also rewriting sentences and such is so much easier. Even if I don't want to erase something completely, I can usually underline or put a strike through it. If I come back and like it, I can easily undo it. Writing using a computer is just easier and more convienient for me and it helps the process. To those who handwrite: you have my respect.
I usually use my laptop for my writing and a pen and paper for mapping out thoughts and ideas. Not that I like being this guy, but when I do use pen and paper, I buy recycled paper or sugarcane based paper, and pens with recycled material. I can vouch for them; they work fine, and I enjoy using them. Like I said, I hate being that guy, but if I can save a tree, I like to do it, and I encourage others to do the same.
I'm writing my current novel on my laptop using Microsoft Word. I make notes with pen and paper of important facts such as character's names, addresses, physical descriptions etc so I don't have to go back through the story to check these things. My first novel was written on an old Canon word processor with a floppy disk drive and I needed to have the entire manuscript retyped into Word before the self-publishing company would touch it, so I've learned my lesson from that experience and embraced 21st Century technology this time around.
I usually write on my laptop because it usually flows better when I'm typing and it's easier to make changes. I also jot down any ideas I have when I'm not on my laptop on any paper I can find. Bad thing about that is it tends to be on scraps of paper that I lose.
I split my writing between my desktop and laptop, depending on anything else I want to do afterwards (eg my laptop isnt good for gaming, so might as well boot the desktop to write if thats what I want to do after). I enjoy writing on a computer as I can type far quicker than I can write with a pen. This helps it flow a bit better and more effortlessly. On the other hand, I sometimes find it makes me quite tense/in a rush, to get things done, which isnt a helpfull frame of mind. The only writing I do by hand is poetry, or when I am just writing out an outline/idea for a story. By hand is nice if you like to draw lines, cross out and generally write more slowly.
I write on my desktop computer in open office. My handwriting is terrible and I can type quicker anyway. I also like being able to endlessly edit, and use the computer tools. Online thesaurus is my friend
Laptop with Open Office and MS Word 2007, and the back of receipts, school assignments, and work documents. If the cat didn't have fur, he wouldn't be safe either. No shame in being "that guy"! My greatest respect to you. (Only green cleaners allowed in my house ) That explains some books that make it through to publishing
My tiny netbook, most of the time with ms word 2007 for general idea's and rough drafts and final draft 7 for most of the other things... Though i still like using pen and paper for drawing out plots.
first, my brain! ;-) then, a fat, blue-ink, medium-tip ballpoint on lined, pastel, heavy-board-backed letter-sized notepads... and/or my dell laptop... if the above not available, with anything that will make a mark, on anything that i can make a mark on...
Pen and paper for me. I prefer composition books and a black pilot razor point pen, but like Mammamaia, in a pinch any form of paper and ink and will do.
I have an old laptop that runs Linux and Open Office - that's how I write most "creative" stuff. My desktop is for research and surfing the web (and wasting time trying to "write" when I know I won't). I also carry many notebooks with me, Moleskine Cahiers (5 1/4 x 8 1/4, 80 pg each) for each project I'm working on, a thicker soft cover Moleskine notebook (same size, 240 pg) for general thoughts. For those who use Moleskine notebooks, I found the Pentel RSVP Fine ballpoint pen works the best - not fountain pens!
My notebook, more specifically office 2007. When I have a minute to spare at work, I'll jot down notes and implement them in my .docx file later. And I agree on the notebook thing. I used to have a godzilla of a computer and now I can go outside, upstairs, the park, everywhere. Much much better.
Like mammamaia I start with my brain. Sometimes that's the last stop before plugging it into my computer but it might germinate there and grow and expand and contract for days before I actually get it to the e-page. For the most part, it really depneds upon my state of mind. Sometimes I work straight to the desktop. Other times that only leads me to computer games and totally non-productive. At times like that, I absolutely love my notebook (the non-electronic kind). I've also been known to use my phone notepad - aka my remote brain - and then synch it to my computer later. I prefer to keep the options open. Whatever works is whatever works at a particular time.
I use Quickoffice on my iTouch when I'm on the road, but otherwise I stick to Word 2007. Don't get me wrong, though: Openoffice is great, especially for the Linux users out there. Even I use it from time to time.
I used Microsoft Word until my hard drive crashed. I was able to retain all my documents, but I didn't get Word back. So now, I just type everything into Google Docs. If I'm in class or just away from my computer, I'll take notes on my phone or write it down on a piece of paper.
I use Microsoft Office 2007 on my labtop and desktop and save them all on usb drives. I don't shy away from pen and paper, wrote with it for many years. I'm up for it in many way's, but many thing is i don't really care what I write on just as long as I write. I use pen and paper much faster, but word is so much easier.
I live on one side of London and work on the other thus I have a 45 min tube journey every morning and evening to write. I tend to use my netbook to write on these journies. My work then gets transfered to my desktop PC at home for editing. I also have a note book (and normally a pen if the cat hasn't wandered off with it) by the side of my bed. I also have been known to make notes on my iPhone if I don't have a pen and paper handy.
I write on anything that is near me, you should see my school notebooks.. ^^" When I write my novel I usually write on my pc, but sometimes I use a laptop aswell ( put my novel on a USB stick so I can switch, no worries, I have backups of the latest version on both. ) I was thinking about buying a mini laptop (10") to write on the commute.. the most desperate thing I ever used for writing was writing in a text message (or 20) on my phone when I was on my way to school. Happy writing! ~ Lola
