Just like everyone has their favorite word processor, everyone's got their own OP where they like to write their manuscripts. Be it a desktop, a laptop, an iPad, or even an iPhone. I'm curious as to what my fellow writers like to use the most when writing out their manuscript. For me, it's a split between my laptop and iPad, but I guess for ease of use I'd go with my iPad. It's smaller, more compact, and it's easier to carry around than my bulky laptop. EDIT: By 'OP', I meant your computer/iPad/iPhone, whatever. Sorry, my computer language isn't really up to the task.
What do you mean by 'OP'? As for my answer, I mostly write on my desktop. I'm kinda addicted to having as much space as possible while working, and nothing I have can beat my 22" monitor. If I'm not at home I use my laptop. Sometimes I use pen and paper (even if I'm at home).
I just bought myself a laptop, and I'm enjoying writing on it much more than my desktop. I built my computer for game development, so it's still very useful. However, I do all my writing on my laptop now. I've only had it a few days, but I can already tell my desktop is going to see a lot less use. I like the portability; being able to use it outside of my gloomy basement makes it worthwhile on it's own. I've owned an iPad, and I can't imagine trying to write on one. The keyboard is alright, but I can't type nearly as fast on it as a laptop/desktop keyboard. An iPhone would be near impossible.
I do like being able to use my triple monitor set up on my desktop for research, but writing on the laptop is more satisfying.
Mac laptop. I hope to get entirely comfortable writing on the iPad, since it's so much more portable and I spent money on the keyboard , but editing by touchscreen is harder, and I like the option of editing after I've written a chunk.
I like to write on my laptop because I'm quite familiarized with the keyboard. I like using pen and paper too, but usually I end up scratching most of my work...
Pen and paper lacks efficiency, in my personal opinion. I can type much faster than I can write, and editing on a computer is much more efficient and precise without the sloppiness that pen and paper can have.
Well you could argue the laptop is inefficient as the battery can run down, or you can only use it near a power source (like mine, since the battery does not function). Paper doesn't become corrupt, doesn't break if you spill your coffee. A notebook and pencil you can take anywhere. You can stick it in your coat and climb to the top of Everest and find inspiration up there. As for editing - well, when I edit, I start from the beginning and go through the manuscript from start to finish. I find rewriting to be incredibly refreshing. Going back through what is already there feels sloppy to me. I guess as someone who is always moving, I prefer the hard-wearing reliability of tools that have worked for millennia.
I hate typing on tablets, our any touch screen. There isn't enough room to type with my hands or if there is, there isn't enough space to read what I'm typing. The clicking from a keyboard is very useful for determining when a key is pressed without looking at anything which really increases efficiency. I used to write all my first drafts on paper, but just going directly to a computer has been much more convenient than anything else.
I write on a 2013-issue desktop MacMini with a 19" Formac Oxygen monitor and an old-fashioned stepped keyboard and mouse. I hate laptop keyboards. Those flat things are not only uncomfortable for me to type on, but my fingers keep slipping and I'm constantly making mistakes. I also can't see the point of having to constantly charge up a laptop in order to use it, when I do my writing at home. I prefer to sit in my comfortable computer chair, at my spacious desk, turn my computer on and just get going. Laptops were designed to be used on the go, and I don't think they are the superior choice if most of your work is done at home. There is the overheating issue, the battery charging issue, the lack of enough variety in the ports to connect to CD/DVD/R devices, printers, etc, and the fact that you can't control the positioning of the monitor or the keyboard. Where I live, our wireless connections are not dependable—something totally outwith my control—so I'm wired at the moment. I really dislike the idea that a laptop makes a desktop obsolete. Surely there is room in our hearts for both options? I like to write with my notebooks and reference books handy, so working at home suits me. If I was away a lot, I would buy a new laptop, so I could keep working while I was away. But since I've retired, I'm at home most of the time, so the desktop suits me fine. I do have an 'old' Mac laptop which is compatible with my present Mountain Lion operating system, to some extent. But I only use it once in a blue moon. I 've toyed with the idea of getting an iPad plus keyboard case for away trips. But so far I'm not convinced I need it. When I'm away, I'm away ...and like to take a break from writing and being 'connected.' As for idea generation and general note-taking ...pen and paper. It's handy and pretty foolproof, if I can read my writing once I get home!
I currently write with a laptop but I enjoyed using a desktop more. It made me feel more professional. Sadly, it broke and I'm poor.
My laptop, and sometimes my iPod when I don't have access to it. My handwriting is too bad for paper, and typing is faster anyway.
Any one of the many flavors of Mac computers that populate my home and/or backpack. Thank you, Scrivener, Dropbox and Mac.
I'd like to be one of those super cool writers who says that they prefer a pen and paper, because they're just that enlightened, but forget that noise. I'm using a Mac Laptop, currently, but I think that I'd prefer using a desk top which runs on Windows. I'd like to use Word. Windows is so much better for these kinds of things ...
I don't get why you would use pen and paper if a computer is readily available anything. It's just tedious. But again, the cool kids use typewriters.
Yes, I'll agree with you about typewriters. I guess that's the second coolest, and I'm the lamest of all the lames.
There's really no reason to use pen and paper anymore. Kids are presented with iPads before pencils, so for most younger writers it would probably feel unnatural to write six pages of draft with a pen anyway. And straining yourself just to look like a "real writer" is pretentious. Stay cool.
I'm really just exaggerating. I don't feel guilty about using a computer. Lol. I do still wish I had a desktop in a library with a big white board, and Windows OX. But you work with what you have!
And this is what is wrong with the world... Kids are also learning text speak before actual language. Kids are learning how to interact online instead of doing it face to face. Pen and paper is brilliant. Goes everywhere. Never runs out of battery. Doesn't run out memory. Doesn't go corrupt. Fits in your pocket. And it has the best data protection ever - it's my own handwriting. Nobody can read it but me. Also, I really don't see how scribbling with a pen is any more tedious than hitting keys repeatedly. All in all it's not necessarily faster, either - it's how fast you come up with the words that counts, not how fast you get them down. I do a great deal of my writing on a laptop, but nothing beats a book and a pencil for travelling. Oh, and while your £35,000 Apple products are being nicked, nobody is tempted to steal a tatty old notebook either
