Writing by hand v. typing

[Bruce McKnight]

I prefer typing for a number of reasons, the first of which is that I would eventually have to type what I wrote out anyway and it just seems redundant. I don't get any creative boost from writing by hand so it would just be a waste for me.

 

[Sevundas]

I type for a variety of reasons, but mainly because I'm perfectionist to the point that I write slow and I get distracted with erasing letters that don't look right...which, admittedly, is kind of ridiculous. The kookier-looking letters irk me, and by the time I've corrected them, I have to go find my derailed train of thought again. Add that to the extra erasing done as I constantly phrase and rephrase sentences in my head, and writing pages by hand becomes an unbelievably huge pain in the neck.

Instead, I chase fragmented ideas around in my head - and then brain vomit all over Notepad.

 

[Jackarandajam]

Typing is practical, and it doesn't seem to negatively affect my creative flow…

But what about the notebook section in your local bookstore? Does it not CALL to you?? i have some absolutely beautiful journals that i very much enjoy writing in. Admittedly, i have more than i am currently using, but have plans for every leather-bound one of them!

One in particular is a beautiful thing. Leather-bound, unlined/off-white pages, substantial in thickness with the raised image of a dragon on the cover. The back cover folds partially over the front, and it ties with a bit of leather string.

This is becoming my "World Bible", not in the religious sense of the word. Basically, it is the Encyclopedia Brittanica of my created work. Language, peoples, flora, fawna, timeline/history, so on. I would encourage this practice to everyone. yes, keep it on file, but something about putting it in THE BOOK holds a special kind of meaning.

my other notebooks are for writing in the sunshine, in the truck, in the woods, on a picnic, while skydiving, and all of the other places that a computer (or in my case, an iPad and compatible keyboard) would be damaged or impractical.

But everything, EVERYTHING, gets typed. HuntNpeck system for me, but even still.

 

[Steerpike]

I don't know that everyone will see (or at least consciously notice) a creative difference, but it stands to reason that your brain is working differently when doing one versus the other, simply because of the different mechanical motions.

 

[Ireth]

Ah, beautiful notebooks... they are a blessing and a curse to me. I keep getting them as gifts, but as soon as I have them, I'm afraid to write in them for fear of marring the beautiful pages! I use nice, simple lined Hilroy notebooks for handwriting my drafts, mainly novels (though not all of my novels had a handwritten draft).

 

[David Toft]

For me it's a matter of location. If I'm at home I'll type, if I'm anywhere else it's pen and paper. Time not writing is time wasted to me, so I write on the bus to and from work and while I'm waiting for appointments, or for someone to turn up at the pub (I'm always early). This gives me at least an extra hour's writing time every day - valuable time when you need to keep down a full-time day job.