Why I Still Like Writing By Hand


With the convenience and speed of typing, I have a great fondness for using a computer to write stories. Still, I rather enjoy keeping a stash (or a hoard) of notebooks for when I want to just grab a pen or pencil and start drafting a story.

For several of the stories which have been drafted on a computer, I also have a notebook filled with information about that story: plot points, character notes, quotes, and the like. It’s nice to have an at-a-glance source for fact-checking and inspiration-scribbling.

It’s also a huge convenience to keep a small notebook in my purse that I can take with me in case of inspiration on-the-go. Whether it’s a character name, a quote, or a paragraph of a novel, I just have to grab a pen and write it down for future reference. Sometimes, I draft entire scenes in such a notebook, so I can add it to the main draft when I get a chance.

Not only do I like the convenience, but it’s also relaxing to write down ideas and scenes. Staring at a computer screen can be stifling, and it’s nice to take twenty minutes to write down a scene, or even some plot points, or even just doodle in the margins of a page until my brain is ready to get back to work on the main draft again. 




Which do you prefer: writing by hand or typing?
 
 

Comments

  1. Yes. This is me! Usually, I too have a *hoard* of notebooks (and pens) waiting for me as I LOVE the feeling of writing, while attempting to transfer my scrambled thoughts and ideas to paper. I enjoy typing it up later, but it is a joy to write. I typically add my profound brain things to my phone, but having a notebook handy while out and about is marvelous!

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  2. I keep a notebook for story notes and ideas. I'd like to handwrite more, but it isn't practical for me- I'm terrible at spelling, sometimes I can't even understand what I was trying to write. Also, I can't handwrite as fast as my brain goes.
    So when it comes to writing the story, I type. But for story notes and plotting, I use a notebook and pen.

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  3. I hand write all the time. Often for longer projects like novels or for editing a writing piece, I will type something up, but I still love to fill up my notebooks with my writing. I usually use my notebooks for rough drafts of short stories or plotting books. However, I think I might actually write a whole novel longhand for my next novel. Maybe. I might chicken out, but I will at least start the novel longhand.

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  4. I love writing by hand. I journal a lot with pen and paper. And lately, I'm finding that I can write more without going back to edit with paper and pen. I'm finding that the words flow more. And seeing it on paper allows me to be more observant of what I write when I edit.

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