I write a long hand page every morning then type it up, so I get the benefit of slowing down to think while writing but still have the ability to edit on the computer. I’ve written almost half a million words (over several stories) this way over the past four years!
I write by hand. It's the only way for me to sort through all the thoughts I have and clarify my mind to the task at hand. But, to each theor own. Whatever works for you.
I recently bought a wonderful fountain pen from Kara's Pen Co. for just this. I LOVE IT!
The Ink v2 in the army green cerekote, it came with a broad Bock nib, personally ground by one of their experts, two carts of black ink PLUS the converter. I love it so much, I bought a fine nib from Kara's & a bottle of "Desert Varnish" red ink for the TWSBI I bought off Amazon to scratch my demonstrator itch. #NoRegerts #FirstFountain
I too do all note-taking and general thinking on paper: on paper, in notebooks, but when draft time comes I switch to computer, generally. I try to draft on paper, notebooks or loose paper, but almost always switch to typing. One of the huge problems with computers, obviously, is that the work tool is also the distraction tool. Paper is better, for this reason among others. But no, I do what you do, it sounds like.
Good point on the distraction tool. I have to end up building in breaks so I can scratch the distraction itch without interfering with the work too much. (I sometimes have the same problem without a computer because my writing desk is in front of a window at street level and I live near a dog park, so I end up just looking at dogs.)
I write a good chunk of my first draft by hand using a fountain pen. The slowness and inability to edit properly as I write helps me. I've written 2 books this way. My first one was mostly via typing on the keyboard (before I really got into FPs) and the process too so much longer! I write a post about my first draft process here https://thienkimlam.substack.com/p/why-i-write-first-drafts-by-hand
Thank you for sharing this! The point you make about cheap notebooks is something I need to try. I definitely have fallen into the NOW I SHALL WRITE SOMETHING AMAZING IN THIS FANCY PAPER trap when trying to do fiction writing, which is to say, ending up not writing anything at all.
Drafted stories entirely by hand: yes. STARTED longer (novella+) pieces by hand: yes. There does come a point where my enjoyment in the hand-writing is overcome by the knowledge of The Typing To Come, and I transition to typing in appeasement to my future self.
(I briefly thought "in this, the year 2024, surely I can get around this obstacle by dictating my handwritten text straight into Word! *cue despairing laughter*)
I went through a year where I was trying to learn how to dictate due to pain from typing because it seemed much faster and that lasted, like, a month before I gave up.
I still like the idea of this but I didn't enjoy the process of retraining my brain (as compared to learning a type of handwriting, which has a similar learning curve but felt enjoyable/relaxing to me).
I wrote a novel of 180,000 words using a fountain pen. I loved the writing process immensely. Typing it up was torture. My recommendation: for a long piece type it up as you go.
I’ve written, I don’t know, maybe 2 million words of fiction. Mostly on the computer. The one novel by hand. One on a manual typewriter. I plan and sometimes write drafts of a chapter here and there by hand when I need to think about it more intensely.
I consider all of what you describe to be writing... I don't tend to make much of a distinction because I form prose while doing that sort of work.
I wrote almost all of my PhD dissertation by hand with fountain pens, primarily my Edison Beaumont. Only until the last few months did I draft directly on the computer. My writing isn't aesthetic or organized; it's messy and covered with doodles. But that's just it, I can do whatever on a physical page and keep the momentum going.
I write a long hand page every morning then type it up, so I get the benefit of slowing down to think while writing but still have the ability to edit on the computer. I’ve written almost half a million words (over several stories) this way over the past four years!
This is encouraging. Thanks!
I write by hand. It's the only way for me to sort through all the thoughts I have and clarify my mind to the task at hand. But, to each theor own. Whatever works for you.
I recently bought a wonderful fountain pen from Kara's Pen Co. for just this. I LOVE IT!
Which model, if you don't mind me asking? I've had them on my radar for years but never bought anything.
The Ink v2 in the army green cerekote, it came with a broad Bock nib, personally ground by one of their experts, two carts of black ink PLUS the converter. I love it so much, I bought a fine nib from Kara's & a bottle of "Desert Varnish" red ink for the TWSBI I bought off Amazon to scratch my demonstrator itch. #NoRegerts #FirstFountain
I too do all note-taking and general thinking on paper: on paper, in notebooks, but when draft time comes I switch to computer, generally. I try to draft on paper, notebooks or loose paper, but almost always switch to typing. One of the huge problems with computers, obviously, is that the work tool is also the distraction tool. Paper is better, for this reason among others. But no, I do what you do, it sounds like.
Good point on the distraction tool. I have to end up building in breaks so I can scratch the distraction itch without interfering with the work too much. (I sometimes have the same problem without a computer because my writing desk is in front of a window at street level and I live near a dog park, so I end up just looking at dogs.)
I write a good chunk of my first draft by hand using a fountain pen. The slowness and inability to edit properly as I write helps me. I've written 2 books this way. My first one was mostly via typing on the keyboard (before I really got into FPs) and the process too so much longer! I write a post about my first draft process here https://thienkimlam.substack.com/p/why-i-write-first-drafts-by-hand
Thank you for sharing this! The point you make about cheap notebooks is something I need to try. I definitely have fallen into the NOW I SHALL WRITE SOMETHING AMAZING IN THIS FANCY PAPER trap when trying to do fiction writing, which is to say, ending up not writing anything at all.
Give the cheap notebooks a try. At the worse, you're out a few bucks and can recycle the dang thing
I agree with you! My writing is better when I write by hand and can't easily edit or delete what I'd written.
Drafted stories entirely by hand: yes. STARTED longer (novella+) pieces by hand: yes. There does come a point where my enjoyment in the hand-writing is overcome by the knowledge of The Typing To Come, and I transition to typing in appeasement to my future self.
(I briefly thought "in this, the year 2024, surely I can get around this obstacle by dictating my handwritten text straight into Word! *cue despairing laughter*)
I went through a year where I was trying to learn how to dictate due to pain from typing because it seemed much faster and that lasted, like, a month before I gave up.
I still like the idea of this but I didn't enjoy the process of retraining my brain (as compared to learning a type of handwriting, which has a similar learning curve but felt enjoyable/relaxing to me).
I wrote a novel of 180,000 words using a fountain pen. I loved the writing process immensely. Typing it up was torture. My recommendation: for a long piece type it up as you go.
I’ve written, I don’t know, maybe 2 million words of fiction. Mostly on the computer. The one novel by hand. One on a manual typewriter. I plan and sometimes write drafts of a chapter here and there by hand when I need to think about it more intensely.
I consider all of what you describe to be writing... I don't tend to make much of a distinction because I form prose while doing that sort of work.
I wrote almost all of my PhD dissertation by hand with fountain pens, primarily my Edison Beaumont. Only until the last few months did I draft directly on the computer. My writing isn't aesthetic or organized; it's messy and covered with doodles. But that's just it, I can do whatever on a physical page and keep the momentum going.