Monday, February 19, 2018

Typing vs. Writing by Hand



What is the sound of writing and creativity to you? Is it the clicking of keys on a keyboard? Or the scratch of a pen or pencil on paper? Do any of you ever handwrite any of your stories anymore?

Writing by hand and typing are two different processes you can take when you write a story. Both are writing, yes, but both are so different from each other. I've done a fair share of creative writing using both methods, and today, I'm going to talk about the pros and cons of each of them.

It's faster. I know people who can type faster than they can think, especially faster than they can think of words to write down. So when you type, your hands don't have any problem keeping up with your thoughts. (Especially if you compare it to writing everything out by hand!)

It's easier to change things. If I just misspelled a word at the beginning of this sentence (like I actually did, haha), I can fix it and no one would know. If I was handwriting? Well, I could erase the mistake - if I was using a pencil. Or I could cross it out, leaving an ugly disfigurement to the paper. Or I could let it be and pray no one minds too much. Typing gives me the freedom to make mistakes and fix them, and lets me stay focused on what's right for the story.

It's so much easier to share. Beta-reading, critiquing, or just showing others your work is hard when the only copy out there is in a notebook. But a typed document can be copied and shared in a few seconds. This can also work to the author's advantage in other times. Recently, I was at the library without my laptop, and had time to kill. I was able to log online and go to Google Docs, and work on my novel from there.

But typing does have its downsides. I think the biggest one is that it's so easy to get disconnected to your story. I find it similar to digital books and print books; for me, it's harder to feel emotion and connection to the story when it's separated from me by a screen. Typing can feel so clinical, so mind-numbing and receptive, that it's harder to focus on the content that you're writing.

You feel productive, like a millionaire tech boss. Alright, not as serious, but surely I'm not the only one that feels like an important, productive company owner or tech guru when my fingers are flying over the keys like crazy? The sound of clickety-clackity busy-ness? Come on guys, you know you feel it.

As our technology advanced, typing becomes more and more viable. However, there are some things that I think technology can never perfect, and writing by hand also has its merits.

It helps focus. Writing by hand takes time - your hand literally cannot keep up with your brain. And that means that for every word that you write, you have time to think about it. You have a few extra seconds to decide if you really want to chose that word or follow that little plot bunny.

It improves creativity. According to multiple studies, writing improves creativity, and allows you to think of more options. From personal experience, I can vouch for this. There's so much freedom when you have a pen in hand that can glide down a page. That sense of freedom kind lets me relax and breathe - sets my mind free, you could say.

It's portable. When I didn't have a laptop, this meant I could write from any room in the house instead of the family's desktop. Once I got my first (clunky, heavy) laptop, writing in a notebook meant I could write on the go. With my second (oh-so-much-lighter) laptop, writing by hand means that I don't need to carry my laptop around in a large backpack or purse, and I can pull out a small notebook in just a few seconds.

It's slow. Like typing, writing by hand does have its fair share of cons. I know that I discussed how great writing slowly is, but there's also a negative side to it. You can start to over-think things, and start to entertain doubts about your project and your writing in general. when you go slow, you can plan and that's great, but there comes a time when you may be constantly questioning whether this word or that word really works there.

You feel like an author. A steaming mug of tea or coffee (or your drink of choice), a cozy sweater, holed up at your desk as rain drums on the roof. You know - the picture-perfect author? (That is actually barely ever accurate) The pen glides across the page and you think "This is how Shakespeare wrote his plays." (Except Shakespeare probably didn't use a gel pen. Hmm.)



Until the past year, most of my writing was by hand. I didn't have a laptop and handwriting was the easiest option there was. Even my Nanos were done by hand - and you could tell what season it was based on the size of my writing. My letters would get tiny in November and December, around March it would start to get a little bigger, and by August it would be maybe normal size. And then it would start over.

When I got a laptop for school use, it took some time to actually move my writing to it. I didn't - don't - like the idea of spending all my time staring at a screen. But soon, the speed and flexibility won out, and I was doing most of my writing on the computer. That was definitely cemented this past Nano, when I typed my novel through the entire month.

And when I changed it up, I noticed a shift in my writing. Typing helped me when it came to speed and getting words down on a page or editing and making frequent changes. But when it came to planning, plotting, brainstorming and writing short pieces to help me solidify character and world building, writing by hand helped me think in new ways.

In the end, both typing and writing by hand has their strengths. Both of them work, and it's up to personal preference. Each of them has something to offer. But the difference between them might surprise you.

So try changing up your writing sometimes. Use a laptop or a pen and notebook or a typewriter. Does it change how you write or think?

Do you like to type your stories, write by hand, or some combination of the two? What do you think about writing by hand vs. typing? 

28 comments:

  1. Oooh, this is such an awesome post, True! A lot of really awesome points that I agree with :).

    I do a combination - I often write plot pieces and some characterization in notebooks but I type a lot of it. My mind is still faster than typing or writing...*rolls eyes*. The bulk of my actual writing is done by typing though. Great for organization and word counts but not very portable (I don't have a laptop right now, and it's bugging me).

    Catherine
    catherinesrebellingmuse.blogspot.com

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    1. That's a neat way to come the two! Haha - I know! I wish that we could type or write as fast as we think - that would help save a lot of time and thoughts. Oh, yes, it's harder to carry around your writing when you don't have a portable writing device. But like you said, it does have its upsides in organization and getting good word counts. But getting a laptop isn't necessary to good writing - notebooks and pens can jot down your magnificent words just as well. ;)

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  2. I prefer typing because I tried writing by hand and it just didn't work out for me. But, everyone is different. I usually take notes and plot things by hand, though, so the typing is for filling in the blanks. :)

    Awesome post, as usual! <3

    ~Ivie

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    1. I like how you put that typing is for "filling in the blanks"! What a wonderful way to describe it! It's great that you tried both ways and found what balance works best for you - writing an entire book by hand definitely isn't right for everyone.

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  3. I really like this post! I used to write my stories by hand, and although I was ready to use a laptop, I do miss those days of writing by hand. Except when I can't translate the scribblier parts of action scenes. LOL.

    Maybe sometime soon I'll try to write a chapter or two by hand and get back into the idea of being more /connected/ to my story. Because you're right. I do feel more connected with my story when I write by hand--it just takes forever. XD

    D.G. Snapper | silverphoenixwriter.blogspot.com

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    1. Haha - actually reading handwriting can definitely one of the difficulties of writing by hand. I remember trying to decipher lines and words from pages I'd written months ago - it was like code! Oh, I hope that you do try it again! I would love to hear how different the experience is for you!

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  4. love these points! I plot mostly by hand so I can think, but write all on my laptop. that's probably because my hands write so much slower than my brain so its just PAINFUL to hand write a novel, but I can type seriously the exact speed my brain thinks up the words so it works really well for me XD I have actually written 12k of a book by hand when I was 11, but that's about it writing novels hand-wise, haha. I don't think I'd like to hand write 105k like my last novel was NO THX.

    before I got my laptop I used to use an Alphasmart, which is kind of an inbetween of a laptop and handwriting. it's super portable and durable, and you write it on the device (the screen is kind if small tho xP) but then you use a cord and plug it into your computer and it transfers all the words from there to the computer. it's great because you can take it anywhere + no wifi distraction. it's just writing, and you don't have to retype it to the laptop like you do when you hand write. I do use my laptop now, cuz I'm more into formatting and editing but it works for just plain writing! anyways, this is a great post <33

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    1. You can type the exact speed that your brain thinks?! Oh wow, you lucky thing! And with that long novel, I think it's a good thing that you're able to type that out. That would have been so painful to write out!

      Alphasmart? I've never heard of that before, but it sounds so neat! You can just write on the screen, like handwriting, and then it transfers to the computer? So you can hand write without having to go through the absolute torture of copying it back in?! And it can't be connected to the internet?! And it's small enough to be carried it around?! Wait, really?! :O That sounds absolutely amazing! Where has that been all of my life? Did you enjoy writing with it?

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    2. I can type up to 103wpm, sooo. xD have you taken a typing test??

      okay so the one I had was an Alphasmart 3000 (apparently it's like this old thing but it actually still works great?? idk XD) so it's actually typing, it's just like a laptop keyboard. google "alphasmart 3000" and you'll see it because for some reason it's hard to describe XD but your type onto it, plug it into your computer and it'll transfer all the words. it has nine files on it that you can write on and the whole thing holds around 8-9k. it's just more portable, and no internet distractions. just the woorrddss.

      and yes, I really enjoyed using it! I also had the same batteries in it for three years no joke and it wasn't even dying. I gave it to my brother to use for his writing now, but it was really great! if you want something for those purposes it's super cheap for what you get -- around $15-25. and people have dropped it from 10 feet up and it still works great LOL xD

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    3. I have, but it's been a while and I don't remember my score. But 103 wpm - that's impressive! That's like . . . almost two words a second!

      *Looks up Alphasmart for pictures* Oh, I see now. So it's like typing but without wifi and a glaring screen. But still, that is so, so cool. Wifi distraction is one thing that will be my death sentence, but with this you can type without even the temptation of that. Huh. Either way, it sounds really really neat and I'll have to look into it! (And dropping it from 10 feet and it still works?! That's some hefty equipment you got there)

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  5. I would love to write more by hand, but I have some wrist issues that make writing painful after a few minutes. Being ambidextrous and switching hands every few minutes helps...but eventually both wrists are in pain...so frustrating. I'm getting ready to edit, and I hope to try and do some of that by hand though, since it does help me figure things out better.

    But I'm mostly a typing writer!

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    1. Ooh - I can see how writing by hand would be difficult if your wrists hurt you easily. That must be frustrating for you in general, and not only in creative writing. If typing works well for you, though, that's great that you've found the best solution for your problem!

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  6. I started writing my stories in a notebook, but I gladly switched to typing when I could. I could never keep up with my brain, so it was very messy, and I couldn't change things if I misspelled something or wanted to change an idea.

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    1. The freedom of changing things easily seems to be the biggest pro for typing that I'm seeing - that and the speed. And hey - another person who started out by handwriting! *high fives* But I can see why you wanted to type as much as you could - it does have its advantages.

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  7. I so admire you for being able to type an entire story by hand. For me, I have a really hard time writing lengthy things by hand, I find that my wrist gets really sore really fast and that the time it takes makes me cut things much shorter and not write out all that I wanted or needed to say. It's nice for letter-writing, or journal entries, but I don't know if I could ever write a full-length novel that way. Honestly, you are totally amazing for doing that for so long!

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    1. That's another good point - because of the speed of typing, I find myself writing and describing things I would have thought unnecessary if I were handwriting - so many cute lines or bits of dialogue lost. I hadn't thought about that in a while, but you reminded me about that. Haha - it took dedication, but a lot of it was out of necessity rather than choice. Still, it's not as bad as you'd imagine when you get used to it.

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  8. I write by hand than transfer to the laptop. I have written by hand for a long lime. My first finished book was 23k. I do all editing on the laptop though. It works out good. I have typed on a typewriter too.

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    1. You've typed on a typewriter? That sounds cool! Did you like doing it? I have a friend with a typewriter, and the print that it makes looks so cool, but I've never actually used one before. Oh, you must have so much patience! Transferring handwriting to a computer always frustrated me. But I agree with you: editing is so much easier on the laptop, so I suppose it would be worth it overall.

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    2. Yes I have but I don't use my typewriter all the time. Yes I like it but it is different I mostly use two fingers typing. Well I just think of it as editing time. It is so cool to finally see my word count.

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  9. Writing by hand used to be all that I did! My dad would always urge me to type my stories so I could go faster, but now that I've started, he tells me I should spend less time on the computer XD

    I do love writing by hand. I write poetry sometimes, and I can't imagine typing that. I'd love to write an entire novel by hand again one day.

    Great post! <3

    audrey caylin

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    1. My father did the same thing - but I do partly agree with him and wish I could type without staring at a screen all day. Oooh - I don't write a lot of poetry, so I didn't even think about the writing/typing difference there, but I can seen why you can't imagine typing it.

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  10. I have a combination of writing it out by hand very late at night, then transferring over to my laptop! It’s mostly because most of my writing productivity is somewhat late at night. ^.^ It bad part was my pink would sometimes me lightly bruised and my hand would be smeared with some pen ink that hadn’t been fully dried yet, but hey— it works just fine. Besides, aren’t those the trademarks of a writer from a century ago? Smudged hands, but still writing on! xD

    xoxo Abigail Lennah | ups & downs

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    1. XD Smudged hands are one of the best parts about writing with a pen and paper - you feel so productive and mysterious later. Just like an old writer from a century ago, like you said! But writing at night and then transferring your words over is a neat idea - that way you don't have to deal with any screen glare before you sleep, and you can still write in the night.

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  11. Great post! I love your blog! Just stumbled on it thru a mutual blog we follow. :] (Glad I did!)

    What you've shared in this post is spot on. I believe I am very similar to you. My default setting is to resort to my handy notebook to write my stories, and then later to type what i've written to my laptop. I love the feel of pen on paper! But I also agree with you in feeling like a "millionaire tech boss" with my fingers speed-typing like a pro. ;D

    I agree with all the pros and cons. This was quite refreshing! It reminded me why I love writing by pen and the positives of typing.

    Thanks for sharing! I look forward to more great articles!

    Blessings,
    Sarah
    sarah-plainandaverage.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Sarah! It's great to meet you, and I'm glad that you enjoyed this post. And yes! The feeling of a pen writing on paper is so nice and so inspirational. Haha - I'm glad someone else can relate to feeling powerful and awesome at he keyboard. ;)
      By the way, I love the reference (on purpose or not) that your blog makes - I'll be sure to check it out!

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  12. I love both of these methods! I used to be just a computer user. That's where I'd write everything, but sometime last year I started writing scenes on paper and my mind EXPLODED with creativity. I still type on the computer for most of my first drafts, but if I need to do some rewrites or scene edits, I'll usually draft the scene on paper since it's hard for me to get stuck that way. Both have it's pros and cons, though -- thanks for listing them in such a nice way!

    katie grace
    a writer's faith

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    1. Hi Katie! Your experience with typing/handwriting was pretty much the opposite of mine, and I think it's great how found handwriting to be a great alternative! Writing with a pen and notebook can be so freeing, and I love how you do scene edits on paper. That's a great way to get through some of the more difficult parts of editing, and then you can have a record of all of the changes that you make!

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  13. They are very different, and they each serve their purpose! For me, if I know I need to be able to edit it or if if I want to share it, I will type it. But I never enjoy writing anything as much on the computer as by hand!
    Your post gave a good look at both methods, though, great job!
    Blessings in Christ,
    Bri from www.forget-not-his-benefits.blogspot.com

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