Dorian Grey's picture
Dorian Grey from Transexual, Transylvania is reading "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck November 23, 2012 - 12:22am

...or is that just too old-fashioned? There's a whole different feel to writing a story by hand than by typing, for me at least. Does any one, at least some of the time, write stories by hand versus using the old word processor?

JEFFREY GRANT BARR's picture
JEFFREY GRANT BARR from Central OR is reading Nothing but fucking Shakespeare, for the rest of my life November 23, 2012 - 12:28am

I wrote my first novel by hand. 300-odd pages written in the years after the end of high school until I got kicked out of university. I still have the thing, and it is hideous. However, if I hadn't completely forgotton how to operate a pen in the intervening years, I'd probably first-draft a short story in long-hand.

I must say that if you think that using a word processor is just 'typing', you're not using your word processor to its full potential. Long-hand was torture, typewriting was worse, ancient word processor software was OK, but modern stuff (Scrivener and Word) is amazing in its potential to help you write fast and edit even faster.

Covewriter's picture
Covewriter from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & Sons November 23, 2012 - 12:33am

Write by hand when I'm eating by myself in a restaurant, when I'm on a hike and just took a pad and pen. It's nice.  But I use computer mostly now. So easy to revise.

Matt's picture
Matt from New Zealand is reading This is how you lose her by Junot Diaz November 23, 2012 - 12:39am

I never write by hand. I have terrible handwriting, that may be half the reason. I use a combination of iPad and a laptop. I run iA Writer on the iPad for notetaking/ideas, i transfer files using dropbox, and I do the serious business in Word on the laptop. Nothing too fancy but it works for me.

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On November 23, 2012 - 12:55am

Almost all my first drafts are by hand. Wrote about 2/3 of a 620 page novel that way. Even after I type a draft into the computer, I print it out and hand-write all the revisions. I've always had problems hashing out a first draft straight into the computer. I don't know what that is, but it's all gotta roll out in ink first.

Covewriter's picture
Covewriter from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & Sons November 23, 2012 - 12:56am

Wow  Mat interesting to see how you  are you using iPad.i don't have an extra keyboard and can't stand the hinting and pecking iPad requires. I'm a fast rupee on a eeg keyboard. But I love my iPad, so maybe I can customize.

Covewriter's picture
Covewriter from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & Sons November 23, 2012 - 12:59am

Im a fast Tyler ( fuck imtrying to type typed but it changes it to Tyler) damn . I pad sucks for typing. It thinks it's too smart.

Matt's picture
Matt from New Zealand is reading This is how you lose her by Junot Diaz November 23, 2012 - 1:07am

@covewriter I use iPad mainly for jotting down ideas. I keep it nearby while I'm lying around watching TV or reading or while I'm at work. And it can be handy in the middle of the night. Once I get my ideas in order, I mostly write in Word on the laptop.

JEFFREY GRANT BARR's picture
JEFFREY GRANT BARR from Central OR is reading Nothing but fucking Shakespeare, for the rest of my life November 23, 2012 - 1:09am

I also write in the blood of my vanquished enemies, but editing is a bitch. 

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updated November 23, 2012 - 5:52am

I write by hand, I just can't make myself do much strait to computer.

drea's picture
drea from Rural Alberta, Canada is reading between the lines November 23, 2012 - 6:51am

Workshop notes and story outlines/notes all by hand. Same as letters. I feel intensely connected to the lesson/development that way, maybe because of the slowed down process? Long hand also gives me the space to draw pictures and pages which to press flowers and butterfly wings and locks of hair between. 

All drafts are done on the laptop. It's pretty amazing how fingers flying over a keyboard can keep up with the thoughts when they're flowing, if you stop and think about it. 

GaryP's picture
GaryP from Denver is reading a bit of this and that November 23, 2012 - 7:13am

I almost always use my hands when I write.

M.E.Prince's picture
M.E.Prince from Georgia is reading A Stir of Echoes November 23, 2012 - 7:35am

I find it difficult to get started, looking at the screen, so I usually start out a session writing by hand, then type it up on the computer and go from there, sort of getting a run up. It's just hard to focus without physical paper and pen.

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. November 23, 2012 - 9:42am

I use the voice recorder on my mp3 player for taking notes (usually while driving or hiking).  Otherwise, it's all keyboard.  I'm not sure i know how to hold a pen anymore.  You hold it like a knife, right?

Stacy Kear's picture
Stacy Kear from Bucyrus, Ohio lives in New Jersey is reading The Art of War November 23, 2012 - 9:58am

By hand in Moleskins, preferably red. 

rmatthewsimmons's picture
rmatthewsimmons from Salt Lake City, UT is reading I just put down 'A Game of Thrones' after 6 chapters....Couldn't do it. November 24, 2012 - 5:11pm

I still do a fair amount of writing by hand and almost all of my editing (with the exception of when my printer runs out of ink and I'm forced to do so on screen.) Oddly enough, my penmanship usually ends up looking like a bunch of wavy lines if I'm using a ball point pen and much prefer to use a mechanical pencil with a small diameter lead. How's that for specifics.

No need to respond.

I also enjoy listening to '80's Hair Metal when doing the laundry and can only listen to Dead Can Dance while editing and/or writing. I prefer bagels to toast and coffee to tea. Whiskey is my drink of choice and if you must know, I often go for High West Silver on the rocks, if the bar is serving and the pocket book is willing. If not, Makers Mark is my go to drink.

So getting back to this whole writing vs. typing thing...

Gretel: Children Of The Sun

jyh's picture
jyh from VA is reading whatever he feels like November 24, 2012 - 6:33pm

Sometimes.

Next question!

Robert.B's picture
Robert.B from Northern Ireland is reading The Last of the Savages By Jay McInerney November 24, 2012 - 7:46pm

I prefer writing notes by hand, it just doesn't feel natural typing them out so I pretty much plan out everything on paper and when I think I've got a solid enough outline I'll start typing it up.

JEFFREY GRANT BARR's picture
JEFFREY GRANT BARR from Central OR is reading Nothing but fucking Shakespeare, for the rest of my life November 25, 2012 - 12:37am

People who write by hand should learn to type. People who know how to type should learn to use a word processor. People who know how to use a word processor should learn to write. 

Nick's picture
Nick from Toronto is reading Adjustment Day November 25, 2012 - 12:02pm

I type a lot, but I like to edit using a paper copy (I think most people do). I usually wind up adding a paragraph or so by hand after each go-through. After an editing session, I type out whatever additions/edits I've made, then try and type a bit more. Save, print, repeat.

big_old_dave's picture
big_old_dave from Watford, about 20 miles outside London, Uk November 26, 2012 - 3:32am

All my first couple of drafts are hand written then typed up with revisons printed and then scribbled over. Later drafts when I've got the structure nailed is when I just use the computer and bang my head against the keyboard.

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig November 26, 2012 - 3:28pm

I almost exclusively use a word processor these days, but it was a hard transistion. Awhile back (like over a year ago) I read something that said our brains actually work a little differently when writing longhand vs. writing on a computer. I do find if I get stuck, or feel uninspired, I can often get a jump start by going back to basics, but I find revising a cleaner and less painful process when my first draft is already in the word processor.

JonnyGibbings's picture
JonnyGibbings November 26, 2012 - 3:37pm

I write by hand, as I use my fingers to use the keybord. I play music by ear, but again, it does sound better when I use my hands.

Dorian Grey's picture
Dorian Grey from Transexual, Transylvania is reading "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck November 27, 2012 - 1:01am

Yeah, I mean just a hand-written first draft. Then I will copy it into a word processor and begin editing. I'm trying it out for a story right now -- it's the first time I've done it -- but I'm liking the process a lot so far.

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On November 27, 2012 - 6:17am

Typing it into the computer becomes draft 1.5 for me. Even then I print it out and bust out the red pen and fill my margins to bursting. 

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry November 28, 2012 - 7:35am

I used to write a bunch by hand.  Had this idea it kept me lower to the ground, or some shit.  Don't ask me what that means, it was some weird psychobabble shit that I thought would make up for my essential laziness.  And actually, it made freewriting a tad easier. 

But now almost everything I write is on the word processor, and I like my life much better.  Much less frustrating to begin that second draft because I don't have to type the fucker in again.

The only time I really use the old pen and ink method lately is if I'm driving.  And then only because I type with two hands, but I have to keep one of them on the wheel or my daughter gets scared.

fport's picture
fport from Canada is reading The World Until Yesterday - Jared Diamond December 7, 2012 - 2:04pm

Back in the day, once upon a time, I used to write things by hand and it seemed to be no problem at all. Then typewriters were invented, followed by electronic typewriters and then came computers replete with forums, bulletin boards, newsgroups and mailing lists. 

edit: Myself I use electronics almost exclusively.

Writing for me involves research and scraping from the net and then mangling that with a destructive editing technique that reduces thousand upon thousands of words into something on average of about fifteen hundred mostly related words and concepts. Some of it good and some it it complete shite but nonetheless easily editable and addable. Cut and paste FTW.

edit: My flow and thought processes are best when I can go over and over and expand or contract at a whim and have 3 or 4 versions handy.

Writing for me is an iterative process based on what I've read or discussed with others. Being able to scale up each section or cut back is invaluable. Being able to save different paths and then drag them back for a rewrite or practice session is one of the best things about electronic scribing.

edit: Editing is a real boon on an electronic format because your draft stays clean. Choosing words from a pool as wide as the internet cannot be underestimated.

So, I write with all the advantages I can garner from the electronic world that supplements my memory, aids my vision and allows me to get on with it. Dragon Diction even allows me to free associate while driving or walking with an email into my inbox when I arrive home. iPad, iPhone, workstation beyond reasonable it is electronic for me.

edit: Having tools to hand that are electronic and versatile gives me the best of all possible worlds. That's why I choose them first over longhand practices.

EdVaughn's picture
EdVaughn from Louisville, Ky is reading a whole bunch of different stuff December 7, 2012 - 6:14pm

I always write first drafts and random ideas by hand. I write at work and when my wife is on the laptop. I have a hard time just sitting at a screen and knocking out words. All other drafts and editing are on Word of course. Maybe one of these days I'll train myself to type first instead. 

Brandon Byes's picture
Brandon Byes from Kansas City, Mo is reading The Girl Next Door December 31, 2012 - 4:14pm

I write by hand depending on how close I want to get to the project.  If I really want my voice to come through, or I really want to grab the reader, for me, by hand is my best method.  The laptop is for editing and polishing.

Ripley's picture
Ripley from Fort Scott, Kansas is reading Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace January 2, 2013 - 10:47pm

Wrote a short story draft by hand because the computer was in the shop. Liberating experience. More people need to.

Ripley's picture
Ripley from Fort Scott, Kansas is reading Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace January 2, 2013 - 10:47pm

Wrote a short story draft by hand because the computer was in the shop. Liberating experience. More people need to.

Alexander Briggs's picture
Alexander Briggs from 3rd Planet from Sol is reading Ruins By Orson Scott Card January 3, 2013 - 12:04am

I keep "Brain Dump Spiral" notebooks and they get filled with all assort of useful sketches an random ideas about syncing syndication based asset.

Matt's picture
Matt from New Zealand is reading This is how you lose her by Junot Diaz January 3, 2013 - 1:44pm

Edit: repeating myself

Stephen_Inf's picture
Stephen_Inf from Illinois is reading Whiskey Tango Foxtrot January 3, 2013 - 5:15am

My hand cramps up writing a check. I do keep a little notepad in my pocket just in case inspiration hits when I'm out and about, but that's the most you'd ever see me write by hand.

Brendan M. Leonard's picture
Brendan M. Leonard from New York is reading A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid. January 7, 2013 - 9:02am

I've alternated, but I would say I do prefer writing by hand. My challenge has been finding what writing implement works best -- I love a sharp pencil, but I find myself erasing words often, thus killing the eraser, and pen just leads to page after page of scratch-out. When I need to sit down and focus on a particular idea or concept, I turn off the computer and attack the yellow page. Usually, that jars loose whatever I am working on.

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts February 21, 2013 - 7:25am

They stopped making my favorite Uniball pen but I've found a pretty good substitution in these Pilot Precise V5s? But my all time preference is the Sharpie fine-tip pens.

OtisTheBulldog's picture
OtisTheBulldog from Somerville, MA is reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz February 21, 2013 - 9:02am

My friend used to work in a fancy high rise for a fancy well known PR firm in our fancy city. When he'd meet with clients, he had these fancy pens to give out. He claims they're about $100-$125 (so, maybe $20 street value in the crack market). I didn't like it at first, but now I'm starting to get into it. It does drag a little.

My standards were blue Papermates, the ones you get in a pack of 10 or whatever. But for whatever reason, my handwriting is less legible with them - to the point I can go back and not be sure what I wrote. I do need a new affordable pen.

Long winded way of saying I might try Renfield's suggestions. Question - does the Sharpie bleed through? I typically write in a moleskine (hipster, I know. But they're built to last)

drea's picture
drea from Rural Alberta, Canada is reading between the lines February 21, 2013 - 9:35am

The Sharpie chisel tip felt does NOT bleed through, and fucntions almost like a calligraphy tip. HUGE fan of them for letters. 

My daily driver is the Pentel EnerGel 0.7mm metal tip ball, black. And Otis? It's "purist", not hipster : ) 

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts February 21, 2013 - 9:37am

They're basically extremely fine marker tips so a lot less bleed than ball-points, but the ink soaks in a bit quicker. Moleskins have some pretty thick stock so unless you handle a pen like a cromag it should be pretty clean on the other side.

Carly Berg's picture
Carly Berg from USA is reading Story Prompts That Work by Carly Berg is now available at Amazon February 21, 2013 - 9:43am

I write by hand depending on how close I want to get to the project.  If I really want my voice to come through, or I really want to grab the reader, for me, by hand is my best method.  The laptop is for editing and polishing.

This makes sense. I use the computer, my handwriting is so awful I often can't even read it. But last week for the flash fiction study group here the assignment was to write a quick story from one of a half dozen prompts, by hand (btw, if anyone is interested, the flash fiction study group is self-paced, so it's not too late to join. Anyone is welcome to get the book and jump in wherever you want. See the threads if interested). I was surprised at how much more personal my writing was, as opposed to being "a story," which is at more of a distance. I did two of the prompts and they were both that way, without trying to make them that way. One was based on a childhood memory I had forgotten all about. Some kind of different mind to hand connection was there.

Gentry's picture
Gentry from Bay Area, CA is reading Letters from a Stoic February 21, 2013 - 10:20pm

I almost always write my first draft on the laptop. Revisions however are all done by hand. For some reason I can't separate myself from the screen enough to make major changes.

If we're talking pens I'm a fanatic for Pilot Razor Point II and Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.5. The Hi-Tec-C has a $100 case for the ink called Pen Type-A that's very well designed but kind of ridiculous. Anyway, I have small handwriting and these pens have almost no bleed.

Nathan Scalia's picture
Nathan Scalia from Kansas is reading so many things March 27, 2013 - 5:50pm

So I dug this thread up.

I've been writing my book by hand in two atrociously-cheap corporate notebooks from work. I filled them both up, meaning I'm about 2/3rds of the way through the story, I have encountered a scene I haven't been able to get through in over a month, so I've dedicated my time to transcribing what I've written over the last few months, in case someone sneezes near these notebooks and they disintegrate.

I have to say that while I'm happy about how much I've learned in the last few months about writing, it's incredibly painful and demoralizing to have to write this over again. I have to keep reminding myself that it was basically free-association done during my lunch breaks and I'll have a chance to revise once I'm done transcribing, but... ugh...

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch March 29, 2013 - 9:01am

I just got a new fountain pen!