I love handwriting my novel. I can write wherever with no restrictions, except running out of paper or out of lead. My favorite places to write are on my back patio or in the office, leaned back, looking out of my window with the notebook in my lap.
Originally, I typed my WIP and it was painful. I didn’t know what I was doing, my story had huge holes in it, and the plot was flat. Once I decided to start using pencil and paper, the ideas seemed to flow better. My creativity was released and my hand seemed to be an extension of it. However, now I have the daunting task of getting the handwritten half into the computer. It will be time consuming and tedious. The bright side is that I plan on using it as part of the revision process.
From here on out, I have decided to write each day then type it in when I am done. I am doing it now with my blog posts, write it down then tweak it when I type it up. I was enlightened by a fellow Twitter friend of another author that wrote longhand. She said Tracy Chevalier, author of The Girl With The Pearl Earring, hand writes then types in her work on the same day. It got me thinking about other authors that use paper and pen. It is an impressive list:
Stephen King: If you don’t know who this is, you have been living on the moon or you are under the age of 8.
Neil Gaiman: Best-selling author of adult and children’s books, screenwriter, as well as comic writer
Beverly Cleary: Best-selling author of beloved children’s books. Ramona Quimby was a childhood favorite of mine. “Writing in longhand, I feel the words flow from my brain, down my right arm, and into my fingers.”-quoted from Time Life Kids interview.
JK Rowling: Best-selling author of Harry Potter book series. She started writing the well-known first book while sitting on a delayed train. Pen in hand.
There are many more but these are a few of the uber-famous ones!
So, seeing these authors, the who’s who in writing, I am in good company using my paper and pencil. However, typing it as I go I think will help me keep up.
What is your process? Do you write or type? Have you tried both and if so, what did you decide worked better for you?
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Way to go, Hallie. I could NEVER, EVER write longhand. I’m a fast typist and love that I can rearrange entire chunks, chapters, etc. by selecting with the cursor and dropping it where it needs to go.
I think back to college (um… before we had laptops and had only a computer lab) and recall writing many papers on my typewriter in my room. Today I wonder: “How did I do it?” I guess I was better at outlining then, or more conscientious about planning before I sat down to write? So maybe longhand makes you think/plan more carefully?
Since I’m a professional freelance writer by trade, I can’t live without my keyboard. LIke your hand, the keyboard is an extension of my body/mind as well. Besides, I realize my hands are as dexterous as they once were and cramp up easily (and the legibility of my longhand has decreased!)
Impressive list of handwriters! Keet at it! Interesting post as well.
I use the computer. While I was growing up I did it longhand but after I learned to type I found it to just be quicker for me. While I was writing longhand I couldn’t get the words out fast enough and than I couldn’t read them. Now I type as fast as I think or at least I try but my shorthand is understandable in the typed form. But I love that you have been able to embrace what makes you more comfortable and go with it.
Write on!
I compose on the computer–my hand won’t keep up with my thoughts. Plus, I backspace almost as fast as I type–I’m fond of “rewriting” as I go. I do, however, brainstorm longhand, with lots of word bubbles and diagrams.
Wow, you are all fast typers. I backspace more than make forward progress. Hmmm…maybe that is why I like handwriting more:) Thanks for visiting and the comments! Much appreciated!
This is an interesting post, Hallie. Thanks for sharing the behind-the-scenes to your craft. I also find the comments interesting, so I’ll sound off. I fall somewhere in between you and the others who have commented. When I am in draft writing mode, my fingers fly at the keyboard and can barely keep up with my brain. However, when I’m researching and plotting my historical novels, all my notes are in longhand. I jot ideas and brainstorms in longhand (legible, sadly, only to me, and only for a short time) that can fill an entire notepad before I sit down at the computer to translate it all into something more coherent and manageable.
Jessica, thanks for sharing! I love to hear how others work and what best practices they use. I am curious about your research and how you organize it all. I am very green in this area..:)
I just linked to your blog in my latest post about the brain science behind why writing in longhand engages the brain (http://baneofyourresistance.com/2012/01/19/hands-on-solution-for-writers-block/) I hope you like it. (In both senses of the word.)