Writing longhand

[Redlass]

Do you ever do it?

The other night I had read a book that I just felt the need to write a review on immediately. However, my husband was on the computer so I wrote a draft out longhand.

A friend of mine the next day saw it when I referred to it to tell her the author of the book (we talk about books a lot) and was amazed that I had written a review longhand and asked if I wrote them all out longhand. She said she couldn't remember the last time she wrote anything longhand.

I remember when I used to work at a newspaper how there were still reporters who would write their story out longhand first and then type it in--but this practice was strongly discouraged by editors who were eager to get their stories and on tight deadlines.

What about you? Do you ever write things longhand?

[taurusmoon]

I actually begin the writing process in longhand. I suppose that comes from learning to write before the invention of the word processor (esp. the backspace and delete keys).

Once the juices are flowing, I copy what I've gotten so far into Word and go on from there.

I don't know why it is, but a blank piece of paper is less intimidating than a blank screen and a blinking cursor.

I also prefer to proofread a printed document than attempt to catch errors on a screen.

Sara
An analog/digital kind of gal

[soxfan[$]]

I never used to, but lately I've been doing first drafts in longhand. Then I stick it into the computer and start hacking away.

I think the computer's more intimidating because it's easier to get stuck. Being able to backspace and delete gives your inner editor the chance to say, "No, I don't like that word! Get rid of it and start over!" Which is great when you're almost done, but not when you're just trying to get started.

Ailsa

[magenta321]

I took a special test to be admited to the "Honors College" at my university. I nearly panicked when I realized I needed to write an essay longhand. I hadn't done that since elementary school, how was I supposed to do that on command?

I had gotten so used to cut and paste, that my unorganized thoughts ended up all over the page. I ended up putting carrots all over the place to correct omitted words, and arrows all over to correct the order of my sentences. It was an absolute mess.

To my surprise, however, I was accepted. I guess what I had to say was more important than the neatness of how I said it.

During my student teaching, my teacher was impressed that I typed all my letters home. She didn't realize I am almost paralyzed without a computer. I can't imagine writing without it. I probably has to do with the fact that computers were in my classrooms since second grade, so my education was completely integrated with computers. I am probably one of the first college graduates from this generation. Soon we will take over the world with our unorganized thoughts and poor spelling.

ARUGH! RUN WHILE YOU CAN!

[Joubert[$]]

I type fast - well over 100 wpm - so I tend to type anything I can. But I've also starting getting hooked on Palms and am getting fairly quick at using that to write. In fact, I told someone not too long ago (maybe it was a post here) that I don't even take books on to a plane anymore, but simply use my Palm to write everything. And trust me, that's longhand.

I wrote all of my fiction, back when I thought the crown was being passed from Mailer to me, on legal pads and in big spiral notebooks. The fun thing is that I know where they all are now. The sad thing is nothing ever got published.

[rich2003dm]

I do most first drafts in longhand; then put them in Word to edit. I usually wear out the thesaurus and spell check functions.

Being an old guy, I love a notebook and pencil. But I still couldn't live without the marvelous utility of a word processor.

Rich

[pluckyduck]

I actually had to stare at this question for awhile to comprehend it. Longhand? What the heck is that?

I bought a manual typewriter in 8th grade (1974?) to do all of my homework on and to type my stories. (Yes, I was a budding novelist ) I upgraded to an electric typewriter in 11th grade, and bought my first Mac before they came with hard drives.

Before everybody had email, I did all of my communication via fax, after I had printed (my end) out on my computer.

I use Excel for my grocery list!! (no, I don't have a Palm yet).

I could no more organize my thoughts on a piece of notebook paper than I could write in Russian.

Wow. Longhand.

Andrea
who says "mind blower, man"

[AuntieEmma[$]]

I think I write better if I start off in longhand. It slows me down so that I have to think about every word, and that curbs my tendency to blather and also gives me time to think about word choices. I think I also edit a lot more carefully if I'm doing it on paper.

But the part I hate is typing it in. I spent several years as a word processor, way back in the days when that was an actual job classification, and I didn't like it, and I still have a lingering dread of copy typing. It's different if I'm typing straight into the computer, thinking about what I'm saying as I'm typing it -- for some reason, I don't mind doing that -- but sitting there copying something off a sheet of paper drives me up a wall.

So I rarely do the longhand drafts any more, even though I believe my writing was a lot more precise when I did. And I've also lost a lot of my earlier perfectionism -- I don't care very much, any more, if I *do* blather on and on. In some ways that's probably a good thing, in some ways not.

[magenta321]

You know, the more I think about this, the more I realize my writing habits are an enigma. I cannot write (meaning stories, reviews, letters, etc) on paper, but I do notice that when I am designing something (like a webpage) I need to outline what the final product will be like on paper. Huh. So for the electronic media, I use paper, but for printed media, I use a computer.

I think the reason I do this for the webpage is because I haven't memorized all that much html, and I need to reference things a lot. I tend to get lost in a detail here, or tweaking there, and lose sight of the big picture if I don't have a blue print of my desired outcome, ya know? And then, while looking for X detail online, I end up finding it, but also finding Y, and then I want to include X and Y, and I get really lost without a plan There is just so much out there, ya know? If I don't have a map, I take the scenic route and end up in California instead of Boston.

[tipu]

Writing notes on paper vs. to screen normally depends on how close to a confuser I am... I've written on the backs of receipts when a sudden thought barged into my head and I thought it was worth capturing... if I'm reading after putting the computer to bed for the night, I take notes on the book on some sorta paper... I've started writing things during a class (hmmm... that splains a few things... )

When throwing things from paper to screen, I usually cross out sections as I electrify them...

The few movies I felt like reviewin, I've sat down to with notepad and pen for the second viewing...

... but writing on paper vs. screen is mainly a matter of availability of a keyboard when te urge to putz together a few words overtakes me...

[slick4591[$]]

So far I'm the only "none of the above." I avoid using my hand and a writing utensil because I can't read my own writing.

For me it's two fingers, a keyboard and some sort of program. But I still seem to wercs up, mostly.

[jenninca]

I write EVERY review longhand, probably because I feel like then I'm doing something besides using the computer. It's also always been the way I prefer to write. I never really feel inspired looking at a white screen the way I do staring at a blank piece of notebook paper. Plus, I like to write while lying on my bed. I'm a lot more comfortable that way.

While I was on vacation, I took along a 3-subject spiral notebook. I ended up filling one full section with reviews.

Besides, if I didn't write longhand, how would I use up the 130+ gel pens I now possess???

Cindy
who should not be allowed in the pen aisle at Wal-Mart

[Grouch]

There have been times when I've written entire Epinions in longhand (on airplanes, while Mrs. Grouch is on the computer posting her eBay auctions, etc.), but I usually balk at it for the simple fact that I hate to waste time--I'd rather type the thing directly into the computer.

Of course, I take reams and reams of notes while watching movies or reading books, so you could say part of every Epinion is composed in longhand. Pens. Always rollerball-ink pens. Never pencils.

[Workingmomof2]

I occasionally use longhand when I am on an airplane (laptop battery doesn't last that long, and I can use those 20 minutes during landing/takeoff!) or if I'm stuck in a meeting. I have a Palm but rarely use it for Eps, although I do store a ton of files/notes for work in there (very handy...).

I mostly compose on the computer. I used to do EVERYTHING in word, but must admit with the new feature where it saves as a draft I will now sometimes compose right on the Eps page. I also (this is embarrassing) use this feature to jot notes on products I want to review and generally have 3 to 8 "drafts" sitting on my page at any given time. Makes it way easier to submit a new one every other week or so

And although I haven't used it for a while I found the Voice Recognition software to be great for inputting information that I had manually written up - it let me sit with the kids at night and jot notes, then just read it in the next day. I even reviewed the software and got a LOT of "gee that's a GREAT idea!" emails LOL

[Redlass]

My answer has changed since this thread started.

I've recently had some fiction ideas floating around in my head that were bumping into other things and causing all sorts of commotion. So I decided to get them out. But when I'm at the computer, I have a desire to do "real" writing ("real" only because of my talent levels, not because fiction writing in general is less "real") or I end up on EA. So I've taken to writing this story in a notebook before I go to bed at night. I write a few pages longhand each night before going to bed.

But then, I don't ever plan on doing anything with the story besides feeding it to my fireplace, so it isn't like I'll have to retype it. Thing is, it's almost as if my body position while writing has to change according to the type of writing I'm doing. It's as if I'm trying to access different parts of my brain.

[murasaki]

I broke a bone in my hand during college (sparring with the all-Japan shorinji-kempo champion, no less) and haven't had the same "endurance" for writing long-hand since.

Now that I'm back in school, I find myself writing quite a bit of homework in long-hand, as well as flash cards. Since my computer crashed and I had to do without for a few weeks, I also wrote four epinions in long-hand.

I prefer to write on the computer since my fingers can type faster than they can write long-hand and it's easier for my hands to keep up with my thoughts, in that respect.

--naomi

[D.Markusen]

For my part, I can't write longhand worth beans...my penmanship ranks up there with the world's most illegible scrawls. All my revews are composed in my head, (there's a lot of stuff going on in there) and I usually figure out how to put them into recognizable form when I'm actually sitting at the comp. I'm a hunt-and-peck sort of person, so it takes a while, but heck...it gets the job done.

[nylawgirl]

I write just about everything on my laptop, including drafts for Epinions. One of the few things that I write by hand are my exams, eventhough we have the option of laptoping it. I just think too much about the spelling mistakes that I make to be able to properly concentrate on the content of what I should be writing (I guess if I was less anal then I could type the exam but I'm not so ...)

The only other thing that I handwrite are letters (does anyone still do that?) to two of my grandparents for they are of the neo-Luddite variety (although my grandmother loves her TiVo. Strange.)

-- Cate

[Redlass]

I type most my letters, but not all. It seems too sterile to write a love letter on a computer, so I hand write most letters to my husband. Every so often, I'll type them, but it just feels wrong.

I received a typewritten thank-you note the other day, and that felt strange, even though I'd much rather see a busy new mother or newly married couple spending time with the new baby or spouse than writing me a thank-you note.

[murasaki]

I still handwrite letters, though I have typewritten them when I had less time and fewer people I wrote regularly had email.

I am handwriting all my thank-you notes, or the majority of them and my husband is writing all the ones I don't want to do. I think handwritten thank you notes are an art form that should be preserved. It gets me lots of social points.

--naomi

[hadassahchana[$]]

This thread is cracking me up. Mostly because every time I write a review on a notebook, I can't stop laughing. I think about Curtis Edmonds and how he sold a rough draft written on green steno paper on eBay.

Cindy, easily amused

Very rarely do I write things longhand. I used to script out things in a reporter's notebook, capturing cutesy phrases and such I wanted to make fit into *something*.

Now, I just outline in my Palm-Phone or on the computer and then fill in the blanks. Sometimes, I'll sit on the porch with a digital recorder and just ramble for a while and then ingest it into the computer to see if anything came of it.