I do most of my writing on the computer, since just about everything I come up with has to end up there anyway. Even so, I also enjoy writing with an actual pen and honest-to-goodness paper. The act of putting pen to paper creates a different writing experience altogether. Hammering away at a keyboard can be satisfying, but it also feels mechanical and a bit cold in comparison. Also, paper doesn’t strain your eyes the way a glowing monitor will.
That’s why I have several notebooks lying around. I’ll often jot down ideas, make lists, and record my activities for the day. Sometimes I’ll just start writing about some random thing to help clear my head. It’s therapeutic, and it helps me get more things done.
Typing at the computer doesn’t stop me from writing content I’m happy with, but the act of writing with a pen or a pencil engages my mind a bit differently. Sometimes I’ll write some of my best articles in a notebook and transcribe them to the computer later on.
If most of your writing is done straight at the computer, consider writing in a journal or notebook as well. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. If anything, the thought of filling the pages of a beautiful leather-bound journal with my less than beautiful handwriting makes me a bit uptight. When it’s “just” a notebook, I feel free to write as casually, messily, and wildly as I please. I’ve written more about choosing the perfect writing journal over at Squidoo.
Try it. You might like it.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:39 am
I find the handwriting process tough because my brain works so much faster than my hands can write. (Had the same problem with the piano as a child.) I much prefer the computer for that reason. But I do keep several notebooks with notes and lists and so forth. But it’s a rare occasion I ever actually use them for real writing.
(Nice job on the website format, BTW! Very clean look.)
June 26th, 2008 at 3:37 am
The main thing that bothers me about handwriting is that my handwriting just sucks. Well, it does. Fortunately it’s not like I’m writing letters to the queen, so I try to ignore that.
Thanks, glad you like the design! I actually found it here: http://topwpthemes.com/
Tweaked it a teensy bit, but not enough to take any credit for it…