I do most of my writing directly on the computer because it’s a lot faster than trying to write stuff out by hand, and when I’m a few thousand words into something and suddenly decide that the beginning is all wrong, it makes it that much easier to go back and fix things. Still, I do love paper and find it very hard to resist a brand new fresh pad of paper or a notebook. It’s like those blank lines are just waiting for me to fill them up with brilliant ideas.
For me, computers don’t lend themselves to outlines, for that only a good old fashioned pen and paper will do. With that in mind I sat down last night with a crisp new pad of paper and some ideas dancing through my head that I wanted to jot down as a very rough outline. I didn’t get too far before I was fighting off sleep and writing things that turned out to be gibberish. I felt like I was back in my overheated Spanish II classroom all over again trying to keep my eyes open while Senora prattled on in a language I couldn’t understand. Just like in Spanish II, I succumbed to sleep and I’ll have to take another stab at that outline on my now not quite clean pad of paper.
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I have a hard time writing on paper – even notes and stuff. Just doesn’t work. Could also be because my kids have a tendency to steal my notepads and scribble all over them.
I love notebooks! I write everything in them first, then enter into my computer. It’s kind of my way to get a little mini-edit in! Plus, that way I can write anytime, anywhere!
.-= Heather´s last blog ..The Importance Of Tension =-.
Angie: I used to jot down ideas and notes on scraps of paper and such, but found I was losing too many of them so had to start keeping an idea journal. Of course, that is stuffed with scraps of paper.
Heather: I used to always write everything out longhand first, but it became way too time consuming for me, but outlines must definitely be written down on paper, and there is something magical about writing things down. The computer screen doesn’t have the same effect for me.
I do most of my work on the computer, but if I’m ever stuck, sometimes writing it out longhand can nudge my mind in the right direction.
The ideas do sometimes flow better this way. Also it can be easier on the eyes than staring at this computer screen all day.
I especially like pretty notebooks. It’s silly, but I like writing in pretty things. It’s inspiring, you know?
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..LiLa on Twilight the Movie =-.
Lisa: I know exactly what you mean. When they go on sale at Staples or Target or something I snatch them up, and hey it’s tax deductible, right?