When I began to really delve into writing poetry and short stories I was more comfortable writing in long hand. It freed my mind to truly compose the ideas, the rhymes and the drama, and felt much more like a natural flow from brain to hand to ink to paper. The archaic version of computers we had at that point did not lend much ease in the writing experience since it was a behemoth that was no more moveable than my car.
In the bygone days of my youth (I make myself sound 100 years old), when I began to read voraciously, I would always have a pen and paper handy to write down any words I found challenging and words that I was excited to use in my writing. It went on for pages. I still have those pages and, although they are now collecting dust in a storage bin, they still remind me of my hunger for words. My hunger now is much more easily satiated. With the ease of Google, on-line dictionaries and thesauruses I no longer have to put the word to paper and look it up in a bound, hard-cover dictionary. I even have a dictionary in my Kindle should the need arise to define a foreign word.
Nowadays, I’m sure a chimpanzee would have much more success with that foreign writing object we call a pen. I used to have beautiful handwriting and now the things that come out of the pen slightly resemble a modified version of shorthand. (It would be far more beneficial for me if it were shorthand since I currently have no clue what I’ve written!)
(photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)
With the ease of the digital age I use a voice recorder if I am overcome with inspiration. Random thoughts that used to be scribbled on scraps of paper are now stored in my phone for easy access. My calendar is on my iPhone and so is my shopping list. Even with my creative stream, that long steady flow of blue ink has been replaced by the gentle tapping of the keyboard on my laptop. I have finally been able to train my mind to tune out the incessant clicking and it no longer derails my train of thought.
What do you do? Do you still give the ink a chance or are you a slave to your keyboard?
polysyllabic profundities 
Both – it’s situationally dependent.
But I think I prefer electronic. There’s always enough room, and it’s so much easier to edit.
When I am out and about I (typically) carry a notebook with me if I am overcome with inspiration. However, I find myself more frequently typing my ideas or rhymes into my phone; it’s just so much easier to whip out and type on. Plus, typing on your phone looks a lot less odd than writing in a notebook nowadays…
When I am home and writing, I use my computer 99% of the time. Maybe it’s because I’ve used a computer almost my whole life… but words come easier to me when I’m typing. I like how it looks neat and tidy; maybe it makes it easier to think. Plus, I’m a wicked fast typist, so that doesn’t hurt either…
I absolutely abhor the act of writing. It makes my wrist hurt and my writing is beyond illegible. And besides, as a lefty, anything I write ends up smeared and the bottom of my hand covered with ink. I was born to keyboard. I will occasionally jot down blog ideas on a sticky notes but most of them get thrown away for being illegible.
I think if someone enjoys writing by hand and has the penmanship to make it an art form, then it might be a worthwhile peculiarity. But that person won’t be me. 🙂
Sometimes I’ll try to write things down…but then my hand starts to hurt. Damn it, maybe I should have learned how to hold a pencil correctly.
The only thing I write on is credit card slips. Oh, and checks.
I am all about the pen to paper. I still use a day planner to record everything; I’m obsessed with checking things off my lists rather than deleting.
When it comes to starting a new story, going off with a fancy pen and a nice writing tablet, just feels right. Plus, I don’t have the internet distractions.
I strive to have beautiful penmanship like my 87 year old aunt, it’s unbelievable, mine…not so much, but I’m working on it. 🙂
Happy Weekend, Susan!
I write everything longhand in a notebook or legal pad then transfer over to the computer. I love writing longhand. I can’t function any other way.
I am a happy slave to my keyboard–my writing was once beautiful too
I still have to take notes (as a reporter) but it is hard
I do most of my writing on the computer, but do jot down phrases and ideas on scraps of paper. If I don’t have a computer handy but have a story to write, I will hand write it, but it’s not my preference!
I’m still a scribble on paper fellow to generate ideas, but I am very much a slave to the keyboard. *sigh*