Writing book manuscript by hand effective or cumbersome?

Proach · Jan 29, 2009

As some of you might now, I'm working on a historic fiction, but I somehow have a hard time formulating good ideas looking at a blank and bright computor screen, other than when I'm editing and revising parts of my book. So, I'm writing (most of it) by hand. Then, when the book is done, I will go back, type it and self edit and revise before taking the next big step.

Do any of you write your books by hand first, or do you just type it out?

What do you think of this? Is this a good idea, or not so great an idea?

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firedrake · Jan 29, 2009

I used to write everything out, longhand, blue ball point pen and narrow lined book but I found that I thought faster than I wrote so I switched to the PC and it's been easier. There is, however, something really satisfying when the pen glides over that lovely,unmarked paper.
I guess you have to do what works for you, that would be my advice.

semilargeintestine · Jan 29, 2009

I try to do a happy medium. I do my outline on paper and sometimes start the project on paper as well, but then I switch to the PC once I get in the swing of things. It's just so much faster to type and format and all that crap on a computer (especially when writing a script).

san_remo_ave · Jan 29, 2009

Either is an awesome choice if it facilitates the transfer of ideas to the page!

I prefer to type everything because a) I'm a touch typist and b) I can get the story down in a 'stream of consciousness' kind of mode. I used to hate that blasted little cursor endlessly ticking as if to measure the time I wasted staring at a blank page. Somewhere along the way, I figured out a way to 'unfocus' my gaze so I could ignore the screen.

Claudia Gray · Jan 29, 2009

Some people really work best writing it longhand. Me, I've been writing on a computer so long now that working longhand feels almost unnatural. (It doesn't help that my handwriting is sometimes illegible even to me.)

alyssalynne · Jan 29, 2009

I mostly write with my computer, but I do sometimes pull out a legal pad for freewriting ideas for scenes or plotting. I'll scribble down a rough draft for a scene or two. Sometimes more. For some reason when I'm working with a pen and notebook, the ideas will flow more freely. I don't censor myself as much. I use pen/paper more in the initial stages of designing my story or when I get stuck or just bored of staring at a screen. So, it does help me to do that. I write in bits and pieces over a period of time so writing an entire first draft longhand probably would be too hard for me. I like to go back and look at what I wrote the day before and make some changes and improvements as I go along. It would take forever if I did that in longhand.

nevada · Jan 29, 2009

i use the computer, but i have found that if i'm particularly stuck, switching to longhand unsticks me. it's like the brain uses a different process when the hand is writing as opposed to typing. i work mainly on the computer because i tend to edit as i go and write a sentence several times before i'm happy. makes for very messy copy longhand.

RunawayScribe · Jan 29, 2009

I wrote my first novel out by hand. It took a ton of paper, and now I have a huge freaking stack of notebooks. I'd say it's cumbersome. However, if you can't work as well on a computer, you should do what works for you.

Proach · Jan 29, 2009

Reading all this, I feel like i'm still in the dark ages when it comes to writing. I'm doing my last chapters, since the end of chapter 18, longhand. I feel like I really get into the story when I write longhand, and Its always good to have a rough copy on hand incase, heaven forbid, I lose all my work. But, part of me wishes I could write away on the computor like you guys.

nevada · Jan 29, 2009

you know what? in the end it doesnt matter if you use alphabits to write your story. all that matters is the story. So you work in a manner that works for you and that's great. and that's all that matters.

RunawayScribe · Jan 29, 2009

Now I want to write in Alphabits...

Proach · Jan 29, 2009

RunawayScribe said:
Now I want to write in Alphabits...

Hahaha, that would be fun to write in Alphabits

kct webber · Jan 29, 2009

As with most things writerly, do what works for you. I don't write longhand. Some people do. And both are fine. The bottom line: Do whatever you want, as long as it works.

The Rav · Jan 29, 2009

I've always written longhand in the past, and I figured I'd continue to do so. In the last couple of weeks, however, I've had a couple of dreams that I just had to get down as short stories right when I woke up. Instead of grabbing my notebook and pen like normal, I just turned on the computer and typed away. I've always feared writing on the computer would suck my creativity out, but in both instances I feel like I did a pretty good job on those stories. Now I think I want to do all my writing on the computer.

I do, however, continue to plot and outline (and freewrite) with pen and paper. I believe I'll find it easier to have my outline and notes next to me while I write rather than having them on another Word doc. I'm hoping by early next week I'll have my novel outlined and ready to start the first draft. I guess I'll see how my first draft on the computer goes. I'm pretty optimistic!

Leila · Jan 30, 2009

I love longhand, especially with a good pen. Even though I'm a fast typist, I write most of my first drafts by hand, messily and in fairly plain looking notebooks, because it makes me far less of a perfectionist. I like computers for editing - the way you can pick up a paragraph and drop it anywhere you like is wonderful - but they make me freeze up when it comes to writing things from scratch. And I end up endlessly checking my word count (which is never as much as I want it to be) and fighting with Microsoft Word about the fact that I don't want to use American spelling (I have nothing against American spelling, it's just that I'm not American and I'd rather do things the NZ way, thankyouverymuch Bill Gates). Longhand is just so much simpler.

The other advantage of writing by hand is that I can do it wherever I like without having to lug my laptop around. (My laptop is heavy and a little elderly about some things. If I run it on battery mode for longer than five minutes, it gets upset with me.) I take my notebook everywhere and write at cafes, at work during my breaks, while I'm waiting at bus stops, while I'm on the bus. While I'm anywhere, basically. I am the master of writing in five minute bursts, and I'd never be able to do that if I typed everything from the start.

Bufty · Jan 30, 2009

Writing book manuscript by hand effective or cumbersome?

If you find it effective - use it. If not... :Shrug:

Linda Adams · Jan 30, 2009

It depends on what you find helpful. I can't write in longhand at all. The thought of having to retype it ...

Zelenka · Jan 30, 2009

I do both. I write bits of the book longhand, and then sometimes I type the first draft. Just depends where I am - it's easier for me to take a notebook to work than my laptop, so in my break I tend to write a few scenes out longhand. I'm writing a historical fiction as well, and I've found writing longhand has actually helped 'channel' my character a bit more, since it's easier to imagine him sitting writing his story than typing it on a laptop.

Kathleen42 · Jan 30, 2009

I tend to write better on a computer but a lot of that is simply because I've had one so long. We got our first when I was five (are you keeping up with the Commodore? Because the Commodore is keeping up with you).

Also, my handwriting is atrocious.

kaitlin008 · Jan 30, 2009

I like writing in a notebook with pen. I can write fairly quickly and my handwriting isn't the worst thing ever (usually), and I like that I can take a notebook anywhere, so that if I get a random idea, I can just write it. Though sometimes I'll write on my computer.

I will say, though, I find it makes me want to tear my hair out if I write too much in a notebook at once - I usually don't want to do more than 10-20 notebook pages at a time before typing them, or else it feels like an impossible task to do all at once. (Of course, you don't have to do it all at once! But I like to.)

scarletpeaches · Jan 30, 2009

If I want to slow down the pace, give myself a kick-start or get out of the house and don't fancy carrying a laptop or Neo with me, I use pen and paper.

My WIP will need a lot of editing and I'm trying to decide whether or not to handwrite the second draft...still undecided...

angeliz2k · Jan 30, 2009

Whatever you want.

I've been writing on computer since I began, really. I can type as quickly as I think (or quicker sometimes!) but I can't write that fast by hand. I can't get a good flow if I can't write it as fast as I think it. I'll forget things--yes, I will forget things that fast, between brain and paper as I'm trying to finish the previous sentence. Witness: my class notes . . . . 'nough said, methinks.

FOTSGreg · Jan 30, 2009

I do both. Some of my best stuff has been written in longhand first and then transcribed to the computer.

I recently printed out a copy of my latest novel and am going through doing the edits by longhand. It's a wonder what I spot when reading printed copy and editing it by hand - stuff that I'd never have seen trying to edit on the screen.

Writing the first pass by hand and then transcribing to the computer also gives you a chance to do an edit and/or 2nd draft - I find myself editing as I go and fixing first draft mistakes.

I don't always write everything out longhand, but I find it works for me for the first draft or at least to get things rolling along.

Prawn · Jan 30, 2009

Word processors are the way to go. If you write it by hand, you are going to have to type it someday anyway. Why not skip a step?

scarletpeaches · Jan 30, 2009

Because, oh Prawnfilled Cracker, one would re-write anyway in the editing stage, unless you're one of those peepholes who merely edits sections of the manuscript...

Anyway, I've always rewritten completely rather than merely re-typing sections and inserting them into the manuscript before printing.

Handwriting slows me down and makes me think more about what I'm writing. Time consuming it are, but...we'll see how I feel when I finish draft #1 of my wonderWIP.

Writing book manuscript by hand effective or cumbersome?

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