NaBloPoMo #4: Pen or computer for writing?

This post was inspired by BlogHer’s National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo), which is finally getting me to blog. Join the fun!


Handwritten notes + keyboard = blog post

Handwritten notes + keyboard = blog post

When I’m in the writing zone, a keyboard is the only way to go. I always have a Moleskine notebook with me for note taking and to jot down any ideas, but my brain goes too fast for hand to keep up on paper.

I remember in 4th grade we had to write a story about our summer vacation. The assignment was to write a fictional story where only one detail was true. The story had to be one page, written in cursive. If you read my previous post, you know this was an absolute challenge for me. I wrote about my trip to Lake Tahoe, where the one fact was that I swam from California to Nevada (the pool at CalNeva is on the state line, pretty clever).

I was really proud of my story, which ended up being 3 pages typed on the computer. Then I checked back in with the original assignment – hand written. The perfectionist inside me caused me to freeze. How could I rewrite this entire story by hand? It would have been close to 10 pages the way that I wrote.

I learned an important lesson at nine years old – never be afraid to ask. After getting in fits with my parents since I thought it was impossible to finish this assignment, they helped me talk with my teacher. I was close to tears as I nervously asked if I could just write the equivalent of one page by hand. Of course Mrs. O’Brien was perfectly fine with this solution, and even more impressed by my ability to to write such a lengthy tale.`

In short, my chicken scratch, hand-written notes are very important to my thought process, but I’ve been on a computer since I could write and typing is the only way I can keep up with my own thoughts. Cursive, shmursive :)

12 comments
MHazell
MHazell like.author.displayName 1 Like

I much prefer typing over writing. I also write sort of big, so one page in 12pt font could easily be 2 pages if I wrote the same thing by hand.

 

The thing about California to Nevada is very clever.

jennalanger
jennalanger moderator

 @MHazell Same with my - my handwriting is much bigger and I go through paper very quickly. Most people in school fell into one of two camps - either changing margins and fonts to make it seem like it was 2 full pages, or squishing as much text as possible on a 8.5 x 11 page to make sure it didn't go over the limit. I was in the latter of the two without a doubt.

MHazell
MHazell

Hmm...you use LiveFyre for comments. I much  prefer Disqus, which is used alot more often, and still has more features than the current Livefyre.

 

I'm not trying to dog on Livefyre, but Disqus still has the upper hand in terms of features here.

 @jennalanger 

jennalanger
jennalanger moderator

 @MHazell Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts here. For obvious reasons, I'm pretty happy with Livefyre and going to keep it on this blog for the long haul. Disqus is doing some cool things, but I'm pretty in love with the real-time and social nature of Livefyre. 

mark daynes
mark daynes

I like to use the computer as its just so easy to keep neat and edit. Although my creativity is better when I use the pen. Some how helps to tap into my creativity zone.

jennalanger
jennalanger moderator

 @mark daynes I'm a much faster typer as well, but sometimes, especially for wireframes and crazy ideas, pens are just more fun and productive :)

Lori
Lori

Hi Jenna,

I use the computer for work and cursive for journalling! My thoughts come fast as you and @_erica said too, but then sometimes my journal is messy! It doesn't matter - I'm the only one who sees it! ;-)

Lori

jennalanger
jennalanger moderator

@Lori That's the key point - no one else sees it these days, we print from the computer if presentation is necessary, or it's only viewed online anyway. So you still write in cursive, not print? I tend to blend my letters together, but not in any formal way.

Lori
Lori

@jennalanger I write in cursive, though I have a lot of experience in calligraphy and when I'm not in a hurry I do a type of calligraphy print for fun. It's very relaxing to do calligraphy, even with a pointed nib.

I hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas Jenna!

_erica
_erica

I miss handwritten things so much, but I have the exact same problem with getting thoughts out on paper—my brain is thinking faster than I'm writing! Typing is much more up to speed, but with how frequently I mistype perhaps it's not completely up to par. :P But, hey, computers has made me a complete typography nerd, so I love letters in both their digital & handwritten forms. <3

jennalanger
jennalanger moderator

@_erica We're you much of a calligraphy person ever? I have never had great handwriting, and I definitely went through my phases growing up. I would also take incredibly scratchy notes because I thought that's what smart people like doctors did :)

_erica
_erica

@jennalanger YES, I used to do calligraphy in high school—I was "that girl" who jazzed up every project poster board with pretty writing. :P I haven't done much calligraphy since though. :( If @sfcb ever has a calligraphy class again I'd be all over it.

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