NaBloPoMo #4: Pen or computer for writing?

Written on November 27, 2011 by Jenna Langer in 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

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

Lori 1560 pts

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

My latest conversation: 7 Ways to Manage Stress Over the Holidays

share flag

spam
offensive
disagree
off topic

jennalanger 670 pts 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.

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!

My latest conversation: Who Wants to Go Christmas Caroling?

_erica 19 pts

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

_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 :)

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.