Writing V.S. Typing

[HareBrain]

I find that when I do write things long-hand (as I've done with queries lately) I tend to write shorter sentences.

Has anyone else noticed this?

I've since found out that James Ellroy -- known for his sparse prose -- still writes his books out longhand. (An assistant types them for him.) I think I might try it more.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Well, I have read that Pat Conroy writes his books longhand, and he's never been known for sparse prose!

On the other hand, just think what his prose might be if he typed it....

 

[tinkerdan]

My first novel is paced with many short sentences and a few midsize.

Has anyone else noticed this?

I've since found out that James Ellroy -- known for his sparse prose -- still writes his books out longhand. (An assistant types them for him.) I think I might try it more.

One of my readers claimed that it caused them to start bleeding from the eyes, ears, and nose.
Maybe it was all those full stops.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

One of my readers claimed that it caused them to start bleeding from the eyes, ears, and nose.
Maybe it was all those full stops.

I think I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that. Full stop.

 

[chrispenycate]

I write longhand - it's still enough faster than my typing that the 'copying to electronic' phase - which is in itself an editing process, taking a step back from the 'get it down on paper at all costs' phase - is less of a time waster than losing the forward momentum and rhythm by dropping behind the creative front line.

Part of my typing inability is due to having started writing in the studio, on a variety of Macs and PCs (which have different keyboards anyway), some of which were American, one British (punctuation placed differently) one French AZERTY and of course a number of Swiss QWERTZ - and yes, one does use the 'Z' (for undo) and when one is known as Chrispy…

Since my return to the UK I'm mainly on my Macbook (Swiss) with occasional use of my sister's English PC. Heaven help me if I get a tablet or a smartphone.

 

[The Bluestocking]

Typing for getting the draft out.

Writing for jotting down ideas, working on knotty plot/character issues and mapping action points. Sometimes for jotting down quick snatches of conversation.

 

[Droflet]

I do everything with typing. It works for me and my organic writing style. I keep notes in my head and go outside and think about the next chapter, return to keyboard and write the first draft. Each to their own, but this works for me.

 

[The Bluestocking]

I keep notes in my head.

You must have a massive memory bank.

My world is so huge that I have to keep files on it or I have inconsistencies...

 

[Droflet]

I'm lucky. I write full time so I have no distractions, unlike you Miss 65 hours of work a week. Glad you've cut back on that. No, not a massive memory but I have planned out the series roughly, and so I have a starting point for each new book. Then I spend a lot of time writing it in my head. So the train is on the track and all I have to do is watch out for the spur lines attempting to deviate me. Planning, it's the way it works for me.

 

[The Bluestocking]

I'm lucky. I write full time so I have no distractions, unlike you Miss 65 hours of work a week. Glad you've cut back on that. No, not a massive memory but I have planned out the series roughly, and so I have a starting point for each new book. Then I spend a lot of time writing it in my head. So the train is on the track and all I have to do is watch out for the spur lines attempting to deviate me. Planning, it's the way it works for me.

Unfortunately, I'm still Miss 50 - 80 hours of work a week depending on whether my charity's campaigns are cycling up or winding down...

I see you don't have characters like mine who love to explode the carefully-laid plans I've had for the plot and story.

Right now, I know I'm still headed for the planned ending. But everyone's taking various... interesting detours. LOL!

PS. I am also NOT joking about the size and scope of my world. Ask @Juliana

 

[Droflet]

Okay, fair points. I'm lucky that most of my characters are already established in the first two books. But they DID give me a fight while I was developing them. Especially the bad guys. Now, I only have a few new characters appearing in the books and I take them as they come.
Wow, that's a heavy work schedule.

 

[Juliana]

I am also NOT joking about the size and scope of my world. Ask @Juliana

Hahaha yes. Every time I think I know all there is to know about your world, you hit me with something new.

I keep notes in my head and go outside and think

I was once at a book event for a top selling romance author who likes to work on location. They travel to the setting their story is in (Brazil, Thailand, etc.) and spend a few weeks there. When not touristing to check out location spots for scenes in the novel, they spend the rest of the time dictating the entire thing into a recorder. Then, when they return home with a full novel's worth of voice recordings, their assistant types up the notes and they revise/rewrite as necessary.

How about that for keeping your entire world/plot in your head? (Of course, it might be hard for Drof to go to space for his.......... )

 

[Droflet]

I get by.

 

[Vaz]

As a "Gardener" type writer, I do what @The Bluestocking does, write down some notes etc but work mostly on my keyboard.

Also @The Bluestocking Your world sounds cool.

 

[JE Loddon]

Typing. I'd never be able to read anything if I hand-wrote it...

 

[night_wrtr]

Over the past year or so I have been writing several short stories and the method that seems to work best for me is writing them out in a notebook, then typing them up. I find this gives me more freedom to just write without worrying about structure, word choices, etc. I can just let it come out and get into the open page, which is a troubling thing sometimes. Then I can make margin notes if needed, and when its done I can Edit-As-I-Type when transferring it over.

I'll start writing my novel in a few days, so I think I will still use this method. Write a chapter, then type it up.

 

[Amelia Faulkner]

I had to hand-write in an exam about ten years ago and the exam was only three hours long but it killed my hand. I'd already been typing for a living for donkey's years and I always used to press too hard when I used a pen (I still have the callouses from school handwriting).

Couldn't possibly handwrite a novel. Nope.

 

[Lumens]

Until about 15 years ago I would write mostly by hand. I then discovered the computer and have used that until not long ago, when I discovered the tablet. Writing on a tablet is a little frustrating because there are no physical keys to press, but I am getting better at it. Still using an old fashioned Personal data processing Computer machine for more serious work and editing.

 

[night_wrtr]

I always used to press too hard when I used a pen (I still have the callouses from school handwriting).

I always had the same issue, and also still have a big callus on my finger where I hold a pencil. We were all in on handwriting and really didn't start to use computers for typing papers and assignments until the end of elementary school/early middle school. We even had to learn to write in cursive!

 

[Cli-Fi]

I hand-wrote my first novel on yellow legal paper when I was grounded one summer in High school. Ever since then, I've typed up my stories/ideas.