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JK Rowling, I know for a fact, writes her Harry Potter books long-hand before typing them. I don't know about others.

Can someone give me pros and cons?

Which is better, in your opinion?

Is it just the type of person?

Are distraction an issue? (I can find a lot for both)

PS: I listen to music when i write. Does that play an element on which i should settle with?

2007-08-23 15:21:33 · 11 answers · asked by My Name Doesn't Fit Here 4 in Arts & Humanities Books & Authors

11 answers

I used to write longhand but after years of that and years of taking notes in college and writing out all those blue-book essay answers, my hand wore out. If I write longhand more than half an hour or so, my thumb stops working and my handwriting gets so bad that I can't read it. So for me, it's just easier to type. I have one computer that's not hooked up to the internet or any other distractions, so I know that when I'm using it, all I can do is write. I think that's important. It's so tempting to get on here and answer questions when you should be writing!

Still, when I get a passage that's not working, sometimes it feels like I can't fix it unless I write it out-- like I can't "see" it until I have a pen in my hand. Writing by hand forces me to slow down and look at each word as I write it, so it helps with difficult edits.

You have to find what works for you. In either case, it does help to carry a small notebook with you if you get ideas.

2007-08-24 09:59:08 · answer #1 · answered by Roald Ellsworth 5 · 0 0

Nelson de Mille writes all his books in longhand.

The pros are I guess that you don't know how to type well and you write better in longhand. Some people say they think better that way. They say there is a direct connection between the pen and the brain and they think better that way.

The cons are in my opinion, I type faster than I can write and I find I cannot keep up with my brain when I write longhand. I also cannot usually read it afterwards.

I also think that cut and paste and features like find and replace are definite advantages to using a computer. I can move things around, change names of characters, and so on at the touch of a key.

I have this terrible habit from old school typing of leaving two spaces after a period. Today they want one. So when I am done, I always do a find and replace. I type in find . (space space) replace . (space) and it fixes all my mistakes in one shot. What a blessing!! I also couldn't live without spellcheck and grammar check.

It is really up to you how you write, but sooner or later you are either going to have to type and format it yourself or pay someone to do it for you. No publisher or agent is going to look at a handwritten manuscript. So I think you should just do it typed to begin with. I take a laptop with me all the time so I can write wherever I am. I do take a pad and paper if I am going out and I have a tape recorder in my car so I can get down thoughts I have while driving.

The biggest problem with computers is crashes. A while back I had a backup drive installed that copies the whole hard drive every night at midnight. I once had a crash and NO backup of my first book. It cost me 800 bucks for a company to recover and they could only recover about 80%. Thank you Cowboy, for having those missing chapters!!!

As for noises while you write, again up to you. I am not a music listener while I work. But if it helps you, do it. However you feel most comfortable is the way you should go.

I am even fussy about keyboards. I have one that is so old most of the keys are blank and I will not part with it!!

Just write happy! Pax - C

2007-08-23 15:39:27 · answer #2 · answered by Persiphone_Hellecat 7 · 0 0

Like so many things, it's a matter of what works for each person. Or maybe each story. Longhand is a matter of having pen and paer always with you and you can write waiting in line or almost anywhere. That's the main benefit/difference, and even that is slowly being obliterated by laptops.
Computers with their spell-check and grammar check are more convenient in those ways (but never let the computerware take the place of what you KNOW or how your story flows. The checkers are tools, not authorities.) Also, with computer, you don't have to try to read any hurried-up handwriting which may or may not be legible. It's also easier to edit with a computer. Cut and paste works so much better on screen than on paper.

As I said, it depends on the individual writer and the writers style.

Music is the same -- depends on you. Some use music to block out the world, some to set a mood, some to reach a ZONE. If it works, it works and don't change it unless it stops working.

2007-08-23 15:34:16 · answer #3 · answered by Ruth C 7 · 0 0

1. Yes. Whether or not you choose to write your novel in the journal, it is always a good idea to have a notebook to carry around so that you can write down any ideas that may come to you when you are not near a computer. It is always nice to be able to get ideas down right away, and you can always transfer to a computer later. 2. I personally do both. I like to handwrite my first drafts, and then type them out on the computer a few days later. This works as a pre-editing technique to see if what I have written is actually any good. Doing it a few days later gives the mind time to detach from what was written so I can look at it with a fresh mind and see my own mistakes more easily. Once it is on the computer it is easy to edit or change sections, but you always have the original draft on paper to go back to or refer to if the computer copy is lost because of a crash or anything else. It takes longer, but it is really nice to have both copies. If nothing else you can use them to look back and see how your work evolved!

2016-05-21 03:44:55 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0 0

We are so computer oriented these days that a lot of people have forgotten how to use a pencil or pen. I write my ideas down in longhand and then revise and rewrite when I convert my longhand to the computer. Laptops are great for doing this. You can sit on your porch and convert the stories as you go. But notepads for ideas can happen any time and anyplace. Was waiting for a bus once and an idea hit me for a story..I quickly pulled out my handypad wrote it down before it left me - then converted it when I got home to my computer. Keep a notepad beside the nightstand too - your dreams can give you story ideas. Music is great for writing too - but I listen when I am typing on the computer...soft relaxing. Keep on writing and we will be reading your books soon!

2007-08-23 21:09:14 · answer #5 · answered by fsnail 3 · 0 0

I also listen to music when I write. In fact, I'm listening to Rascal Flatts "Me and My Gang" at this very moment. I guess that music can be distracting to some but for me it helps keep me from getting distracted by random noises. I always listen to something I've heard a dozen times though so that I don't get as much of an urge to stop and listen to a new song. I type my book. I started out doing long-hand, but I can write longer on the computer without my hands getting tired. Plus, It's easier to make corrections when you type, and it's also more accessible if you need to print it out quickly.
When I need to read through to edit, I just print it out and scratch in my corrections. I use long-hand when I don't have access to my computer though.

2007-08-23 16:31:50 · answer #6 · answered by Skwiggy 3 · 0 0

About the music--I find that if I need to type for hours at a time, I'll get distracted WITHOUT music. Every few minutes, I'll think of something I need to do in another room. But if I play soft, very familiar music, I can sit and type for an hour at a time.

About the longhand--I do it when I'm stuck on how to outline a chapter, or have some rough ideas, new charactrers--things like that. It lets me make little notes in the margins, draw maps of rooms or objects, make lists of posibilities, etc.
But when I'm doing a chapter, it's on the computer.

2007-08-23 16:17:14 · answer #7 · answered by james p 5 · 0 0

Well, pros of long hand are that when you type it up, it's easier to find mistakes and edit, and you don't have to really "read" through everything. Also you don't always have to be at a computer, you can write wherever you want.

Cons are that it, obviously, takes longer to write long hand. Much faster to type on a computer. And you can't back space. You have to scratch out a lot, and can't just go back to erase things

Computers, pros are quicker, and you erase easily. Cons, you're eyes can begin to hurt if you're editing for instance, constantly staring at the computer screen


I don't really know which is better. Sometimes I wish to write long hand, sometime I type. Sometimes I mix and match


I don't see how music effects your preference to write long hand or on a computer

2007-08-23 15:50:16 · answer #8 · answered by Bekka 3 · 0 0

I personally write my things on hand before I type them, I can't get creative by just turning the computer on and typing, I feel like I'm getting sloppy and carried away. The cons to it definitely is that it'll be twice the work but sometimes that allows you time to rethink and better adjust your grammar and such elements. Yeah, I guess it's just the type of person. As for the music, I sometimes listen to some techno/ambient/lounge music but it all depends on the mood. Like somedays it'll actually help in inspiring creative moods and other times it'll distract me so I end up turning it off. Just whatever makes you feel comfortable.

2007-08-23 15:31:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Actually, J K Rowling only wrote the first Harry Potter in long hand and that was only because she couldn't afford a type writer.

I can only write if I type...I think it's what ever feels right for you. I also listen to loud music when I am in my creative flow...

2007-08-23 15:29:25 · answer #10 · answered by buffeeangel 4 · 0 0

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