by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
One of the ways I motivate myself to the treadmill every other day is to listen to podcasts while I walk. These range from strictly writing-related podcasts to shows like Freakonomics, which frequently give interesting insights on different topics.
When I saw an episode titled “Who Needs Handwriting?” on Freakonomics (by Stephen J. Dubner, produced by Alison Hockenberry), I immediately downloaded it to listen. This is a topic that can get rather heated, from what I’ve observed among parents. My kids were never taught cursive handwriting … and my daughter was never taught to type. Since I considered typing a necessity, I taught her the home keys and had her practice at home. She’s very speedy by this point. But I never considered teaching her cursive. In fact, I haven’t used cursive myself since elementary school.
But I do like to print sometimes. I’ve always found, when I write something down in a meeting or while in school, I never had to review my notes later. Writing in longhand set the information in my memory for good.
The Frekonomics show included an interview with Pam Mueller who has a Ph.D in social psychology at Princeton. She conducted a study with professor Daniel Oppenheimer at Princeton and UCLA where students would view a TED talk and take either handwritten notes or notes on a computer. Mueller states: “What we found was that for factual questions, there was no difference between laptop and longhand note-takers — they did equally well. However, for conceptual questions, the longhand note-takers did significantly better, about a half a standard deviation better.”
Or, as the host Stephen Dubner put it: “Now, why would that be? Mueller’s argument is that because handwriting is slower, you’re forced to decide as you go what’s worth writing down. And this gets your brain engaged in processing the information as you go.”
This would explain why I rarely have to glance over handwritten notes after a meeting. It might also explain why, when I get stuck on a manuscript or when I’m brainstorming or outlining, most of the time I write on paper. Maybe subconsciously I realized that I’m more thoughtful on paper.
I’ve trained myself to write mainly on computer because, with the deadlines I’ve had, there’s no time to transcribe 250 or more pages of longhand into a Word program. In fact, I try to limit myself, even when I’m stuck…if I have to write in a notebook to get through a creative block, I limit myself to five or six handwritten pages. Otherwise, it’s too hard for me to catch up. Plus, my already-awful penmanship gets worse the longer I write.
Writing on a computer also works better for me because I type much faster than it’s possible for me to write longhand.
On the other hand, pen and paper are more portable and I can squeeze more writing in on the go when I have a notebook on me. It’s also a lot less distracting writing in a notebook than it is on a laptop (no social media siren song in a composition notebook).
For me, each approach has benefits. In the Freakonomics show, however, it emphasized that there are many different opinions on writing longhand versus writing on computers–and different people found longhand more or less useful than others.
I’m curious to hear from you. Do you write in longhand on a project? If so, when do you use it? In the brainstorming phase? During revisions?
Could writing longhand be a good technique for some writers? Share on XImage: MorgueFile: Snowbear
I wrote my first novel in 1981 in longhand then typed it using an electric typewriter. It wasn’t until my fourth novel when I started to compose on an Apple IIc. The typing speed and the spelling program were a Godsend, and the ability to move text about when I edited was an incredible timesaver and meant I wasn’t tempted to make a leave a poorly constructed sentence because I’d have to retype the whole page.
However, I discovered that the one thing that wasn’t improved was the creation itself. Writing notes and ideas on the page worked best for me. I imagine some of it was the process of the writing, but it was also about the way I put words and ideas in blocks, spaces, and connections on the page. It was three-dimensional in a way that I’ve never been able to recreate on the screen.
Making handwritten notes when I’m working on the computer has also helped me refocus when I’m a bit confused about where I’m going.
Marilynn–I remember the Apple IIc! In fact, I lost a high school paper on it when I was a senior (the library had a computer…we didn’t have one at my parents’ house).
I had one of those memory typewriters…the kind that could remember a single line of text and give us the opportunity to correct typos without using correction tape (what an amazing technological advancement this seemed at the time!)
I really had to train myself to write on a computer as opposed to merely transcribing on one. You’re so right about losing that 3D aspect of creating on paper. I was worried for a time that I’d never be able to be creative on a laptop, but pure panic with the deadlines became a good motivator.
I wrote about 60k words for The Sad Girl in notebooks. It flowed so much more smoothly, and my production went up (for the same reasons yours did). I’d write longhand during the day, then transcribe one day’s writing first thing the next day, letting me jump right into the flow of the story.
I also wrote about 95% of the sequel the same way, and I’ve got a notebook for short stories. It just works better for me.
Bob—When I’m stuck, I still immediately go to a notebook. I know I can work through a block on paper.
Anything that makes production go up is a good thing!
Although I’ll say (and I know this makes little sense) that my carpal tunnel tends to get worse during transcription than it does with regular writing. I don’t know if that’s because it’s already irritated from writing longhand and because transcription is so much faster for me than creating text on the fly is? Lots of stretching involved when I transcribe.
When I was in college, I found the same thing: the process of writing notes was enough to sink the information in.
Ever since I purchased a Chromebook (over a year ago, which is longer than I usually get hardware to last for), I’ve been able to bring that along to write when I’m out and I know I’ll have time. But I certainly remember/”feel” what I wrote more intensely. On the other hand, it’s much easier for me to get lost and not know/remember where I’m supposed to put a scene, which can make the second draft a nightmare, even after transcription.
Oops- “wrote” should have been “wrote longhand”
Deb–I want to say I still had to review my college Algebra notes, but I think math is just banned from my brain. :)
I try to fix the transition problem with writing on the go by uploading my book to Google docs so that I can look at where I left off on my phone (and I try to remember to update the file whenever I stop writing…mostly because it also functions as a cloud backup). I *used* to skip around when I wrote but now I nearly always write linearly (I think for the very reason you mention…takes too much time to figure out the scene’s place and I just get too confused in the process).
Oh- math is different ;) I love it, but you need to play with it to make it stick.
As to writing more linearly, that’s definitely a reminder that I need to revisit my outline. Sometimes I’m just so overcome by a conversation between two characters that *has* to happen, you know?
Deb–I know just what you mean! I look forward to writing those scenes, too. :) And they always seem to get written so fast compared to slogging through some of the other stuff.
Hi Elizabeth – I take notes in longhand, and on occasions write pages out in longhand .. probably something I’ve worked out beforehand … but I type much more easily – though notes aren’t so easily added … my longhand notes have arrows and notations around as I process the subject I’m taking notes on.
I was wondering about Mind Maps .. I’ve tried those and just cannot get to grips with them … but I guess practise makes perfect …
So – both please! I’m glad I learnt to type before the advent of these things! Mind you I hated typing .. but it gave me a living and has proved so helpful ever since – thank you Mr Gates and Mr Jobs!! … cheers Hilary
Hilary–I have a hard time with Mind Maps, too…maybe I’m just not that visual when I plan/organize ideas?
I hated my typing class too, but it has served me well! Think that’s one of the most *useful* classes I’ve ever taken. Gates and Jobs have sure made writing a book a lot easier!
My son, now nearly 21, was taught cursive but was only ‘forced’ to resort to it during his school years when it was necessary to sign his name to something. I took notes in cursive all through college and rewrote every one of them in neater, more organized longhand later. This was when Apple computers were still in the ire infancy and PCs were unheard of. Writing stuff twice really reinforced the material for me and I did well.
These days, I jot notes about possible plot points, things that need researched, etc. all the time on paper, usually by printing rather than with cursive. I broke my hand in an accident a dozen years ago and now my cursive is atrocious. I only ‘write’ pages and scenes out when I have a great idea and no means to type it.
Anne–Sorry about your hand! That sounds miserable.
My son is 19 and the cursive program was basically dead in the school he attended by the year it should have been taught (third grade, traditionally, at the schools in the South, anyway). And it was long gone four years later with my daughter. My cursive was always pretty dicey and I was glad when I hit junior high and it was no longer required. My print is definitely easier to read.
I can see the speediness of using a laptop over writing longhand, but I think I’d be lost without writing on paper first. When I first began as a reporter, I wrote everything out by longhand and then typed up my story. As time went on and I changed over to a computer, I still wrote out everything first. Today I still write my post out in longhand before typing them up. I guess old habits are hard to break. I don’t write as much in cursive as I used to. In a way I think it’s sad that beautiful penmanship is fading (just like real letters sent by snail mail).
Mason–It is sort of sad. I read one article that said it may be shifting off to art class at schools…I think that might be a good match for it.
What an interesting topic, Elizabeth! I don’t write much in longhand myself, because my handwriting is so atrocious. But there is good research that suggests that writing something down in longhand does help anchor it in our memories. The reason is that we’re exposed to the information in more than one way: first, when we hear/see it; second when we prepare to write it; and third, when we actually do the physical work of writing. In fact, there are some universities that are considering banning computers in the classroom during lectures, so that students will take notes by hand.
Margot–I’m with you on the bad handwriting! Maybe we should have been doctors. :)
Interesting idea about banning computers during lectures! I can see the merit in that, although I’m sure the kids won’t like it.
If I get stuck or need a new idea, my first choice is to get out the journal and start writing. I also find that a change of scene works well, too, so I leave my desk for a comfy chair in my living room or a nearby coffee shop. I also think that part of my success with using longhand in these situations is my complete trust that, when I tackle a problem with pen and paper, I will find an answer. I’m sure my positive attitude helps me be successful. When I first started writing stories, I wrote everything in longhand. I think part of me is still hot-wired to create that way. This process also gives me an excuse/reason to buy the odd journal–or two! :)
Heather–I love those journals! An excellent justification for purchasing them, for sure!
I also like a change of scene. Home can be *the* most distracting place on the planet. Always a dryer cutting off or a dishwasher finishing its cycle, or a trash can calling to be emptied.
I’m coming late to this discussion. I do all my pre-writing planning and timelining by hand in a notebook. If I wrote in cursive, I’d never be able to read it later. I print, but I often tie the letters together. So I guess I write cursive print. Or print cursive. The first couple of editing passes I make are hard copy. Pen to paper.
But when it comes to actually writing the story, it’s all on computer.
I have tried numerous times to do the prewriting stuff on computer. I end up stuck and watching cat videos. I’ve tried equally hard to write story in a notebook when I’ve been out without a laptop. I have pages of doodles to prove this.
Great topic!
Carol–Your cursive sounds like mine. :) I don’t even remember how to make all the letters…
Cat videos, ha! So many distractions on the computer.
I’ve been able to do *some* pre-writing on the computer, but it’s not nearly as good as the pre-writing I do in a notebook.
I do both—long-hand and directly into the computer—depending on where I am–home or travel–and what is most convenient—but I write faster than I type and I think/plot/write better with pen to paper. I use a fountain pen most often. The putting of all I’ve handwritten into the computer is actually the first editing process so that by the time I get all those words typed out I’ve actually written it twice. Makes later edits much easier.
DP–A fountain pen would definitely be cool…add to the creative, on-paper experience.
And you bring up a good point–during the transcription process we also have the opportunity to polish what we’ve written longhand.
Draft in longhand. Transposition into an editor gives me another valuable pass before considering the rewrite.
My plots evolve in longhand. They are laid as blocks when composing on the keyboard. I can tell the difference.
Ink gives the fingers a very satisfactory stain that is missing from involvement with the keyboard.
Jack–It seems to me that most of the writers on this post have enjoyed pre-writing or writing in longhand better…the only problem has been the need to transcribe it onto a computer.
I do wonder though…because I think all/most of us responding are “hommes et femmes d’une certaine age”, if a younger crowd composes on paper at any part of the process?
I cannot imagine they would.
I have interns write a fictitious phone note as part of their interview to see if they are competent at basic written communication. About half can letter a note in the style of a draftsman and the other half can – but in the style of a second grader. They never developed the fine motor control to actual print or write.
Fine. I think that says a great deal about the potential for development in the arts as drawing is the foundation of all visual media (yea yea ..textiles and weaving …).
I type like an addled chimp – apologies to addled chimps everywhere – and transposing my rough draft is a chore. It’s also a good measure of how much effort I’m willing to put in a piece. If it isn’t worth the transposing routine then it stays in the “muck” pile waiting for a another try on some other day.
Jack–Ha! Addled chimp. :) I type better/more accurately if I take my brain out of the equation (if I just go right on autopilot and don’t even think about the letters I’m keying).
That’s sad about the interns, but…I know what you mean. Interesting thought on what that might mean for crafts and other visual arts. Coordination could be taking a step backward.
I write every story by hand first, and then entering it into the computer becomes my first round of edits. I found that when I stare at the computer screen and keyboard, there is this pressure to get it right the first time. I don’t feel that when I write. (I also write and type at about the same speed.) Plus, with to-do lists, if I can just get it written on paper, I’ll remember.
I can’t believe typing isn’t mandatory for grade school kids now that everything is computers.
Diane–So, when you draft in longhand, it has less of a sense of permanence…it feels more like an intentional rough draft. I can get that.
The only thing I’m likely to forget if I write it down are the groceries I need at the store (if I forget my list). I wonder if that’s because they’re just random words instead of sentences and concepts.
Yeah, I was pretty bummed when I had to teach my daughter how to type! My son took some sort of business class that was required in middle school and learned typing, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. They’d dropped that requirement by the time my daughter was there 4 years later. :(
I’ve written three complete novels, all over 90,000 words and have handwritten all of them first! Each night I type up the work I did during the day. Just think clearer that way.
Amanda–That is amazing! A lot of dedication to your projects with all that extra work.
As one of those people who is a member of the younger generation (25), I would have to say that it depends on what I’m writing as to whether I work longhand or not. I like plotting, note taking, and drafting the first draft by hand for poetry and fiction. I type things up when I think that I’ve got something that works for my purposes. I’m writing a YA SF novel in a epistolary format long hand for example because it just feels better to write it that way, to unplug and just go with the flow.
However, I do believe that a lot of other people my age both compose prose and brainstorm directly into a word-processor of some sort. I always liked longhand, ever since I learned it in 3rd grade though.
Melanie– That’s smart that you can adapt your method and approach to different types of projects or writing needs. And longhand seems a really good way to get the epistolary novel written.
And creating directly on a computer for millennials does, also, make sense. After all, with computer natives, writing on a device *is* what comes naturally. I know my daughter feels that way…she’s typed her school assignments for years, whether typing them was required or not.
Elizabeth- It is an awesome way to write an epistolary novel. I’ve been enjoying every bit of it, from writing to transcribing and getting that first editing pass in the process. Sometimes things look very different, are arranged differently and such in spite of the actual events being the same as the second pass further immerses me in the flow of the story.
As for other millenials feeling the way you described, I can see it. My half of the generation, which meets up with the younger end of gen-x, is a bit more use to not always having tech around. A lot of us didn’t have home computers until at least 8 years old, the younger half and those after us aren’t used to not being plugged in. It’s even hard for a lot of us to remember what not being plugged in is like, and most of us didn’t get phones or personal computers until our teens. That’s a shame as far I’m concerned, because we miss being fully connected to our thoughts and how our brain works.
Melanie–That does seem like a big divide for being a digital native…and rules have changed. I know kindergartners with phones now and I had a rule that my kids couldn’t get a phone until middle school!
I write almost exclusively on the computer, because much of my writing involves moving sentences and paragraphs back and forth within a scene. I’d never be able to do that longhand. But sometimes I find that working on a scene in longhand is a great way to generate more ideas.
Ken–Oh, computers are so great for switching scenes and parts of scenes around! Glad you’ve got a great process that works for you.