by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
One thing that always gets me out of any writing-related issue is temporarily writing longhand. There’s something about getting out a notebook and pen or pencil that helps me see my project in a totally different way. I especially like writing longhand when I’m at the start of a book or when I’ve hit any sort of snag along the way. Plus, it’s handy to write on the go that way.
Here are a few areas where I might write longhand and how specifically it helps me out:
Brainstorming: For me, this is the area where longhand writing works best. Maybe it’s seeing ideas scratched out and others written down in their place. Maybe it’s as simple as the pen or pencil scratching across a piece of paper. Maybe it just harkens me back to the days of being a kid and coming up with stories. Regardless, I’ve found it’s a really useful way to come up with story ideas and characters. I also think I sometimes approach elements of a story more thoughtfully when writing longhand because it’s a slower process than typing.
Outlining: I use an outline template for my books, so maybe this works better for me than it might for others. Outlining is definitely not one of my favorite writing-related activities. When I feel like I’m hitting a wall, I print out the outline template and write in it longhand…almost like filling out the blanks. So, for instance, I fill out the victim, how he was murdered, when the body was found and who found it, a description of the victim, etc. It can make the task seem a lot less onerous.
Drafting a Manuscript: I’m not as fond of writing longhand when it comes to my manuscript. That’s mostly because it takes me twice the time . . . half to write a scene and half to type it into the final document. If I do write longhand for the manuscript, I try not to get too far ahead that way without typing the longhand text into the document. I will say it can really help if I get stuck while writing. But making simple longhand lists of possible directions to take a scene or a character works just as well without making me feel as if I’m getting behind.
Do you ever write longhand? How does it help you out? What parts of the writing process do you use it for?
On Writing Longhand: Share on X
Borrowing the outline guide. Thank you!
I also prefer to outline long hand. Same with the blurb writing and tagline writing. I don't know what it is about parchment and quill, but it makes the brain focus better.
Hope it helps, Elizabeth! And you’re so right about the focus.
Hi Elizabeth – I write longhand for my notes at various meetings … mostly I can hardly read what I've jotted down! I know if I was in a serious project then I'd use a mix of the net, as well as detailed information sheets written in longhand – as it can be very tidy. I was a typist and I think that makes it easier for me to re-write my handwritten notes. Interesting thoughts – cheers Hilary
My handwriting is truly appalling, ha. I bet your typing speed is amazing, as a former typist!
I used to write everything longhand until my first NaNo. I still write most small things that way.
It can really help, can’t it?
This is me! I've been writing this saga — which I've talked about so much here, Elizabeth probably remembers — for the last few years long-hand. It definitely takes longer, but sometimes that's a good thing, as you say when you need to work something out. I had a number of things I needed to work out, and doing it this way helped deliver some developments that just wouldn't have felt the same on a computer. Having said that, I will be very relieved when this last (!) installment is done with the drafting stage and I can start transcribing.
Oh yes — my handwriting is atrocious as well, but shockingly I've been able to follow it when I have transcribed bits and pieces. It's worth a shot if you're stuck!
I’m wondering if it’s precisely the fact that we *do* type so quickly that can get us stuck to begin with. I’ll be merrily typing an outline and suddenly get very confused, haha. In longhand, the slowness probably precludes that. Good luck with the final installment and your transcription!!
A lot of people say that writing longhand can help, and I'm glad it does, Elizabeth. For me, longhand doesn't work because my handwriting is practically illegible. I sometimes can' read it myself. Still, longhand can free up the mind, so it seems. It's funny, too: this makes me think of the debate going on about teaching children to write in cursive…
Mine gets worse and worse as I get older (and as I type more things).
I stopped writing in cursive in 7th grade, which was when I was finally allowed to! My cursive was even more repulsive than my print was, ha. I can’t even imagine what it would look like now. My own signature is a print-cursive hybrid.
I've always written longhand. It feels less inhibiting to me. When I type on the computer, there is more pressure to make it perfect. So I'll write out the manuscript first and then use transferring it to Word as the first round of edits.
That’s a good point! There is something that feels more official (and more pressing) when something is typed as opposed to longhand.
I do my series "planning" (and I do use that term loosely) with pen and paper. I like mind-mapping and making lists while trying to figure out the overall basics of the series – characters, tropes, connections, theme…
I’ve heard great things about mind-mapping!
I have always loved writing longhand but since carpal tunnel has reared it's ugly head, it's hard for me to write as much as I used to with my beloved pens. But, the silver lining is that I've discovered I can type about as fast as I think so all new ideas, brainstorming and outlining go much faster on my laptop. Still, when I'm really feeling like I need to dive deep, I pick up that favorite ink pen and carpal tunnel be darned! Wonderful post.
I’ve had some carpal tunnel issues, too…sorry about yours! I’ve found that I use too many shortcuts and the toggling motion seems to exacerbate the problem. I’m now skipping shortcuts and using my mouse more. Hard to slow down! You’ve put it well: “diving deep.” That does seem easier writing longhand. Thanks for coming by!
I'm mostly like you. In the thinking and planning stage, I'll make longhand lists and character names. And as I'm writing, I jot down lists of options for the the most suspense or whatever.
It seems to help so much with planning on the macro and micro level, doesn’t it?
I used to write all my short stories by hand, but eventually the sheer number and the time were too much. I do feel that it helped edit the stories, though, as I'd edit while typing it in. For that reason, I re-type my manuscripts from one document into another for the first big edit. Doing it to outline sounds like a good idea. I hate outlining, but in start a mystery manuscript, I sat down with a composition book and jotted down notes along the same lines as what you mentioned for outlining. It was helpful!
That’s true about refining the words as we type them. That makes the transcription somewhat easier to bear! Glad to hear that jotting an outline by hand helped you out!