For writers: Notebook vs. Computer?

Question

For writers: Notebook vs. Computer?

Answer 1

It comes down to personal choice. Some people write really well on a laptop or a computer, whereas some people find it easier to use a pen and paper (or even a typewriter) and transfer it to a laptop later.

Stephen King for example wrote many of his books on a pen and paper.

What you use to write on makes absolutely no difference as to whether you are a truly serious writer, or someone who just wants to say they're writing a book.



At the end of the day use what works for you. I always carry a pen and notebook with me, and then transfer everything I've written to the laptop. I also print my work out and edit it with colour pens rather than on the screen. That's what works for me (and i've written 197,000+ words of a novel)

I like it because I always have a pen and paper on me (and I don't always have access to a computer) and there's something more organic about writing on paper that helps ideas flow for me. But I definitely understand how a laptop means you can type faster and churn out more words (but they're not always better quality)



Do what works for you, and don't worry about what others do.

Answer 2

I usually plan and outline in a notebook and write the actual story on a computer. Writing on a computer makes the work go faster, and it's easy to search and find stuff if you go to look for it later on. It also saves me from having to go back and rewrite everything, and if I need to add something in or edit it I can just do it.

Answer 3

Utilizing the laptop or computer to write merely streamlines the process for me. With auto (word) correct it catches plenty of misspellings that I don't have to edit later. It is also easier to remove huge hunks of writing and place them elsewhere or simply remove them to another document until a later time or use. With handwriting I end up using arrows and scribbled notes in the margins to tell me to move it to somewhere else and why. At a young age, I took a typing course (best thing I ever did) I currently type 42 to 56 words a minute without having to watch the keyboard which means I can stare at the screen and watch the scene unfold from my mind to the page or if I did write stuff down I can focus on transcribing and editing what was written.



I flip flop as far as my preference goes. Normally I prefer to start out with a notebook. The writing feels more real and personal to me that way. It is more comfortable as I can sit anywhere in any position I like, I'm not forced to sit in a chair at a desk (which is my preferred position for typing). I love my handwriting and it reflects the emotions of my scenes as well. So I love to indulge myself in a nice pen, pretty colored paper and my imagination. There is a stark commitment to me, when typing my story in. I know it can be changed but it feels like it is more for someone else (my imaginary audience) than for me so I write more with them in mind now.

Answer 4

It's easier for me to keep track of my manuscript when I do the majority of the writing on the computer. I can type faster than I can write something out by hand. Also, since I intend to pursue publication, having a manuscript already typed and properly formatted saves me time and hassle later.



I've done it both ways. When I was in highschool I wrote stories primarily in spiral bound notebooks. After a while, the spirals always got bent and it was hard to turn the pages. It just got to be too annoying for me.



I do still write a lot in notebooks or on legal pads. I do all my planning and outlining on paper. I also can't take my computer to work, so I keep a notebook in my locker to write in during lunch and type the pages up when I get home.

Answer 5

To me, pencil and paper is too slow. I also am a constant "inserter" as in, I'll write something, then decide I need to go back an insert another paragraph or sentence or word. I also tend to find large sections where the writing is good, but the placement is wrong, so I'll copy and paste that section into a new document, and will pull it in when the time comes.



I just don't have the ability to write in a "straight line" through the story.



To top it all off, my hand cramps when I write on paper, because I always hold my pen/pencil too tightly lol.



I think that some people process things like words and stories better when they write slowly, in longhand. When you switch to computers, don't just look for things that improve (word count, etc) but look for things that you're losing. Ask yourself, is writing more difficult, or easier? Is the quality of the writing better or worse? Do I feel better about the writing, or do I feel unsure about it?



These feelings can result from not working in the right medium. Plenty of writers use notebooks, so don't feel like there's an incorrect way to be "serious" about writing.

Answer 6

As I'm sure most writers do, I have a combination method.



Most of my brainstorming I do in notebooks. Being able to physically scribble something out when frustrated just feels better. Drawing arrows for connections across several sentences is some of the most organized chaos I know how to read through.

But, once I'm ready to move to outlining, I use a computer. I like being able to copy/paste and move around elements of the story and adding more where need be without making the mess. I continue to use the computer from then on, unless I stumble upon a sentence that just doesn't want to flow well, then I just hand-write it over and over until the wording comes to me.

Computers also mean a file format that's easily sent to Beta readers, and you don't ever have to worry about the original copy being destroyed.

Answer 7

I used to go through notebooks like underwear.(Sorry for the imagery of that statement)

Years passed and I realized how much money this was taking out of my parents' paycheck. My first use of the computer for strict writing purposes was around the age of nine or ten. It helped me to point out misspellings as they happened and learn the necessary rules of manuscript formatting. However, my family is anything but technologically-orientated. In more basic terms... I use a swiffer more than the office computer.



I have a cabinet(so termed "The Writing Cabinet") filled with notebooks, sketch pads, and loose leafs of paper scribbled with notes, excerpts, and dialogue.

A notebook to me nowadays is equivalent to a math student's scratch paper. I use it for outlines and quick note jotting. When the computer is down or my OpenOffice has been deleted(thanks mother, for the nth time) then I pop open the cabinet, select an empty notebook and write away.



All in all, during the past few months [that my computer has been down], I've gone through my notebooks like....underwear. Again, I apologize for the imagery.



I love the online-aid you receive when using the computer. I can do research and pull up Dictionary.com as I write. Then again, I love the availability of actual parchment and to literally see my notes posted around the pages(because I have a terrible memory).

I prefer the computer, but if I had to choose between the two....paper is far more trustworthy.



~~ ††AnkhesenKheper††

Answer 8

I'm not published, but I do write. I prefer typing on the computer for a number of reasons:

1. I hold pencils/pens oddly. I don't know why I do it, but I can't write well 'normally'. Therefore, it often smears the pencil/pen and it just becomes annoying.

2. I hate my handwriting. It's not that hard to decipher, I just find it sloppy.

3. I just think it's easier. My hand cramps up way more easily when writing as opposed to typing, so I usually get more written over the computer instead of in a notebook.

4. Typing on Microsoft Word is generally easier than writing in a notebook, if you ask me. What with spell check and the word count, it's easier if you're serious about trying to get published.

5. I type very fast. Way faster than my actual writing speed, anyway. I make more progress when typing.



Not that there's anything wrong with writing in a notebook, I just don't prefer it. To each his or her own. I'm sure some successful authors prefer writing on paper, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Answer 9

I put it on my computer because eventually it has to go on my computer anyway. Plus my hand starts hurting after a while when writing in notebooks. If you plan to get published you have to type on a computer because they don't take hand written stories.

Answer 10

Hello MalexMizer, I write "books" since I was 13 (two of which were published so far). I wrote my first three "books" by hand - one of them is the published one. Ever since I have a computer I write on the computer, since I find thinking easier, I mean capturing your thoughts. Also it is easier to make bigger changes, like when you suddenly decide to rename some of the characters, or also search for a scene to make additional changes. The positive side of writing in hand is that you see all the changes you made by strikethrough, in computer you simply overwrite (if you dont save all versions separately, which I try to do but mostly forget). However, I keep writing my diary since I was 12 and I have never stopped doing this by hand to a notebook (I so far have 20 thick notebooks). Last year my computer, my laptom and my external harddisk broke (if I didnt experience it, I wouldnt believe it can happen at the same time, probably killed by one virus which worked slow thru the system) and I lost everything. Most of my stuff was saved by my clever I.T. friend, but anyway it scared the hell out of me - how easily you can lose something. When it is on paper, it never can get lost like that. I do cherish my first three "manuscripts".... And at the same time, I find that thinking (dreaming, imagining) is a bit easier with pen and paper...

Answer 11

It's a good idea to use both—actually, I even throw in a third.



1. Pen and paper for rough ideas and to get the mind working. Almost illegible scrawling, crossing things out, and mistakes are good for the process.



2. Typewriter works really well, too—if you can find one that still works (eBay). Like a computer without all the distractions, plus there's something really cathartic about punching the keys—you don't get that from a computer. Also, you can't fix mistakes easily, so it's good for raw first or second drafts where you specifically don't want to be perfect or censor yourself too much.



3. For the serious or final drafts, there's an amazing writing program called Scrivener. It lets you divvy your plan into chapters, set word count and project goals, and when you're ready to send it even has some industry standard presets so you can export your manuscript in the proper format for sending off.



Bonus: For planning, try a thought-mapping site like SpiderScribe.net. It's awesome for letting your stories grow organically and keeping track of the different elements as you write.



So you can think of it as a three-step process or the evolution of your story:

1. First draft: Long hand with pen and paper, playing with ideas.

2. Second draft: Typewritten, rough structure, developing scenes and dialogue.

3. Third/Final draft: On the computer, ready for submission.



One more thought: Get a DropBox account and tie it to your computer(s), then you can back up your writing and research there in case your computer dies, or just to have easier access to it.

Answer 12

I used to be like you. I could never write on the computer because it seemed to impersonal, BUT when I did, it was so much better. Your word count increases and the fact that you can type faster makes the words flow smoother.

Of course, I still love pen and paper and always use it for planning (except when I get an idea and I'm already on the computer).

Ooh, plus, on the computer it's easier to back up your work by e-mailing it to yourself, send it to a USB, etc. So, I guess the main reason is convenience. But I still love pen and paper; I can never plan in an ordered fashion. I don't even write on the lines, all my ideas are splayed across the page randomly.

But, look, as long as I get the words out, I don't care what they're on.

Answer 13

I think it's a personal preference, but I prefer to have everything on my laptop. I do, however, write a basic plot outline in a notebook in case my laptop suddenly dies and my work is unavailable.

There are a couple of reasons for this:

1) On my laptop, I have access to every document I could ever need. It's a lot easier then going to find whatever journal has this one quote in it or this one description of what a character looks like.

2) If I get a stroke of inspiration, I can just pull up a blank document and write it. It's a bit harder to do that in a journal.

3) It's faster, because I type faster than I write and my hand hurts less.

4) I always find myself restricted in a notebook because I want to finish and I'll skip over details because I want to be done. I have less motivation to go on, in a way.



One of my really good friends writes in a notebook, however, and it works really well for her. If you have a lot of information documents, as I do, it's easier to have a laptop. If not, and you write better in a notebook, then that's probably the way to go.



Hope that helps!

Answer 14

I do love seeing lots of words in a notebook but, I prefer my computer because: a) I type a LOT faster than I write b) My hands start hurting after about 2 pages of notebook c) It's SO much easier to hit the backspace button then erase & write & re-erase & re-write But do whatever YOU like better!

Answer 15

I prefer writing on my laptop because it looks neater (my handwriting isn't so great), though I do a lot of my planning in notebooks because I get a lot of my ideas in class when my computer isn't on hand.

Answer 16

Notebooks are better because they are portable, and easier to take with you. I also aspire to be a writer, and I always use notebooks, so I can write in class and stuff :)

Answer 17

Notebook Vs Computer

Answer 18

i like blogs! esp. this one i've had for YEARS and this other one I started at the start of the year.



www.badblueduck.wordpress.com

www.run50states.wordpress.com