I can’t imagine attempting to complete an entire first draft, sixty to a hundred thousand words, by hand. I feel a cramp developing just thinking about it. Then there is my speed, which I would need to slow dramatically, to make it legible. I have combined printing with cursive, creating my unique format, which allows me to read my thoughts later.
The joy of using the keyboard is in my proficiency. With touch-typing skills, my fingers fly at a pace fast enough for me to transcribe the concepts pouring from my head. Thankfully, my laptop is portable, and I can drag it from my desk to my oversized leather chair positions next to the wood-burning fireplace.
However, I refuse to move one exercise to a digital format. Filling in my calendar is a manual process. Every Sunday, I sit with my planner and record each assignment, schedule my writing sessions, and slotting in work I must accomplish to hit my deadlines. I write out shopping lists and important questions I don’t want to forget.
Each hour’s line receives a stroke from my favorite pen. It is a ritual I look forward to and won’t abandon. It is relaxing, and it etches my commitments into my brain. The process works so well, I remember what I am supposed to be doing without my book.
What things do you write by hand?
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
The only thing I write long hand is forms I need to fill out at work, and even then I get a cramp. Once at a seminar (boring and useless) I did some creative writing by hand. What a mess. Scratched out lines, sentences shoved in where they didn’t fit… thank god for word processing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We are on the same page, Jeff. My calendar is my only exception. Of course no one sees it but me. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the reblog. 🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always happy to share your posts!!
xoxo
LikeLiked by 1 person