PSA: I used to write my first drafts by hand in a notebook, but after my laptop died during a power outage in Austin last month, I switched to using a basic text editor and saving every five minutes.

Is the physical connection of pen and paper better for raw creativity, or does the speed and editability of digital writing actually help you get more ideas down before you lose them?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianal941mo ago

That power outage sounds like a real nightmare. Do you find the text editor makes you write differently, not just safer? Like, does typing let you keep up with your thoughts in a way that pen and paper just couldn't?

holly_walker761mo ago

Actually typing can slow down creative flow compared to handwriting. The physical act of writing by hand forces you to think more carefully about each word. That extra time can lead to better ideas, not just faster ones.

finley7291mo ago

Oh man, "forces you to think more carefully" sounds like my brain on a bad day, @holly_walker76. My handwriting is so messy that the extra time is just me trying to decode my own scribbles later. I guess that does lead to new ideas, mostly just the idea to finally start typing.