Do You Ever Handwrite Your Drafts Before You Type Them?

JoeMilford Level 1

March 21, 2018, 1:57 pm

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Do You Ever Handwrite Your Drafts Before You Type Them?

I always keep a hard copy journal of drafts of poems and other pieces I am drafting--I was wondering if I am just old-fashioned or if others did this as well? Is keeping a hard copy and creating with hard copy part of your process? Why or why not?

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Corzhens

Corzhens

I used to write short notes with a pen on my personal notebook. Especially when my husband was abroad and there was no internet yet, all my writings were on that notebook that I would review first before making the final draft on yellow pad for sending to my husband. But now that there is the word processor, it is very convenient for writing because correcting is a breeze not to mention that there is a spelling checker and now there is also a grammar checker. And if needed to print, I will just go to the nearby internet shop for that because we have no printer.

7 years ago

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RhealaineS

RhealaineS

I did that as well. I used to a have a notebook wherein I write my works. After completing them, that's when I will type in in MS Word. But now there are word processor like MS Word and WPS Office, which you can use even on smartphones. It's more convenient than using notebooks.

7 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

When I have no computer before I used to hand write all of my drafts. But today that I have laptop computer i just key it all in the computer and save my file. I believe the advantage of hand writing is you can still access it even without electricity. But with computer although its much easier, you cannot write on your computer when there is no electricity.

Handwriting becomes a thing of the past now that we are in a high tech generation. Almost everything is done with computers. Our lives have become faster and easier. Thanks to digital printing and photocopying also.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Back when I was still studying I'll do handwritten drafts of whatever I'm writing. But when smartphones and tablets where invented I stopped writing drafts instead I just type them in my gadget, this way it's easier to save and edit it. Also when I'm writing an important piece I would save a copy in my email so that I can access it in different locations. Even if I don't have my gadget with me, there's a lot of internet cafes that I can go to and access it.

6 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

I think it really depends on the project that I'm working on.

If I'm doing some sort of creative writing, then I will typically write the initial copy the traditional way, with pen and paper. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but there is just something about putting ink on real paper that helps stimulate my creativity. Then once it is finished, I can think about transferring it to digital formats if I feel the need to do so.

On the other hand, if I'm writing an article or anything of a relatively technical nature that requires formatting, research and such, I find it easier to just keep my work exclusively on my laptop. I find that jumping between a paper and the computer screen hinders my workflow.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

DenisP,

Good point here--I think I tend to compose MOST of my creative writing in longhand first, and I carry around a Molskine journal with me everywhere so that I never lose track of or forget my new ideas. I think that there is something about the motor function of writing in longhand with analog and organic materials that does, as you said above, stimulate creativity. That what I was considering, actually, when I created this forum for all of us, to be honest. I also like your point regarding composing in a different way due to format and technical reasons.

7 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

"I think that there is something about the motor function of writing in longhand with analog and organic materials that does, as you said above, stimulate creativity."

Also I find that there is somewhat of an enjoyable, ritualistic aspect to sitting down with a pen and paper to write.

When I was in college, my graphic design professor required us to buy a crow quill pen and India ink for our creative projects. Once I was finish with the course, I was left with a huge bottle of ink, a crow quill pen with multiple extra nibs, and no idea what to do with it all.

As cheesy as it may seem, I started having these old timey writing sessions. I'd light a candle, pour a glass of whiskey, dip my pen in some ink and then write. I would write in my journal like this at the end of the day, and it was a pretty relaxing ritual to do before bed.

Much better than just sitting at the computer and typing away, business as usual.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Good topic. Nope I don't do handwritten drafts, I think it's a waste of time. I just type until I get my feel and edit it afterwards. My drafts are all saved in Word document. That's what computers are made for.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Kakashi2020,
Thanks for remarking on mny topic. I have always been extremely interested in the process of writing and in how different everyone's process is in terms of approaching the act or acts of writing. The human mind, in general, is fascinating to me, and the act of using language is so mysterious, even after we have been doing it for thousands of years, that I never get tired of talking about it, studying it, analyzing it, and pursuing it. I too use Word a great deal for straigh first drafts, but I also keep various notebooks, for various functions and purposes, in order to write longhand in.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Hi there, I do know that a lot of writers are still doing drafts in long hand but I think it differs from writer to writer like me I don't know why I can't seem to think properly if I'm writing long hand, it may be because I've got a lousy penmanship lol. Sometimes when I try writing longhand and read it afterwards, I can't understand my own handwriting. I'm telling the truth here, I've got the handwriting of a medical doctor, it's like a written medical prescription. But whenever I type things in my laptop, phablet or smartphone, I can think clearly and I could finish the job in one sitting.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Kakashi2020,
This is so interesting to me--I have noticed a new phenomenon with myself as well. When I am teaching, and I go to write on the board for my students, sometimes I just suddenly can't spell! It's weird! I mean, I had trouble spelling simple words in my lecture yesterday. I have become so accustomed to just writing primarily on the keyboard that I think my brain has devolved a bit! Our brains are so fascinating, and we are all creatures of habit and process, but I never thought I would have incidents like this. Maybe my brain is just FINALLY TOO FULL. In any case, I identify with what you are saying here. I hardly ever use spellcheck on my computer, ironically, but now I guess I need to activate my internal "Spellcheck" when I write on the dry erase board!

7 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

You're the same as me Kakashi2020. I just don't think we should be wasting our time handwriting drafts because of the fact that you could simply just type them on your computer and then edit the draft. Plus, typing them up makes it easier to edit and correct various things later because you just have to erase something and retype it whereas if you handwrite it, it can get messy and difficult.

7 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

I mostly handwrite whenever I'm brainstorming. It's my way of free writing. It allows me to gather my thoughts and write relative good ideas.

7 years ago

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zgecolea1797

zgecolea1797

I am doing that as well. Writing it down helped me to avoid mistakes. I sometimes interchanged words like "are" and "our". So, it is more practical for me to write it first in a piece of paper before I will write the real one.

7 years ago

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jaybee19

jaybee19

I do the same when I'm writing something. I don't do drafts on paper because I get tired easily when I'm writing with a pen. I also hate writing because I do have a bad penmanship. Just like you @kakashi2020, I start typing and proofread until I can see if it's already perfect. The other reason why I also don't take notes is because I hate it when I change my mind after deciding to finally encode what I've written. It pisses me a lot to the point that I just decide to not write at all and just continue writing after I've settled my brain.

7 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

I agree with your point to use the computer because writing with pen and paper is a very tedious work if you are good in typing. And after writing the draft using word processor, it is very convenient to go over the manuscript to review not to mention the spelling checker and grammar correction feature. Even the veteran writers of yore are now using the computer.

7 years ago

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TheArticulate

TheArticulate

Typically, I do not handwrite a draft. If it's a paper for class or a script I'm preparing for a shoot, I'll always write it up in a Google Doc and then proofread the digital copy once I'm finished. There are really only two major things that I handwrite: my journal entries (sometimes) and notes that I take.

I like to handwrite my notes for class because I feel like the information sticks with me better than if I type it out really quickly in Word. I think it's more just a personal preference than anything. I am currently journaling on a regular basis, and do so both digitally in an iPhone app as well as physically in an actual journal. I have special journaling prompts that I use in my phone to do daily journals, and then I use my physical journal to just recount the events of the day and how I felt as well as occasionally try my hand at poetry.

7 years ago

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Barida

Barida

Handwriting your notes was the better way to go as that is going to make it easier for you to learn them better. I always look at situations where someone decides against not to handwrite his/her notes and the device gets one issue or the other. You'll notice that it is going to he difficult to get things back to normal again at the end since you won't make use of the notes, which is in digital form, till you repair your device.

7 years ago

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Pixie06

Pixie06

I type my drafts on MSWord before posting them on my blog. I only keep a hard copy of my works but I have several backups. I find it time-consuming to handwrite my articles and type them later on. In case I don't have my laptop with me I use my phone or tablet to type my drafts.

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

Yeah, much better to type it in ms word or notepad, and then it's easy now to just copy and paste it. instead of writing it in notebook or just to make a hard copy. it's gonna be waste of time to type it again after a long hand written.

7 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

I tend to just type my drafts on Wordpress itself, because I don't see the difference in writing it on a program like Microsoft Word and writing in on the actual blog. The fact that it lets you save it as a draft. And if you use it alongside Grammarly, it can be as good as writing on Microsoft Word but saves you some time as well!

7 years ago

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fishbate

fishbate

I actually use notes for my drafts specially when its a fast burst of ideas...Writing sometimes takes time and inspiration, i always write in pieces and in handwritten notes. When i think its enough to make a story or article, it's when i make use of the PC or laptop. The writing itself goes with the use of my PC or laptop but the highlights of the story or article comes from the hand written notes i made during the process.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

I always handwrite but not the entire article/story or whatever, only the general flow and how I'm going to tell the story. I sort of brainstorm on a piece of paper on what I want to include, then I organize them into a flow which makes sense, then I make an outline before starting to type.

7 years ago

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aeon

aeon

Yes I have handwritten drafts in my ledger, I used to do that, depends on how important the project. but most of the time, I'm using notepad and all I have to do is just to copy paste. But actually before, I'm doing that handwritten just to improve my handwritten skills, because I'm not a doctor, but my handwritten is almost the same as to them, and it's also funny to read some of your notes or handwritten drafts again.

7 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

I don't tend to handwrite drafts really because I just hate handwriting large pieces of content. It's just so much easier to write drafts on the computer because if you want to make changes, it is much neater since you don't have to do any crossing out and it's also easier because of the fact that you can just make a few edits and then just copy and paste them into where ever you want to publish it from.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

This is exactly how I felt immediately I switched from writing down drafts to having it done on the computer system or other Android devices. It makes the work easier, faster and neat. Papers makes a huge mess no matter how much you try to keep the place tidied up, they are still going to fall around carelessly. But once it's on the computers, it's very easy to make any kind of changes to the work without having to ruin the entire work like what is obtainable in handwritten drafts.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Personally, I use to handwritten my drafts before typing them in but it was actually when I wasn't skilled with doing everything online. I was a bit old school back then, so therefore everything must come in hard copies before I transfer them to soft copies typing them instead of doing it straight at once.

But recently, I have dropped that act of handwriting my draft before typing them in. Everything can easily be done online and have them edited before finishing up the work. This saves time, energy and stress from the tedious task of first hand writing the drafts.

7 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

Me too. I still write my drafts using paper. But it's more for keeping an open mind like brainstorming ideas. Once I'm done with prep work, I focus on writing using my computer. It's faster than manually writing everything. This makes me realize that we're so lucky to have what we have right now. Writers from previous decades did not have the technology to make writing a bit easier.

7 years ago

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edencaga

edencaga

If I am not using my laptop, I draft it on my notebook first so that I won't forget the things I have written. I will just type it if I am able to open my laptop again. Mostly I just type it here in laptop but of course I have to read my writings repeatedly because sometimes I commit mistakes or I tend to skip some words without any notice so I have to reread the content.

7 years ago

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Barida

Barida

Writing it down when we have the thoughts is good as postponing it to a later date doesn't mean well for the life of a writer as new ideas will always come up. I think that taking time to read it again is essential to ensure that there is zero mistakes on it.

7 years ago

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romyter013

romyter013

Yes same here too. I make sure I have my notebook with me in case I want to write something playing in my mind. Im very forgetful person so thats what I usually do is to right it down right away before I forget the idea i had in mind. You are right, the more you write it down first in a scratch pad, the less mistake you have once you transferred it to your actual final pad.

6 years ago

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coolavender

coolavender

I don't think I can go back to handwriting drafts again like we used to do in school. I've been spoiled by technology and I'm almost fully reliant on the spell checker and undo button. I'd be wasting precious time if I need to write a draft in long hand. I'd rather type straight in MS Word. I guess this is true for many writers today who have experienced the benefits of using computers. I'd be handwriting a draft if I were to use a typewriter but thankfully, computers have made things a lot easier and faster for all of us.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

coolavender,
To clarify my question here, I think I was just curious about how different types of composition can affect different types of content. I use my handwritten stuff as a kind of short hand to catapult into more developed pieces on my laptop or desktop. I know others who dictate content into the voice recorder of their phones--this type of approach to language--the fact that we are all so different at it--fascinates me. There is NO WAY I could get my freelance work done all day just writing in long hand, but i do use handwritten notes, to a great extent, to assist me in my drafting process, so I was curious about you and other writers in this forum and your overall process!

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Usually, I'm old fashioned and really need to make handwriting first. Mostly, is not the whole thing, but little notes or points to avoid forgetting them, or maybe some things that I want to write about, and want to keep them in mind. For freelancing, not really, I just tend to sit in front of my pc/laptop, and work as long as I can.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Same for me as well, although I do keep a handwritten note of the outline before I start the draft. I still use a device for writing the actual draft though, even my mobile phone if I don't have access to my laptop.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Me too. I do make drafts but not handwritten ones, I usually make my drafts using my PC or Laptop and for short articles I make my drafts using both my tablet and pc. In my opinion only old writers are doing handwritten drafts nowadays, it's because it's easier to just type it in a computer.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Sometimes when I write short poetry i scribble words on paper just to get a fast rhyming pattern, because it's easier than typing it in considering whenever I'm doing poetry it takes a lot of erasures so its better to just speedily scribble down the words.

7 years ago

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mildredtabitha

mildredtabitha

I rarely write drafts in hard copy because it is easy for me to tear and throw away because of the feeling that "I don't need them". So what I do is write a draft of what I intend to publish on my smartphone or I can write in the laptop. So I attach my files in the email or have a copy in my flash disk. This way, I can make sure I have drafts and final copy available always.

7 years ago

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ChristineOh

ChristineOh

I agree with you. Whenever I need to make a poetry I always write it first on a paper. But during my secondary year, I wrote everything too even the stories that I'd make. It was easy to do and a good time killer too, and it's a good way to enhance our way of writing.

7 years ago

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