How do you write? [drusillas_rain]

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I mean, how do you physically create stories? Do you type straight onto the computer? Or do you handwrite the first draft, then type it up after.

Personally, I can't write on the computer. I've never been able to. I need to handwrite everything, but typing takes so long, even though I'm a fast typist). Because of this, I have so many stories that are complete, but I just can't find the time between work and family stuff and sleeping (cause I have to do that occasionally) to put up my stuff. Amongst other fic, I have several chapters of Drow that are sitting in handwritten form on my desk, reminding me of how much I suck. I frequently write drabbles for the various 100 comms, but only post about half of them.

I'm looking into getting a tablet PC or digital notepad, and hope this helps the problem. Does anyone else use them?

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There are 24 comments on this entry. (Reply.)

I don't use a PC tablet, I have a pen tablet. The handwriting recognition doesn't work most of the time. Because of this, I only use my pen tablet when I'm drawing & then the performance is fab!

Maybe PC tablets perform better, I wouldn't know. Frankly, if you buy one, I wouldn't recommend sitting down to write on a tablet straightaway. First write your story down on paper & then use the tablet. I recall that you had posted about tablets before. A friend of yours had one, right? Did you try writing with it?

I don't use a PC tablet, I have a pen tablet. The handwriting recognition doesn't work most of the time. Because of this, I only use my pen tablet when I'm drawing & then the performance is fab!

I was actually just about to reply with this very same comment. The handwriting recog are so bad right now that you'd be spending more time making sure it got everything correctly that it wouldn't save you any time at all.

Eventually, tho, I imagine that they will be better... the programs that are out now are a quantum leap from the ones of yesteryear.

I'd recommend maybe some voice programs? Because of the nature of speech-to-text programs out there and the need to be as on-point as possible due to its target audience, they are actually really good.

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that sucks. I've tried the voice recognition software, and was able to train it fairly well, but I had the same problem as with writing on the computer. My writing was a lot more stilted and it was much harder to get the ideas out.

*goes off to research writing recongnition software*

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I had posted about a tablet PC, but when I tried it, I found writing on a screen a bit difficult. The digital notepad comes with paper, but records your handwriting as an image - it sounds similar to a pen tablet.

There aren't too many stores that sell them, I've mostly only seen them online. I'm hoping that I can train it to recognize my writing.

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but when I tried it, I found writing on a screen a bit difficult.
What was the difficulty exactly?

This bit was written on a tablet:
I'll try to use it right now. The quick brown fore jumps over the lags dog.

Normal speed with my usual flowing script. *sigh* I think my handwriting is the problem. Wonderful.

You should buy one, it's fun to use it (no matter how much I grumble *grin*). The digital notepad really looks cool; I love clipboards so I like the look of it. :)

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I don't use any of those... I honestly just sit down and stare at the computer until I start typing... normally those first few paragraphs are shite that I have to rewrite but then I get into the spirit of things.

I actually can't handwrite things. It takes too long to scribble the stories and the ideas are coming too fast in my head to waste time with my handwriting.

I didn't help, did I?

What she said.

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I start out typing, but when I'm stuck I'll get a notepad and pencil and write longhand for a while. Many of my longer stories have little scenes that originated on a notepad. :D

Weirdly enough, I've only recently realised that I can't handwrite any longer... sometimes, when a bunny bites me, I scribble down a few notes, but my stories are all written on the PC.

I, personally, use a combo of written notes and typed notes.

I have a notebook that I keep with me primarily for the original fic i'm trying to write, but sometimes ideas about fanfic hits me, too.

But, invariably, I'll transfer the notes to the computer as soon as I feel like it.

Basically, I come up with the main plot and make a brief summary of it. From there, it turns into a synopsis. From there, an outline. From there a chaptered outline. And then I type the draft.

I type easier and faster than I write so I usually always type first.

There's also novel-writing programs that allow you to keep all of your notes, timelines, characters, chapters, synopsis, outlines, et al in one nice file that can be converted to .doc or .rtf or .txt files later on. I've just started using that because it keeps me more organized.

But however you write, it obviously works. I adore your stories, so, unless it's a big inconvenience how you write I wouldn't change a thing...

no wait... did you say you have shit that you have finished but not posted because you don't want to type them???

then i take that back!

GET THEM TYPED DAMMIT!!!

I need me some more

drusillas_rain stories!!!

;wink;

I tend to make point form notes by hand, then type the story up longhand on the computer in the first go. I've been typing for so long that my handwriting lacks the flow and finesse of what I can write by typing.

Also, my handwriting sucks, which has a large influence on my writing ;)

The first thing I ever wrote was almost entirely handwritten. The next two, I typed entirely onto the computer.

When I wrote my Big Band fic I started writing in a notepad just to plan the entire thing. The first scenes were written in that notebook too, but only because I was travelling then. The moment I got home I typed what I had and continued the story. All of it would have been typed, but I started printing it out and taking it with me to write while in class. (Whoops)

For me it's easier to write down the notes and type the actual story. English isn't my native language, so I have to double-check pretty often and it saves time to just minimize the Word window and click on the dictionary.

Also, I tried a few times to write in Word using my tablet. And... typing is much, MUCH better.

I used to have to handwrite everything, but the last year or so, I've learned to just be able to type everything out freely on my laptop. But, I still write on paper occasionally when I'm in class or not on my computer or needing to get away from distraction.

I also talk out stories a lot, especially in the car or on long walks in rather deserted places. I need to talk out dialogue in order to have it sound natural enough, and often dialogue is what comes first, so I talk it out while driving somewhere, and then when I get home, I write it all down.

I can pretty much write on laptop or longhand indiscriminately; I think my writing's a little more fluid on the computer, because it's easier to switch things around, but the process of typing things up often takes care of that. For me, I often write longhand first because otherwise I won't do any editing at all, and the typing up process forces me to. But really, it's because about half the writing I do gets done in Biology class.

Type directly onto computer. I haven't handwritten drafts for years, unless I only have pen and paper on hand.

The computer screen is much less terrifying than a blank sheet of paper, whether hand- or typewritten.

Here via

daily_snitch.

For me it depends on the story. Drabbles and other short fics I often type to begin with. My current novel WIP I draft longhand, one chapter at a time, editing and changing as I write, then type it in with more edits, then print it and edit at least once more. When cowriting, that's of course typed - often via IM.

Writing longhand has advantages in being able to haul the notepad around with me to places where I couldn't or wouldn't take a laptop. But for me a story's not finished until it's posted someplace and can get feedback, so that's my incentive to type things up.

I compose at the computer keyboard. The handwriting is becoming indecipherable and only used to take notes.

If you can type fast, you're ahead of the game. Wish I had learned! So far, 126,000 words of fanfic have been cranked out here with one index finger pecking the letters, and the other hand operating the function keys.

Here via

daily_snitch.

I used to handwrite everything, but now the only time I do that is if I'm really, truly stuck on a story. Sometimes handwriting even the first few paragraphs are all I need to break the ice and get the words flowing. From there it all goes into the computer.

Computer. It's the only way I've ever been able to write decently. And by 'decently' I mean 'got it out of my head so it didn't bother me anymore', not necessarily that it was any good. I think the main reason why computer works for me is that my brain goes way, way faster than my hand can write. But it goes at about the Speed of Type, so it all works out.

The only time I use actual pencil and paper (and it has to be pencil, and college rule paper) is to make notes on a story. For the life of me I just can't take notes on the computer. This extends to my academic life as well.

I have to hand-write everything in tons and tons of cheap notebooks. Then I transfer it all to my computer. Half of the reason is my neurotic paranoia that my computer is going to crash (again) and I'll loose all of my work. The other half is that I only feel comfortable and feel like my writing flows when I've got a pen in my hand.

I am quite particular, however, with my pen and paper. I must write with my pilot G2 ball roller with black ink on wide ruled paper.

Typed on the computer. I have handwritten some, and it worked alright, because I can edit as I type it in, but in the end it just took too long. Editing is easy on the computer anyway.

Plus I can type faster (and neater *shifts eyes*) than I could ever dream of writing, so I type. :D

I despise handwriting things out. It's because my hand cramps up so easily and I can't get my ideas out fast enough, so I'm afraid I'll lose what I was thinking of and it'll be gone forever. When I'm typing, things get out at the speed that I want them to and I can think easier and freer.

It's not that I won't handwrite; if it is impossible for a computer and I cannot get the idea out of my head I'll start writing. But lots of revisions are made on the computer.

Here via one of the newsletters. I write the story in my head first ;-). Then I type it directly onto the computer.

I agree with the writing recognition being a bigger pain than it's worth.

But on to the question at hand: I find that my writing is different when I write a story on the computer from when I write them by hand. The writing by hand makes it edgier, whereas the computer written stories tend to me more fluid (more cerebral, if you will). Lately I've found that if I'm writing different POVS in a pairing (even if it's in different stories) I usually write one character by hand and the other on the keyboard.

August