Although we had computers when I was in college, I was in the habit of writing my many papers longhand. I would spend hours in the library with research material piled up around me, taking meticulous numbered notes, which I would then compile into a detailed outline. Once I had polished my outline to the point that I felt like I needed only to add punctuation and transitions to turn it into an essay, I would scrawl out my first draft by hand. Next I would type my first printed draft and edit it and subsequent printed drafts by hand, riddling them with corrections and notes and editorial notations until I felt like I had a piece worth reading.

For years after college, I wrote very little prose other than the occasional blog post or personal email. When I did begin writing more formal or structured prose for public consumption in the last few years, I shifted to electronic mode, adapting easily enough to staring at the blank screen until my fingers set to work filling it up. I would do many edits as I typed and often wouldn’t print even the things that merited printing until I had something resembling a final draft.

Lately I’ve suffered a bit of a block. I have many stories rumbling around in my head, but when I’ve stared at that blank screen, I simply haven’t been able to spit out any words. It’s funny how stingy you can be with words even when it’s so easy to put them on the screen and take them right back when they turn out to be duds. It’s not as if we’re 10th-century monks copying out illuminated texts in dim rooms, after all.

Yesterday I hurt my pinky. I have no idea what I did, but the knuckle is swollen, and using my left pinky to strike the keyboard was excruciating. So my options for working on personal writing projects and for putting together this post were basically as follows:

  • write a lipogram avoiding letters such as “s” and “a” and any upper-case letters on the right-hand half of the keyboard
  • write a longhand draft and hope for less painful typing later

So I whipped out a notebook and picked up the story I had begun drafting onscreen the night before. And something about the physical act of putting my pen to a piece of paper helped the words flow. I pretty effortlessly scribbled down three pages of prose and then broke for a few minutes to draft this post by hand.

In retrospect, I should perhaps have known that putting pen to paper would be good for me — I’ve always preferred hand-written to-do lists to task management software. I wonder if there’s not also something freeing about scribbling out a draft. Maybe it’s akin to doodling in that you’re doing creative work but feel less like you’re committing yourself to the sometimes daunting task of making a final product.

Whatever the case, if you find yourself blocked, consider trying a hand-written draft if only for a change of mental scenery. It’s been a welcome and refreshing change for me this week, if one resulting in a mildly sore hand and the realization that I earned every poor hand-writing grade I ever received as a child.

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  1. There is something freeing about handwritten script. However, as a journalist and human service counselor, there is also something freeing about using the keyboard during interviews (after checking to see if it doesn’t intimidate the interviewee). Unlike handwriting, typing on the keyboard allows me to maintain eye contact with the person I am interviewing, which improves the relationship between us.
    In addition, I can usually read my notes better later, even with all the typos.
    Still, there are times when scribbling/doodling notes is comforting.

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  2. When a student of mine is not good in spelling lesson. I usually ask her to write long. It does help. I also love reading while writing. It helps specially for those ones who uses English as second language like me.

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  3. Daryl, I know what you mean about how the words to seem to flow better while writing by hand. I think your comparing it to doodling is spot on. I had quite a learning curve when I first started writing via keyboard, and was blocked at first until I got used to it. Now however, between my incredibly fast keyboarding speed and illegible handwriting, I won’t go back.

    BTW – if your pinky is not getting better, see a health care provider. You may have an synovitis aka infection of the joint, or an inflammatory arthritis. I know, I know, it’s just a pinky, but you do only have two of them 🙂

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    1. Thanks! The pinky’s getting better, so I think I’ll be ok. I’m swallowing Ibuprofen like candy for the pinky and a neck problem, and that’s probably helping with the pain as the joint heals. 🙂

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  5. I am more focused when I write longhand, but I type faster on the computer, so I love writing both ways. And I definitely have to agree with this: “if you find yourself blocked, consider trying a hand-written draft if only for a change of mental scenery.” ^_^

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  6. While I enjoy writing with a fountain pen, I’ve always found hand writing to be too slow for my brain. For many years I favoured an electric typewriter as I can type 70-80 words per minute. Until recently, computers simply weren’t fast enough to keep up. I’d often find myself several sentences ahead of the computer, which would then lose a large chunk of text. It was irritating to say the least. Fortunately, computers can now keep up enabling to write as fast as I’m comfortable with. I only take the pen out when I need to slow myself down, mainly when writing poetry.

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  7. Very interesting! As much as I want to use pen in my writing, I’d rather not because people close to me often described my writing as chicken scratch. But I agree with you, hand writing offers a lot of benefits. As a matter of fact, I tried one time using my non-dominant hand in writing my thoughts and let the other side of my brain get activated. I was amazed of what i discovered.

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  8. You are so right! I have been blocked for months now, my creativity withered and dry. I finally broke out my crafting items and started playing around, using my hands in a tactile manner seems to help. Hopefully, writing in longhand will take me back to when I used to write in my “secret” diaries and free my creative spirit up some.

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  10. Author John Grisham is said to have written his stories in longhand during breaks in court when he worked as a lawyer. I’ve found – as you have – that I do enjoy writing my thoughts down on paper first. Then I will polish that draft on my computer.

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  11. I love writing in all of its forms. I have only recently begun blogging and working online full time now, but I am enjoying myself tremendously, even if some of it is somewhat daunting and problematic.
    However, switching between the two, when stuck on a point, usually helps. I remember being told during a simple web page class – that it is always best to be able to visualize your site on paper first – no matter how roughly, and then, refine on the programs.
    It is the same with most of the stories, etc. that I write – I start in long hand, and refine them on a keyboard.
    However, my favorite time to write in longhand, is in my journals, for that, to me, is private and precious. Although, one day, I will make a digital record of them for posterity.
    Thank you so much for the post. It was very good and quite inspiring.

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  14. The majority of these comments certainly validate Julia Cameron’s advise to always write ‘morning pages’. Her book The Artist’s Way encouraged me to honor my ‘artistic creativity’ and give it a try. You have expressed one of the most important solutions to writer’s block. Lovely post!

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  16. I loved this. I think I’ll give longhand a try. I honestly don’t know when I “penned” in ink, the last time! NOT, that I don’t love writing on my mac!! Thanks for the encouragement! :))

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  17. La escritura a mano no dejará de ser un buen complemento, que iluminará de mejor manera lograr un escrito pulido, al menos a nuestros ojos y entender. Pues para ciertos casos cada quien entiende lo que conviene.

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  18. We have to do what we can when our hand hurts. I always write in longhand that was the way I was brought up when there was no word called NICE. That is not my problem though I am dyslexic, and it was a time when no one knew about it, you were dumb or stupid. Luckily I am with superior people when it comes to being dyslexic, that being said it still is very hard to over come.My teachers say I’m addled . . . my father thought I was stupid, and I almost decided I must be a dunce.–Thomas Edison

    My father was an angry and impatient teacher and flung the reading book at my head.
    –W.B. Yeats

    Since I was the stupidest kid in my class, it never occurred to me to try and be perfect, so I’ve always been happy as a writer just to entertain myself. That’s an easier place to start.
    –Stephen J. Cannell, screenwriter, producer, & director.

    My problem was reading very slowly. My parents said “Take as long as you need. As long as you’re going to read, just keep at it.” We didn’t know about learning disabilities back then.
    –Roger Wilkins, Head of the Pulitzer Prize Board

    This is what it looks like.
    when i do riting and pariigrafs my brayn is uncunferdble and herts and i get the writ word but wen it travls down my arm it disapeeurs befour it coms out of my hand and sumtymes im chrying.

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