Pen-and-Paper Writing

[Chu]

Some people claim that one who never writes with strictly pen and paper will never truly experience what it's like to be a real writer.

Honestly? I see that as pompous bullcrap.

I don't understand why a writer should look down on someone who doesn't catalog their work in notebooks or binders. It may be because I write everything on word myself, but I just don't understand what the big problem is. I'm developing carpel tunnel and I have weak joints in the first place, so writing assignments for school alone puts stress on my hands - it shouldn't be expected of me to write with pen and paper on top of that. I'm fairly positive that many others deal with the same problems that I do - it's just unneeded stress.


So, how do you write? And what's your opinion of the mindset that people who don't write with pen and paper aren't true writers?

[Maeve]

I understand the utility of writing with a pen and paper sometimes, to take notes and such, but I don't think it makes you a real writer. Most professional writers nowadays work with computer anyway, because it makes things so much easier. Writing is an art of words, who cares what you use to write them!

I write mostly on my computer, Word or Wordpad depending of what I need. I take a lot of notes on paper, but they are mostly just scribbles or list of things and not proper writing.

[Chu]

I take a lot of notes on paper, but more often than not I transcribe them to notepad or something because I'm afraid I'll lose them. T^T

And it is MUCH easier to edit on the computer. I remember rewriting things over and over and over before I used it. Ugh.

[ecco]

I think the ideas are more important than the medium.

The same can be said of film, animation, art, music...

[Keylaleigh]

Y'know, I could be REALLY pompous and say that you haven't truly written until you've heard the clack-clacking of typewriter keys. Nothing is truly amazing as that.

Truth be told, I prefer writing with a pen and paper, because I can take it everywhere, and the materials are cheaper. I don't have the money for a laptop, but I can pop over to the dollar store for a pad of paper and a ballpoint pen, and still have enough for a bottle of iced tea for the walk home.

I prefer using both methods, pesonally. I write out my rough draft, and then finalize it with a computer.

And what makes you a "real" writer, you ask? Taking your ideas and recording them makes you a writer, no matter what the medium.

[Chu]

I honestly don't think that anyone can call you a "real" writer but yourself - that's the big thing that gets at me. Without so much as reading the person's work, people like that pass judgments and don't take others seriously, just because of their medium?

Writing isn't the same for everyone - people write for different reasons, they write with different styles, they use different themes, etc. People can't just say "you're not a true writer because you didn't __."

[KoyiTar]

I don't write much anymore per-say mostly rp and such. I used to though and most of the time I would write out my ideas on paper then put them onto the computer to fix any mistakes such as spelling and such.

Me personally I don't care how you write if your story is decent or writing style is good I will read your work and give my opinion rather its written on paper with a pen, pencil or quill. Typed up on a typewriter or computer, to me its the words that make the worth not the mean of recording them.

[[~SHWING~]]

I'm a fast typer but I can't short hand anything on a computer so I prefer to write with a pen and paper.
I'm also a student of the sciences so having total freedom in what I write out is really nice. The only real benifit to using a paper I can see over the computer would be that you can easily track old ideas of the writing down and not have anything lost.

[Chu]

I just thought of another subject: What does everything think of E-books? Does this reflect or refute your opinion of typing rather than writing stories?

Honestly, before I thought of this I considered E-books to be stupid. Now I realize that I was being pompous in that respect; assuming that E-books don't hold a candle to the real thing. That's not true though. You can just as easily experience the joy of reading online as you can offline. It's the same with writing.

[Keylaleigh]

I'm not fond of e-books. Mostly because I LOVE my library. And e-books would make my shelves lonely. I'd want to buy two copies- one electronic and one print.

[KoyiTar]

I prefer real books though I would like to own a nook.

[Kattie]

Well...I've read quite a few novels about writers (most of them by Stephen King XD), and they always used a typing machine, so I don't think a real writer uses only a pen and paper. To me he or she uses a typing machine. XD
I prefer to write with a pen on paper, cross words and sentences out and make corrections as I write, and then retype the finished thing in Word. But I don't consider myself a real writer. I'm an amateur writer. :3

[Maeve]

I think E-book, like so many things nowadays, is a practical thing. It will not replace books for me, but obviously, if you're travelling or something, it's way easier to carry a small electronic device that contains all your favourite books than the real paper version. Plus, since some are now connected to internet, you can directly buy a book by clicking a few buttons, and you can also have shorter version of some books, sort of a trial version to see if you really like it, which can be interesting.

Still, I prefer holding a real book. I kinda like flipping through pages, feeling the pages under my fingers, smelling the scent of a freshly-printed book and all. Sounds so nostalgic <.<
True, books take space, but I love the look of a full library, with all the different colors and size, the writings and the cover pictures. I feel my bookshelves would be so boring if there were no book in them XP

[D.Morrissey]

I enjoy E-books because sometimes they can be cheaper than buying a brand new copy of a hard-back book. I also have a very small space to keep books and so it is really hard for me to buy new books nowadays 'cause I literally have absolutely no more room for any more actual books. Plus, a friend suggests a book and it's easier to get a version to check out the book it is much faster to download it usually than to go to a book store or library.
A library is my favorite place to grab a book from. In my town the only payment you have to make is for late fees. ^^

[Tempest Maximum Aleta]

I agree. I hate writing with pen and paper. It hurts my hands after a while and takes WAY too long!