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Niven Govinden, novelist. Why Creative Writing is Better With a Pen (via bibliofeminista) I don’t always feel this, but at times (especially when starting something new, or novel-ing) it does seem that a blank screen and blinking cursor are the worst enemy to writing productivity. Writing is as much a physical medium as painting or drawing or sculpting, and it’s only within the last fifty years that typing without immediate commitment to paper has become the ‘norm’ for writers. While I cannot always keep up with my thoughts when physically writing (and feel for any poor sod who may one day have to transcribe my scribbles), I do feel that the thoughts flow better because I’m more cognizant of the words committed to the page. My initial writings are generally stronger because I have to combine the flurry of my thoughts and the speed of my movements with the constant reminder that what I’m putting down is indelible. Still, you can try prying this laptop away from me and see how quickly your ass goes down and the speed at which you get a pen thrust into a vital artery. |
A blank computer screen makes me want to throw up. It’s not conducive to good writing. The physicality of longhand pleases me. I can revise as I work in a way that doesn’t happen on a laptop. There’s a greater sense of space when using a pen. A lined notebook is less judgmental. But most importantly, I write in a more economical way. I think harder about one good sentence following another, which for me is all that matters.
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