In the past two weeks I have returned to work on the novel. I get up early and sit at my desk with a stack of paper. I do not turn on the computer.
Computers help in vast ways, there’s no denying. I can compose and type in a flash … which is great for quick paragraphs and emails. Then again, I have to ask, what kind of meaning does this rapid-fire writing really hold? Often, not much. Real writing takes place off the grid, and even when working by computer, I print often and read the paper version, and consider it by far the real one.
A shift in thinking takes place when rattling off fast words and sentences onto a screen, whereas the time and focus of writing longhand allow each phrase and sentence to hold more meaning.
What’s more, paper allows nonlinear thinking. I draw columns and lists, create details about characters and can be present when episodes are revealed in a way that doesnt’ happen sitting in front of a screen.
Not to mention there’s no surfing when you’re holding a pen.
The last paragraph is the key point. With pen in hand, the only surfing you can do is in your head, and that will almost inevitably help you develop character, plot, theme … Hooray for getting back to the novel!
The pen is mightier than the mouse! M