My son has told me on several occasions that he's always loved my handwriting and used to try to copy it as a child. For some reason this makes me ridiculously happy. (Also as a self-professed and unapologetic pen freak/hoarder/obsessive, obviously I care about handwriting.) Loved this.
I was just talking about this with a client yesterday. Writing by hand helps the brain lateralize and engage both hemispheres, accessing visual, motor, and cognitive processing areas of the brain all at the same time. Typing uses predominantly procedural memory, activating automated motor pathways. It’s quicker, but it bypasses reflective areas of the brain.
I once hand copied Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls as a way to better understand writing dialogue and showing/not telling. I learned a lot and am grateful to the prof who recommended it to me.
Does anyone else longhand their Substack posts first? I have a stack of spiral notebooks I've used for my columns and pieces for years. It's the best way for me to process, make connections, create something out of nothing.
I wish I could hand write. I truly miss it. I have a tremor in my right hand which makes my writing look like a doctor’s prescription. Even texting can be a challenge so I use the voice prompt.
I handwrite my journals, all my lists and wotsits, and the first draft of every book is always handwritten. The 1st rewrite comes when I transcribe it into the computer. Some people think the latter is a huge waste of time, but I get the ideas out faster and better when I don't have Word screaming at me about misspellings and grammer/punctuation errors. Plenty of time to address all that later.
In college (middle 1970’s) I would take my hand written notes and type them up that night, annotated with material from the reading. My handwriting was (and still is) sufficiently bad that I couldn’t read my own notes by the end of the semester otherwise.
My son has told me on several occasions that he's always loved my handwriting and used to try to copy it as a child. For some reason this makes me ridiculously happy. (Also as a self-professed and unapologetic pen freak/hoarder/obsessive, obviously I care about handwriting.) Loved this.
Omg. I’m a pen freak too.
(Of course I am. We’re the same person.)
One time, my colleagues at an ad agency stole my favorite pen and put it up for ransom. So mean!!!
Just thinking about someone stealing my favorite pen (of the moment bc it changes weekly) makes me sweat a little.
I was just talking about this with a client yesterday. Writing by hand helps the brain lateralize and engage both hemispheres, accessing visual, motor, and cognitive processing areas of the brain all at the same time. Typing uses predominantly procedural memory, activating automated motor pathways. It’s quicker, but it bypasses reflective areas of the brain.
Yesss!!!
Love this. I have to write everything by hand first
I once hand copied Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls as a way to better understand writing dialogue and showing/not telling. I learned a lot and am grateful to the prof who recommended it to me.
Holy moly
I should eBay it. “One of one handwritten manuscript.” Ernie typed his.
Someone would buy it.
Does anyone else longhand their Substack posts first? I have a stack of spiral notebooks I've used for my columns and pieces for years. It's the best way for me to process, make connections, create something out of nothing.
My husband bought me 4 boxes of stationery last summer.
A friend started writing letters, and this spurred me on, even though my handwriting is dreadful.
I should add that during tax season, I write, with a pencil no less, about 16 hrs/week. It's mainly the equivalent of copywork
I wish I could hand write. I truly miss it. I have a tremor in my right hand which makes my writing look like a doctor’s prescription. Even texting can be a challenge so I use the voice prompt.
I handwrite my journals, all my lists and wotsits, and the first draft of every book is always handwritten. The 1st rewrite comes when I transcribe it into the computer. Some people think the latter is a huge waste of time, but I get the ideas out faster and better when I don't have Word screaming at me about misspellings and grammer/punctuation errors. Plenty of time to address all that later.
I love that. You’re in good company— many very popular and successful writers handwrite the first drafts.
In college (middle 1970’s) I would take my hand written notes and type them up that night, annotated with material from the reading. My handwriting was (and still is) sufficiently bad that I couldn’t read my own notes by the end of the semester otherwise.
That’s doubly good!!