Longhand vs. Laptop

A Writing Tools Death Match

My friends know I'm a geek. Need a website? Call Jeremy. Need help setting up an information intensive workflow? Call Jeremy.

I've always been fascinated with technology. Call me an early adopter. Not "bleeding edge" early, but certainly fearless when it comes to trying out a new tech toy that promises to make my life easier, more efficient, or more enjoyable.

But lately I've been getting a little burned out on technology. And in a few cases, burned (well, scorched anyway). And now that I'm writing mostly full time, I'm finding that I rely less and less on software (and the power of my Dell XP Media Center Edition XPS laptop) to get things done.

I've also begun to notice that creativity isn't about efficiency. For example, what good is being able to type 70+ words per minute if you can only write creative fiction at about 10 words per minute?

Anyway, last week I got frustrated with my laptop's very low battery life. Since I live in Southern California, it's nice to hit cafes and beach hangouts when I'm working on the manuscript, even in the winter. But not all of them have electrical outlets. And what fun is lugging around a heavy laptop if it's going to die on you in the middle of a scene?

So I tried writing longhand again, like I used to back in the day. And I loved it.

But it's still early to decide to do the rest of the book this way. And one thing that sucks about writing your draft in longhand is the need to type it into MS Word eventually (and I hate doing something twice). It's time to let these two methods fight to death. Winner take all...

Laptop Draft	Longhand Draft	Winner
Speed: 70 words per minute	20 words per minute	laptop
Battery Life: 1 hour	Infinite	longhand
Portability: dependent on power outlets	No limitations	longhand
Legibility: as good as it gets	Well, I can read it	laptop
Efficiency: cut and paste, find and replace, manuscript format, page numbering	Whiteout	laptop
Backups: copy on my hard drive, USB drive, and online	If I lose my moleskin I'm screwed, but paper lasts forever	laptop
Sharing: easy to email, converts to PDF	As if anyone could read it	laptop
Setup / Startup Time: windows takes forever to boot, closing down and packing up the laptop when changing locations takes too long, and jotting down an idea becomes an ordeal	Pen-to-Page: 10 seconds	longhand
Quality of Prose: often the "electronicness" of the writing environment lends an academic tone to my prose (not good)	Consistently good	longhand
Opportunity for Distraction: high if I'm connected to the net	Very low	longhand
Travel Friendly: not so much	Not a problem	longhand
Toughness: coffee will kill	Coffee will stain	longhand
Cost: pretty high initially, very low later on	Very low, and you can type the draft for free in a library	longhand

WINNER: longhand by three points.

But what about when I have to convert my scrawl into MS Word later, which requires a computer?

I guess I better keep my Dell.

Author: Jeremy James
Shelved In: WRITING: Process
Main Topic: writing tools
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Comments:

We did a writing exercise in my local RWA chapter, and the girl next to me wrote her exercise in cursive, complete sentences, and never once scratched out a word. She filled up the whole page!

Me? I’ve discovered that I backspace about 40% of what I write. On my paper, there was a terrible mess of scratch-outs, arrows, and scratch-ins. I seriously doubt that I would be a writer at all if there weren’t computers!
posted by: spyscribbler --

I LOVE writing longhand, although it’s true, it’s a longer process. I write on laptop most ot the time but always end up working with pen and paper when I’m doing a really emotional or intense scene - writing by hand is just a more intimate and sensory experience.

Plus easier to do on planes.
posted by: Alexandra Sokoloff -- Los Angeles

Thank you, Alexandra & spyscribbler.

It might be fun to post photos of longhand written pages, eh? If you send me one, I will post it (alternatively, I’ll try to change the settings so images can be posted in the comments).

Glad to see two blogs I love to read have their authors commenting on mine. What an honor!
posted by: Jeremy James -- San Diego

@Dale: I’ve tried plenty of OCR solutions, and none performed as well as a tablet PC, which is now my default standard of comparison. If a device can’t convert my very neat handwritten print into 90% accurate text, it’s just not ready for prime time in my opinion.

I’ve even tried one of those Logitech IO pens that write with real ink on special paper. Even after training it, the darn thing was only about 75% accurate. And because it didn’t come in a fine-point version, and required wide-ruled paper, it just wasn’t cutting it for me.

The best solution I’ve found so far, for those times when I want to draft portions of my manuscript longhand, is to hire someone to type it in for me. Craigslist.org has people willing to transcribe for less than $3.00 a page if you look carefully.

Lately, I use the notebook to sketch out ideas and to brainstorm solutions when I get stuck, and rely upon an ultralight weight laptop for the composition. The latest version of MS Word (2007) really has come a long way. Someday I’ll share my MS Word tricks in a post…
posted by: Jeremy James -- San Deigo