z

Young Writers Society


Typing an important factor?



User avatar
370 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 20503
Reviews: 370
Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:27 am
View Likes
empressoftheuniverse says...



This summer, I decided that I wanted to increase my typing speed tenfold. So I got a roll of that super-adhesive opaque tape and cut out little squares, placing them over the letters and symbols on my keyboard. It was crazy and grueling task, but it brought me from twenty words per minute to around eighty words per minute; more if I'm texting on my cell phone.
I also started to write this summer.
Which brings me to my question: is the speed of your hands an important factor in the creative process?
I used to write all of my stories longhand; but that got me nowhere. I just used my journal as an excuse to never show my stories to anyone. My journal made me feel all mighty and self-important: I wrote in it and was therefore a writer. But I never reread or even edited the pieces; just sat on them.
So my question you yws-ers is this: do you think writing stories longhand is a good idea? And do you think the rate of your words has anything to do with your motivation.
note: I was twenty words at best. A post like this could have taken me over ten minutes to write. So to be more specific: Do you think having terribly slow hands would detract from your writing routine?
Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.
*Le Bible
Royal Reviews Here!
  





User avatar
10 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 1590
Reviews: 10
Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:45 pm
Lucinda says...



Well, I don't think writing longhand is a good idea *for me*. I know J.K. Rowling does it, and then edits on the computer, but I object to that because
a) My hand would cramp
b) It has the danger of being torn or dropped in a puddle
c) Such a pain to copy to the computer!
Being slow at typing is annoying at first, but after you've logged 30-60 pages, you've probably grown out of the hunt-and-peck, and can probably type while looking at the keyboard. After a while, you slowly transition to touch-typing.
The history of the world
My pet
Is learn forgiveness
And try to forget!

-Sweeney Todd

I'm a damsel...
I'm in distress...
I can handle it.
Have a nice day.

-Hercules

Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade
Masquerade
Hide your face so the world can never find you.

-The Phantom of the Opera
  





User avatar
197 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 22745
Reviews: 197
Sun Oct 11, 2009 1:16 pm
Jetpack says...



I write all my short stories longhand, and then type them up. That way, I'm not constantly focussing on word count and can't be distracted by the Internet and suchlike, but it also gives me a second draft when I type up. I just can't focus on the computer. I write in absolutely tiny writing for my stories, which is quite slow going, but it helps me concentrate. I also like the reassurance of having a hard copy that can be scribbled all over, and being able to carry the notebook where I like - I don't have a laptop.

With novels, I agree that typing them makes for an easier life. However, I don't speak from much experience.

Typing speed improves over time, as Lucinda said. I wouldn't worry about it. Unless you're doing NaNoWriMo, the speed at which you write is not an issue. If you're writing regularly, your typing speed will improve. As for motivation, I don't know, being the sort of person who writes longhand, but all I can say is that I can spend some time crossing things out and writing them in again, so however fast I write is irrelevent.
  





User avatar
1272 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 89625
Reviews: 1272
Sun Oct 11, 2009 1:19 pm
Rosendorn says...



Depends on the person! I met a girl who wrote out five-hundred page manuscripts by hand, while others do everything on the computer. All depends on what you like most, really.

The way I write longhand is to have a notebook that's nothing but writing. There is no "secret" stuff in there; it is writing only. When I have major writer's block I'll pick up that notebook and write out a little bit of a story (or all of it) just to get past starting.

And writing on the computer isn't a sure-fire way of actually going places with a story. I have dozens of dead-ended stories in an old flashdrive, and more are piling up on my new computer. Writing on a computer, though, is slightly less space-taking then keeping a pile of notebooks kicking around. (And, yes, you should keep them around. Never know when you'll want to revise an old story and make it better.)

And I personally don't think typing, or writing, speed has anything to do with motivation. Somebody can type out a four-hundred page manuscript with two fingers, while others never get past page two hundred while typing with ten fingers. In the short run writing speed can hinder you, but stick with writing long enough and you'll find the typing speed that works for you.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  





User avatar
180 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 16930
Reviews: 180
Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:58 pm
pudin.junidf says...



Well, actually, I first write in my notebook and then edit in my computer. I mean I can't be turning the computer on everytime I have agreat idea. So if the great idea come at one o' clock in the morning I grab the first notebook I find and start writing ( I usually have aspecial notebook for this)
As for poetry, I find writing poetry in the computer just horrible. I have to concentrate on typing and stuff, besides, I don't feel the flow of the poem if I write in the computer.
Les sanglots longs
Des violons
De l'autonne
Blessent mon coeur
D'une langueur
Monotone.

Verlaine
  





User avatar
39 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 4759
Reviews: 39
Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:00 am
Bloo says...



I find it impractical for myself to write long hand. Mostly because my handwriting is unreadable, and so I can't edit, re-read, or copy it. I do however like to do it for stories I know I am just doing from boredom and will never feel a need to do anything more than that too. I have about three notebooks full of those crap stories. Also lets me write outside on a nice summer day.

As for typing speed, I never got the hang of using all my fingers to type, and so type with only two fingers, and usually look at the keyboard. So for the longest time I typed very slowly. But when I started writing for real, it kicked up drastically. It also helped that the keys on my old laptop always fell off, and I constantly had to put them back on, thus teaching me every keys place. Now with two fingers I type faster than most kids in my grade.
That User Who Changed Their Name A Dozen Times And So No One Ever Knew Who They Were Half the Time and When They Did Only Used Bolt.

The tragic tale of losing all #Brand for nothing in return.

The Take Away Is You Probably Know Me As Bolt
  








Pigeon poop is the best way to solve problems.
— Pompadour