tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post7860933180946497146..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: Pen or Keyboard? You choose by Wendy H. JonesKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-4606966877747593992015-06-21T23:32:41.370+01:002015-06-21T23:32:41.370+01:00Fine post, Wendy. Though I prefer drafting my book...Fine post, Wendy. Though I prefer drafting my books in long hand, I'm with you 100% about using a print out for the second draft. I'm comfortable enough on computers now to do subsequent work on my laptop. But I doubt I'll ever sacrifice the pleasures of these first two steps.glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-12448702599975511542015-06-16T22:05:02.117+01:002015-06-16T22:05:02.117+01:00Very Interesting and well presented. I like the fa...Very Interesting and well presented. I like the fact you vocalize your writing.<br />Audio has been very instumental for me over the years in creatibn]ng and providing contnet for others. I have difficulty writing and typin, but today with technologty I can speak much of my contentChuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05144115204447199169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-77973279782903717742015-06-16T19:44:41.832+01:002015-06-16T19:44:41.832+01:00One of my favourite ways to get myself (and others...One of my favourite ways to get myself (and others)into writing mode is what I call 'Word Splat'. Take a blank piece of A4 and a pen. Close your eyes and let your brain freewheel. WITHOUT OPENING YOUR EYES, take one minute to write any word or phrase that comes into your mind. Sure there will be words that cross over on the page but, when you open your eyes, you will be able to read most of what you have written. Use the 'splat', to write a poem/short piece of prose/character study/monologue/memoir/whatever. The results can be surprising!Fran Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13497526684591168192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-55098299708859787482015-06-16T15:48:06.988+01:002015-06-16T15:48:06.988+01:00I've moved further and further over to typing ...I've moved further and further over to typing my work - I used to write first drafts of poems by hand then type them up in Word but now it's usually all on the imac/laptop. I've been re-doing The Artist's Way though and a main part of that is writing three pages by hand each morning, writing anything, and that's been interesting, though my writing is almost illegible as I'm going so fast!Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-76867519396384454062015-06-16T15:40:56.378+01:002015-06-16T15:40:56.378+01:00Thank you Umberto Thank you Umberto Wendy H. Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04022089775887274043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-56681878660860367922015-06-16T14:59:42.735+01:002015-06-16T14:59:42.735+01:00I've found out for myself the value of reading...I've found out for myself the value of reading work out loud; it enables you to see it in an entirely different light, and with a greater appreciation of the rhythm and cadence of the language. In general, I find that sometimes just picking up my notebook or laptop and going to a different place than usual to write allows me to see a story differently, or think of an angle on it that eluded me before. For editing purposes, I agree with Catherine that reading your manuscript on a Kindle or similar device can be valuable - I'm constantly amazed by how many errors and oddities I pick up that way. Good post!Mari Biellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14221256993468150226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-31302826750146972792015-06-16T13:00:07.155+01:002015-06-16T13:00:07.155+01:00I agree it's really good to have a change of w...I agree it's really good to have a change of writing 'medium'. I'm pretty much of a laptop writer but often send things to Kindle to get a fresh view. I was thinking recently that the 'art' of handwriting - or just the ability to do it at all might be deserting me completely. (I sometimes have trouble just signing my name - !)Then over Christmas I got so sick of looking at a screen (with uni deadline to meet) that I did some original writing by hand and realised that on a computer the edit-as-you-go option really can get in the way of the story-telling impulse. I wouldn't want to write by hand all the time, but it was good to go back there for a while. and it seems I can still write by hand if I need to :/AliBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09611113709872287863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-37856318212718787332015-06-16T10:24:24.157+01:002015-06-16T10:24:24.157+01:00I'm editing my third Sterkarm book at the mome...I'm editing my third Sterkarm book at the moment, and I'm doing it all on the computer - because there I have navigation pane, and comments. All my editor's comments are in Word's mark-up pane.<br /><br />But writing longhand with a loose, free-flowing scribbly pen is a pleasure, and I often take a notepad to a pub and write like that.<br /><br />We should embrace and try out all the ways available to us, I think, and go with the one that suits us at the moment, for that story or book.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-52065303334012642882015-06-16T10:16:38.253+01:002015-06-16T10:16:38.253+01:00Very good points. In principle, I think I do all o...Very good points. In principle, I think I do all of the above apart from reading on my phone. I always get to a point where I have to print out a version of the book and edit with pen in hand. I'm a notebook junkie and do some longhand writing but I can't write fast enough for first drafts - I have to do that on my PC and I wear out keyboards! I also find, now, that I send a Word document to my Kindle Paperwhite and read it on there - surprising how many typos leap out at you that you would never see on the PC screen. Having started out as a playwright, I always read things aloud. Perhaps not the whole novel, but lots of it, and especially dialogue. In fact whenever people ask me about writing dialogue - which is a very hard thing to teach! - I advise them to say it aloud, act it out, preferably in private! Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-34836397393831511702015-06-16T09:58:31.532+01:002015-06-16T09:58:31.532+01:00i Admire your patience. I know the roads you trave...i Admire your patience. I know the roads you travel, with pen and pad, and sometimes a stiff neck. Good luck with your next opus. Umberto Tosihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04939504157464234443noreply@blogger.com