Writing Meme Day 6

[erastes]

6. Where are you most comfortable writing? At what time of day? Computer or good ol' pen and paper?

I never used to have a problem with this, until I had all day in which to write.  When I was at work I used to write a lot more because I only had a lunch hour to write in, or I’d stay an hour after work when it was nicely quiet, but now i have all day… I find it hard to get organised. 

I sit down at 9am every morning with good intentions and sooner than I can believe it’s one pm and I’ve done nothing useful.

I find, now I’m going to Dad’s more often, that, despite not being able to use the internet for research, I can write 1000 words quickly and effortlessly in an hour there.

I do sometimes write with pen and paper, and therefore have the necessary always on hand – i have a pad in the car, and one next to the bed, another one in the laptop bag just in case – and a dictaphone for emergencies.  But I tend only to use the pen and paper if I suddenly find myself bunnied when on the move – which happens a lot, there’s some medical reason for that, something about the brain being able to relax and be creative while the body does the physical stuff of driving.

But I couldn’t write an entire book by hand. Oh my GOD no.  I do ONE draft. ONE.  I’m too lazy to do anything else.  Granted there’s editing, but the draft doesn’t change substantially other than punctuation etc. The thought of writing it all out and THEN transcribing it? ARTGH!!..

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Comments

[lexin.livejournal.com]

The thought of writing it all out and THEN transcribing it?

When I write (fanfic, though I haven't written anything in over a year) that's exactly what I do. For some reason the first draft (and only the first draft) has to be in longhand. Transcribing it is the first edit, and then I go for further edits after that.

[aunty_marion]

That's how I always used to work. Mind you, that was mostly in the days before Word Processors (let alone computers). I can write, and have done so, straight onto the computer, in recent years.

My trouble is that if I get an idea for a pome/story/filk/whatever, I have to write it down THERE AND THEN, otherwise - usually - it vanishes again. I therefore keep a notepad and pen by the bed, because a lot of inspiration happens about five minutes after I've got into bed and turned the light out...

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

I do sometimes write with pen and paper, and therefore have the necessary always on hand – i have a pad in the car, and one next to the bed, another one in the laptop bag just in case – and a dictaphone for emergencies.

I have a weird tendency to get ideas right when I'm on the verge of sleeping, which is terrible since I usually don't have the energy to get up and write them down. But what I really want is a waterproof markerboard for the shower so I can write down ideas I have there. Something about hot water...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

nod nod - that's not weird at all - that's the same brain trigger that happens when you are driving, when the unconcsious mind is given time to roam - put a pad by the bed - or a dictaphone!

[beckyblack]

My handwriting is so rubbish I wouldn't even be able to transcribe it! It's one thing typing up a snippet or a note I wrote that morning, I probably still remember what it says. But something I'd written months ago would be very tricky!

I know what you mean about getting less done when you have all day to do it. If I'm off work for a week or something I make BIG plans to do loads of writing, but I rarely end up doing as much as I thought I would.

[raevgray.livejournal.com]

I, uh, did that with my last novel... *cough* Might be a masochist. I have to write longhand when I do solo projects. I consider it Draft 0.5, which can be as shitty as I want it, and I fix things in Draft 1.0 when I type it.