Anyone have a pen handy?

The Plinky prompt of the moment is asking the eternal question: writing on paper or writing by keyboard?

Ok, so maybe it's not really an eternal question. It is a question, though. Let's have a go at answering it.

For me, I'd have to say that whether I write or type depends entirely on the application. If I'm writing stuff for work or if something needs to be done quickly it generally happens on the computer, but if I'm actually composing something I need to scribble. It's definitely an aid to the thought process to slow things down and really look at them as opposed to just letting words fly off of my fingertips. Despite what the somewhat unclear photo might seem to indicate, though, I do tend to use cursive writing rather than printing. This was just a fair copy from one of my poetry notebooks, that's all. Once I've finished mangling a poem I print it in a composition book. Print because it's easier to read, and pencil because, archivally speaking, it's less likely to fade into oblivion.

Unless someone rubs the page, of course.

And if you're desperate to read the WHOLE poem featured in the photo, I have two things to say: #1) Why, and #2) I think I posted it on the other blog at some point. You know, if you're really desperate for bad poetry.

Or just desperate in general, I guess.

In case anyone's interested (and I'm sure you are), when it comes to editing rather than just writing I can do most of the job via computer, but I absolutely need to see the final layout on paper. I'm not sure why, but I'm just not entirely comfortable with calling a project finished until I have the real, physical thing in my hands.

It occurred to me after I typed (typed... I don't plan these posts enough to bother handwriting them) the above that the whole needing the physical thing in my hands thing (is that enough things for everyone? I could add a few more if you feel lacking in things) is probably stemming from the same part of my brain that prefers the hands-on feel of sketching to the distancing effect of painting. Um... wait a sec. I talked about that here. No point in my typing it all over again, really.

Even less point in writing it out.

Done now. Happy Mothers' Day to all you mothers out there.






Hmm. That sounded a bit ruder than I'd intended it to...