I was just wondering what other people prefer to do - type their stories/poems on the computer or hand write them. I have always found writing things by hand impossible. I feel as though I am committing myself to whatever I put down on the paper first, and I hate the way that I can't write with the same speed as I can when typing. Making mistakes it always messy, involving rubbers or crossing out.
I never thought this was a problem, but recently I read 'The Ode Less Travelled' by Stephen Fry (which I recommend to anybody interested in writing poetry). In the list of 'rules' at the beginning of the book, he said that it's vital to write your poems down yourself in a notebook. Other pieces of 'writer's advice' that I have read have said much the same. Would you agree? Is there something about hand writing your work that is either more satisfying or more effective than typing it?
English Pen recently asked this on Twitter, here is the result:
http://storify.com/englishpen/the-pen-is-mighter-than-the-keyboard?awesm=sfy.co_bHOY&utm_content=storify-pingback&utm_medium=sfy.co-twitter&utm_campaign=&utm_source=t.co
Quite interesting really.
I'll also note that writing first by hand will mean you have a hard copy that outlasts tweaks and edits- especially useful for poetry. For longer works it also actually means you will have less work to do when it comes time for edits. The transcribing process itself
functions as an edit.
I know - but I'm pretty sure he intended that advice to be taken seriously!
Stephen Fry's a comedian ;)