Choosing the Write Tools Part I

​Happy New Years Eve! Who has fun plans tonight? It is almost time to begin writing and now, when you're all hopped up on new years spirit and resolutions are flying out of everyone's mouths, now is the time!

I don't know anyone who has hammered out a novel with a chisel and a stone, boulder, or quarry as I imagine you would need for a novel, but we should be open to new (and old) writing mediums.

While a computer seems to be the obvious choice when writing a novel, it has its disadvantages. I will admit this is how all my previous NaNoWriMo novels have been written because of the speed and ease. I type faster than I write by hand. However, I spent many hours on the computer on NaNoWriMo's website and Facebook and any other number of sites and only a fraction of my time actually writing. If I'd been writing all those hours I'll bet I could've written 200,000 words instead of 50,000. I had a roommate in college who wrote 100,000 words in the first week of NaNoWriMo! It's amazing what you can do with few distractions and no social life. 

​There are programs and apps you can buy to minimize distractions on the computer if you don't have enough willpower to discipline yourself, provided you don't find loopholes or don't mind buying them. If that is for you, type on and don't mind me. I'll just be here adding to the list of reasons why I prefer the ultimate distraction free (for me) writing method, writing by hand. 

I like to write by hand for several reasons. First, I find it's therapeutic to sit down with a notebook and my favorite pen in hand and scratch words across the page. Second, when I write by hand first I am more judicious, with my words. I don't want to waste time, ink, and induce a hand cramp by writing lots of adjectives and unnecessary adverbs. That means I cut down on editing. Lastly, having a handwritten rough draft means that, unless I want to be like a monk in a scriptorium hand copying each one of my books for each reader, I will eventually need to type my book up. 

Another writing friend of mine does write all of her books by hand and edits/rewrites completely new drafts by hand as well. She edits sentence by sentence and her prose sounds amazing. I don't know why she hasn't published already. 

I edit as I type up my story allowing me a rough draft and the second draft with a new way of looking at my book. Handwritten words look different typed up than if you were to type your first draft and edit it straight on the computer.

Other people have written their books entirely on their phone, working on it every morning and afternoon on the train. I haven't ever used my phone exclusively for writing but I'm sure one of the perks is that you always have it with you. Our phone is something we're less likely to forget. 

​Have you ever tried using your tablet to write? I haven't but I imagine it'd be a lot like using a notebook (the electronic kind) if you have a Bluetooth keyboard or some other kind of keyboard compatible with your tech.

Have you ever used your phone or tablet exclusively? What were your favorite apps? Do you like writing by hand or are you using a computer all the way? Or are you some kind of hybrid writer dabbling in a little of everything, cherry picking what you like and don't like? Share your thoughts below. Who knows, maybe you'll change my mind about writing my first draft by hand.

Happy New Years! Have you started writing yet?