I used to write all my stories in a paper journal, but in the past year I've started to write some stuff directly on the computer (in Word). Most of these are either 1) short things, 2) short deadline things (*cough* Yuletide), or 3) long things where I'm really on a roll and don't want to slow down.
Generally I find that paper is less distracting and slows my thinking down to what I'm writing now rather than what I'll be writing next. It also limits the amount of editing I can do, preventing the "one perfectly polished paragraph" problem.
I use an inexpensive bound journal from Borders and put everything in it--stories, story ideas, journal entries, plumbing and carpentry designs, software design, and occasionally shopping lists. Everything goes in whatever order I write it; since I'm frequently writing multiple stories, I try to put the working title of the story at the top of the page when I switch stories. Journal entries are dated, so that usually gives me an idea of when I started a given story.
I used to do the same thing when I would hand write! I would have bits of stories spread all through a journal, with the working titles scribbled on top so I knew what when with what.
I probably prefer handwriting over typing in some ways, but then I got lazy about transferring anything I hand wrote to the computer. Which is kind of a shame, really.
No, the problem with the one perfectly polished paragraph is that it's the only thing that ever gets written. Before I started writing on paper, I would write one paragraph, edit it, re-edit it, re-write it, edit that, re-edit it.... On paper, there's a limit to how much editing I can do and still have it legible, so I say good enough and figure I'll revise when I type it in. Editing can be a form of procrastination for me.
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(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-12 07:14 pm (UTC)Generally I find that paper is less distracting and slows my thinking down to what I'm writing now rather than what I'll be writing next. It also limits the amount of editing I can do, preventing the "one perfectly polished paragraph" problem.
I use an inexpensive bound journal from Borders and put everything in it--stories, story ideas, journal entries, plumbing and carpentry designs, software design, and occasionally shopping lists. Everything goes in whatever order I write it; since I'm frequently writing multiple stories, I try to put the working title of the story at the top of the page when I switch stories. Journal entries are dated, so that usually gives me an idea of when I started a given story.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-12 09:50 pm (UTC)I probably prefer handwriting over typing in some ways, but then I got lazy about transferring anything I hand wrote to the computer. Which is kind of a shame, really.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-13 03:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-13 02:01 am (UTC)What's the problem? Having that one, and struggling with the next, or? :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-13 02:42 am (UTC)