Site icon Robin Trent

On Keeping a Notebook

Besides all my numerous electronic writing tools, I have a notebook. I have found that sometimes, a notebook is great, especially if you are going somewhere where there is limited connectivity. But also, because writing by hand fires different neurons. What I mean by that, is that sometimes by switching writing methods (electronic vs manual) your brain seems to work differently.

Some may not know this, but when you write your notes by hand, you develop a stronger conceptual understanding than by typing. Handwriting forces your brain to mentally engage with the information, improving both literacy and reading comprehension. On the other hand, typing encourages verbatim notes without giving much thought to the information. Excerpt from https://www.pens.com/blog/the-benefits-of-handwriting-vs-typing/

Now this is something that most writers may not think about, but it is true that you conceptualize differently when writing by hand. My favorite time to write by hand is when world building or developing character arcs. I can go outside on our three acre property and sit out back near the fire pit and enjoy the sunshine. I let my mind roam free and do free association. It takes me places I would not normally go sitting in front of a computer.

So the next time you are stuck in your writing, or you need fresh ideas, try writing it out by hand and see what happens.

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