Paper or Computer?

  • ponder hop.

    ponder hop. (100)

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    Both!
    All name gathering for people, names for places, ideas that i come up with at midnight or during sleep, maps, major points about plot or characters go down on paper. I have a little book/notepad for each story I write, and they're constantly being filled up. Especially vital for me when I can't choose between a few names, so I write them out in front of me to see (computer just doesn't do it Facepalm), fancy scribbles of thought, rough sketches/ideas etc. That's all paper.
    Then there's the word documents for the actual story and/or long extracts from somewhere later down the track. I use a special program, like a mind-map online thing that I create with all character profiles, ideas, timelines, about cities or lands or people or religion, etc so I see it all at once.
    Also, on computer, I'm never afraid to be descriptive and can go for lengths and use wonderful words.
    ((A pain in the ass when writing time-limited speeches though.... XD))
    November 16th, 2013 at 04:25am
  • RainOverMe

    RainOverMe (100)

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    I actually use both! I love to use paper when I first come up with an idea because it's easier for me to cross things out but not completely erase them encase I want to use it later on. After, I use the computer to finalize everything and make sure it's what I want :)
    January 11th, 2014 at 03:33am
  • Katie Mosing

    Katie Mosing (33815)

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    I can't write quickly enough to keep up with my thoughts, so computer works much better for me.
    February 15th, 2014 at 09:52pm
  • burning.

    burning. (100)

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    I use paper to plan and write out my story, and computer for typing it out. Recently I've found that it's one of the most effective ways of writing for me. That way, when I'm finished writing, I can type it up and self-edit as I go... and then print it out, have someone else read it, and edit it some more until I'm finally happy with how it turned out. Cute
    February 26th, 2014 at 12:06am
  • Lady.V.

    Lady.V. (960)

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    I used to write on paper but that was when I wrote in Greek.
    When I started writing in English because I would put my writings online, I started writing on computers only, and even now I only use my computer.
    February 26th, 2014 at 03:06pm
  • peach kitten

    peach kitten (165)

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    I used to write in notebooks all the time but when I got a laptop I realized just how much faster and cleaner it was writing on a computer.

    I write in both, but I prefer typing.
    March 17th, 2014 at 12:34am
  • Under.An.Eclipse

    Under.An.Eclipse (100)

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    Both. But mostly I type because my thoughts fly so fast that my hand can not keep up without looking like chicken scratch.

    It usually depends on where I am, if I use paper or not.

    And for some reason, I get ideas when I have a pencil and paper. Ideas just seem to flow a whole lot better, but that might be because I am not in one place, at my computer, to write.
    March 17th, 2014 at 05:53am
  • dombelova

    dombelova (125)

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    I'm going to say both. First I write on paper, then I type it.
    March 17th, 2014 at 11:12am
  • kitsch

    kitsch (195)

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    I write down my notes / ideas on paper sometimes when I'm not near my computer. I can't believe I used
    to rely solely on traditional pen-to-paper writing though because now when I try to do it, I get fixated
    on my handwriting and the formatting. It's much easier for me to write with my computer because then
    I can set it to the font and size I'd like, then let everything run its course. If that makes me less authentic
    or super lazy, so be it. I am trying to get back into the habit of keeping a notebook for those "emergency"
    situations though.
    March 17th, 2014 at 01:18pm
  • the god of thunder.

    the god of thunder. (300)

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    I like the purity of a notebook, but things don't feel genuine and "official" until they've been typed up. I can't get an exact idea of the style or tone until I see how the sentences and paragraphs look layed out on the computer, so it inhibits me creatively to write on paper. But I do love typing up hand-written work because I get to re-experience it slowly, reflect, and change the words according to my fresh perspective and more recent interpretation of the work.
    March 21st, 2014 at 02:17pm
  • dombelova

    dombelova (125)

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    Lately I've been more into using the computer. I don't know why though.
    April 27th, 2014 at 06:20pm
  • Matt Nicholls.

    Matt Nicholls. (100)

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    It's really weird for me. I tend to do all of my planning and outlines and character development on my iPad. There are some really good mind mapping and character development apps on the App Store, but when it comes to physically writing the story, I like to write with a pencil and a notepad. Editing is a lot easier when you write it and then type it up.
    April 29th, 2014 at 03:05pm
  • Katie Mosing

    Katie Mosing (33815)

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    Computer every time. I think my hand would fall off if I actually had to write things out long hand. (Oh my gosh, who still says long hand? XD)
    July 9th, 2014 at 12:30am
  • She Said Poptarts

    She Said Poptarts (150)

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    tbh, words and ideas come easier when I write on paper. XD
    So... Paper!
    September 18th, 2014 at 04:42am
  • kipderder

    kipderder (100)

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    Honestly, both. I get my thoughts out onto whatever's available to me at the time. Most times, it's my computer, sometimes it's a piece of paper, I even use the note pad on my cell phone if an idea comes to me when I'm out and about. I'm the kind of person that'll get an amazing idea for a story in the strangest place and I have to document it right away or I'll forget it, so I basically use whatever I can get my hands on.
    September 19th, 2014 at 04:46am
  • hey sailor

    hey sailor (100)

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    I usually type up things, but sometimes I miss writing something down. I don't go to school anymore so it's rare I actually have to write something. Lately I've been doing first drafts in a notebook and then type it and edit.
    September 21st, 2014 at 04:07am
  • hangsang.

    hangsang. (210)

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    Usually I try to keep all my thoughts on my laptop; however I know that I can't always have my laptop on me, so I make sure I have a pen and pad of paper wherever I go. Usually I use paper to jot down ideas for stories, but never the story itself (looking at the paper and typing it up is way too tedious for me because my handwriting is atrocious).
    June 20th, 2015 at 02:06pm
  • southpaw

    southpaw (565)

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    I used to swear by handwritten manuscripts, but over the years I've just found that it's easier to type stuff up from the getgo. My fingers keep up with my thoughts faster through a keyboard than they do with a pen, haha. Plus I'd have to go through the hassle of typing up the first draft and editing it through the computer, so I just figured I'd cut some time and effort and just do it all in Word.
    June 21st, 2015 at 11:47pm
  • hiwagang hapis

    hiwagang hapis (1550)

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    I say both because if I don't have my phone with me, I'll usually try to find a pen and paper or a napkin so I can write my thoughts down.
    June 22nd, 2015 at 05:17am
  • degausser.

    degausser. (100)

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    I use both: I always pen my ideas and thoughts for stories in my notebooks, getting basic story lines, character names, story titles, etc., down before actually beginning the writing process, which is all strictly on my laptop because most of the time I can't write fast enough to keep up with my thought process.
    June 22nd, 2015 at 10:43pm