During the writing process, it appears that our brains work differently, depending on the tools we use to write. Studies at the University of Tokyo, have shown that there is stronger brain activity from writing on paper compared to writing on a tablet or smartphone. This is not to say that writing on a computer or mobile device prevents you from creating your story. However, it suggests that writing the same ideas in a notebook would come out differently than if you had typed them on your computer.
Using pen and paper requires you to write slower and in some ways more deliberately than you would typing on a computer. Consider the effects of that slower pace. While writing each word, you need to make deliberate choices about how to communicate your ideas. This can result in “tighter” writing, which would probably require less editing afterward. Also, the idea that the notebook page has a finite amount of space helps you to have a visual and tactile connection to the work and how your words are composed on the page.
In addition, using a notebook allows you to be completely unplugged and untethered. One of the primary concerns most writers voice when writing from an electronic device is the distraction from email, social media alerts, and other applications or streaming services. Using pen and paper does not have these issues. You are not only disconnected from the digital world, but you do not need a power source or batteries, and you can write anywhere at any time.
But there is an obvious drawback, in that if you lose a notebook it is, unfortunately, gone. Try to always keep track of your notebooks, and keep in mind that you will eventually need to type them into an electronic form.
Individually, we each need to weigh the pros and cons of pen and paper. Still, you should consider keeping a notebook with you at all times, so you are ready when that spark of creativity strikes.
NOTE:
Based on an article by RAN WALKER (APR 16, 2023)
[first appeared in May/June 2022 issue of Writer's Digest magazine]