Keyboard vs. Pen

As an attempting writer, I have thought about whether or not I like to write with a pen to paper or keyboard to a screen. At first, before I got the hang of quick typing, I preferred handwriting. Now, I almost always prefer typing on a keyboard. There are certain genres, if you will, that I enjoy typing more than handwriting and genres I prefer to handwrite instead of typing.

For instance, notes are one thing I do not like to type. I'm not sure why; maybe because I handwrite faster than I can type. Plus, I do not misspell as much when I handwrite; when I type, I backspace like, 40% of the time. Of course, I am less likely to be tempted to surf the web or check my email a dozen times when I have just a notebook in front of me. If I am outside, too, I prefer pen and paper. I cannot wander far for inspiration if I am stuck to the back patio. I can sit in a tree (yeah, I'm weird like that) or stretch out in a field and write away without having to worry about my computer needing to be charged. Could someone please make an outlet that can work in a tree? That would be great.

Handwriting also makes me slow down--my hands and mind. I tend to construct sentences and am more conscious of what I write down when my hand is directly putting down what my brain wants it to. Handwriting forces my mind to slow down and actually think through my thoughts. I think I tend to write better when I handwrite.

On the other hand, typing on a keyboard helps me to get down everything I was thinking. God forbid I forget something that pops into my head. Still, I do forget things, and I get less writing accomplished if I am on the computer, because I have the internet. As I’ve written before, I could disconnect the internet. But I won’t; my shame is not great enough to do so.

Source: http://www.learntyping.org/learntypingvideointro.htm

I prefer typing for anything school related other than notes. I don’t have a choice, in a sense. When I write an essay, I have to type it up in the proper format and print it out all nice and shiny. For my creative writing, I like the computer, too, because if I need to do research, it is right there. I can easily refer back to something without juggling a notebook and laptop. Typing makes the writing appear neater. This might be con, though. Not seeing the improvement in your writing can erase the lesson you learned. For example, if I see the mistake I scratched out on paper, then I am less likely to repeat that mistake. On Microsoft Word, that mistake can be completely erased.

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Have-Good-Handwriting

I like handwriting more for the romanticism of it. There is a certain nostalgia that I, even as a millennial, have. The “old days” of intense practice to learn cursive and legible penmanship were more laborious, but now there is something whimsical about it. In movies, a writer is always shown with pen and paper; it paints an image of artistry and intimacy that is absent from typing.


I do not know what mode I will prefer in a few years, especially (hopefully), when I become a professional writer. It is more probable than not I will spend most of my day typing instead of handwriting. Even so, writing with a pen and on paper will never die.