It’s a Process

Where do you write? And, perhaps as importantly, how? I know some writers work longhand, using pencil and paper. This gives the nice advantage of being able to work anywhere.

I prefer to work in electronic media. Usually this means on a computer, although portions of my first novel were composed on a Palm Pilot.

My personal twisted psychology of the writing experience goes something like this: I know I’ll need to rewrite later, but I have to believe while I’m writing that I’m doing the best I can. So I write like I don’t intend revisions. Writing by hand will only need to be retyped later, so I never bring my A game when writing that way.

I do, however, use pen and paper for notes and outlines. I sometimes use a notepad as a sounding board for in a brainstorming session, listing ideas so that I can connect them, compare them, and chose among them.

There is a reason I opened this post with questions. The writing process I am describing is merely how it works for me. Other writers I know work very differently.

In learning to write, I had to pay attention to what worked for me. I advise others to do the same. Question yourself. Learn what works for you.

Which of course leads us back to that old writers’ conundrum: The best way to learn to write is to write.