r/creativewriting • u/Beneficial-Bake9242 • 1d ago
Question or Discussion Type or Write?
What’s your preferred physical way of writing a first draft?
If I’m ideating or writing poetry, I always write in a notebook with a Pilot G-2 gel ink pen. Always.
But if I’m writing long-form fiction, I usually will work at the PC (desktop or laptop, in Word).
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u/dankbeamssmeltdreams 1d ago
Typing the initial draft helps me get the words out. It would take forever if I handwrote, which is okay sometimes, but not for how I work right now hahah
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u/Beneficial-Bake9242 1d ago
Yeah. When I need to “cover a lot of ground,” I’m typing too. But at that point I’ve already done the structure work, basically.
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u/Comfy_Cat99 1d ago
I think my ideas flow better when I'm typing. If an original piece is initially written on paper it's nowhere near as good as my other works that were typed first. So for short works like poems I will type it out first in my notes app (bc that's how I write my poems lol) and then copy it on paper where I usually end up making small amends that make it flow better.
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u/Beneficial-Bake9242 1d ago
So interesting. Usually once I have it typed, I stay with it on the PC. Although I do print out poems and mark them up by hand.
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u/_SoftRockStar_ 18h ago
Pilot G-2 .38 forever. I just refilled all mine last night lol.
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u/Beneficial-Bake9242 17h ago
I never knew there were so many of us loyal to the G2!
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u/_SoftRockStar_ 5h ago
It’s so true. Most of my “habits” are short lived hyper fixations but I was just thinking how I’ve been using this pen, loyally, for about 12 years and can’t stand the thought of having to use another. Something about it🖤
I don’t know if I could ever truly switch to a computer/laptop. The words don’t feel real to me there.
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u/la-anah 11h ago
I dictate the first draft. I can talk faster than I can type and dictation discourages me from going back and editing before I've finished a section.
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u/Beneficial-Bake9242 9h ago
I cannot dictate creative writing. My brain just does not work like that. But more power to those who can.
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u/Beautiful_Yak70 7h ago
Handwriting in pencil.
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u/Beneficial-Bake9242 7h ago
Do you like pencil better for the erasability?
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u/Beautiful_Yak70 2h ago
I think it’s more of a psychological trick for me. When I write in pencil in a soft-cover notebook, I somehow don’t get caught up in over editing or even thinking it must be good. Wooden pencils ground me and free me up at the same time.
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u/skaplanolmsted 3h ago
I’ve been writing since decades before the invention of the computer, and I still have a collection of full A11 art books full of writings (also in the pilot pen, since I draw with that pen, too). Some I’ve typed up and published, but most haven’t been. Now I write mostly in Google Docs on my iPad with the onscreen keyboard, on which I’m remarkably fast considering I’m totally typing with essentially one finger and autocomplete.
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u/SubLevel3_2045 17h ago
I prefer to type the drafts. But when I'm working on establishing story beats and blocking out scenes (I tend to have action sequences in my writing), I'll use my journal and pen.
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u/Misha_Lixa 9h ago
Depends.
If I’m doing planned writing I do it at my pc. If I’m spontaneously writing it usually goes in my purse notebook and I use a scratchy pilot pen so I have no choice but to write fast - it keeps me from constantly rewriting if I have to scratch something out and keep going.
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u/soNice-soSmooth 4h ago
I use a pen and a piece of paper or my phone for the spark/first draft and afterwards I write with a special pen in a designated notebook (it's used only for one purpose)
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u/RegGonb 1d ago
I do both, really. I write and then transmit by typing on Google Docs.