I went with paper and pen precisely because there was always more I wanted to do with my computer work flow.

When I need to write something, and I have a computer, and something is inconvenient, I can quickly (well, within minutes, maybe 30 of them) alter it to my liking, and return to writing.

When I only have a pen and paper (which I used extensively for writing at school), many things may be inconvenient, but there's no way to fix it. This may turn into a source of a low-key stress, and interfere with my writing much more than tweaking a computer would.

I use Emacs, an ultimate tweaker's tool, for writing every day. Last time I had to tweak something in it was a few weeks ago, and it took maybe 2-3 minutes. It's a small price to pay for a tool that just does what you need, when you need it, with zero mental load, and zero frustration.

	▲	cgriswald an hour ago \| parent [-]
		For my two main uses pen and paper has two opposite effects. For creative writing it is freeing because it isn’t the last stop but I don’t have to worry about format or placement or anything. I can just go. Typing has a sort of “technical” feel for me, probably due to code, email, and to some degree comments. For notes during study pen and paper are constraining and force me to organize the thoughts in my mind first and then commit them. Mistakes needing to be corrected here is good: It reminds me what I misunderstood. But, like the sibling poster, the writing goes onto the computer for later editing.

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obsidianbases1 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Pen and paper for writing. Computer for editing.

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sixtyj 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Paper notebook. I wouldn’t recommend loose sheets of paper. :) After 15 years of writing notes on loose sheets I would start differently :)

Go Tim Ferris way - notebook where the first page is left for the table of contents, and number all even-numbered pages as first step.

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obsidianbases1 2 hours ago | parent [-]

My thoughts are so all over the place that I've settled on 3x5 note cards. It also makes the transition to the computer much easier, because I can re-arrange them in a way that is somewhat organized before taking a picture that gets transcribed

	▲	SanjayMehta 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		You might want to check out Scrivener (Mac and Windows). I use that in lieu of note cards. The cork board function lets you re-arrange text and media to your hearts content and then compile the final output to Word, PDF whatever. It's designed for non-linear writing. https://literatureandlatte.com

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cortesoft 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I hate handwriting with a passion. I have my whole life. I have horrible handwriting and my hand gets sore 5 seconds after I start writing.

I am sure it is because I don't hold my pen/pencil correctly, but I think after 43 years I am not going to suddenly fix that.

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syntheticnature 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

You sound likely to have dysgraphia, based on the fact I have all the same aspects and a dysgraphia diagnosis.

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NathanielK 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I am similar. If I physically write a couple times a week, my hand adapts though. It's a skill like any other.

Fountain pens are nice too since you don't need any pressure.

My writing looks a lot better if I just force myself to slow down and be deliberate, but honestly it's a constant battle. I'd definitely benefit from practicing penmanship on it's own.

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dv35z 34 minutes ago | parent [-]

Worth mentioning - for a long time, I found my handwriting messy AND my hand would tire out. When I was about a teen-ager, I decided to write in call-caps, very clearly. I've been doing that for a long time now, and worth giving a try.

	▲	gnabgib 30 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		teen-ager? call-caps? Cursive (several hundred years old) fixes this.. all-capitals(caps) or block-caps makes writing more laborious, possibly easier to read (which is why it used to be requested on hand-written forms?)

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laweijfmvo an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

how did you decide which pens to go with?