There are a lot of benefits to writing the first draft of a novel by hand.
I love writing on paper. Few things spark joy in me like a brand-new spiral notebook—and that’s been true almost my whole life. Writing a novel longhand, at least for the first draft, is my personal preference. I don’t write the whole thing by hand before typing it: I transfer it to Word document on my computer now and then as I go.
Every writer is different, and I’m not going to claim that writing a novel by hand is right for everyone. I know that writing on paper isn’t even an option for everyone.
Besides, writing a novel longhand does have its disadvantages. It’s slower, since you’re going to wind up typing it on the computer later, anyway. And if you’re unable to decipher your own handwriting, which is true for lots of people, writing on paper for your first draft is pretty much a non-starter.
Here are a few benefits of writing a story longhand, though. If it’s doable for you and you haven’t tried it, you might want to give it a go, just to see if you like it!
1. Writing on paper eliminates the distractions of the internet.
I know I’m not the only person who struggles with this. Of course, the other solution is to install an internet blocking app that allows you to block the whole internet…or just the sites you waste time on most often. I’ve found those to be pretty effective as I’ve typed a scene into the computer or as I’ve dived into a round of edits. (I use them to help me focus in my day job, too.)
2. Writing the first draft by hand may make you feel freer and more creative.
The act of writing by hand makes me feel less self-conscious, as if I’m just having fun and writing for me. This may vary from writer to writer, though!
3. Writing longhand helps you remember what you’ve written later.
Have you ever had to read back over a previous chapter to remember what your characters said? Writing the first draft by hand can help with this, because it engages the Reticular Activating System (RAS.)
4. Writing by hand may reduce stress and strain.
Again, this probably varies from writer to writer. For me, the act of writing in a notebook is calming. I like the physical sensation of the words flowing over the page. As someone who spends a lot of her waking hours in front of a screen, it feels good to be away from it. I’ve sometimes suffered physical strain from typing too much: a pinched nerve in the neck, a mild bout of carpal tunnel syndrome. Getting off the keyboard has meant less pain.
5. Writing your first draft longhand means you have a built-in first round of editing.
When you type a chapter you’ve written on paper onto your computer, you naturally do some revisions and edits as you go. That means that even the first typed version of the draft is a little better than it would’ve been otherwise.[spacer height=”20px”]
There may be other pros and cons of writing first drafts by hand versus writing them on the computer. Which do you prefer, and why? Let us know in the comments! There’s no right or wrong here, of course. Everyone’s going to use the method that works best for them.
If you’re writing a novel or you’re just thinking about writing one, I hope you’ll check out Blank Page to Final Draft—it’s a step-by-step guide from brainstorming to doing the final copy edits. It might help you reach your writing goals!
Thanks so much for reading, and however you do it, happy writing!
I carry paper at all times.
Me, too! Well…I’ve been stuck at home a lot this year. But when I leave the house, I always have a little notebook or something with me!
I love to write long hand for outlines, picture books, and rough draft my synopses. It’s easier for me to see where I need to make additions rearrange sentences, and color code different plot levels.
(Sorry for the late response, Savannah! These last few weeks…sheesh!) I never think about color-coding…it’s such a good idea!
No worries, I hope the week ahead is a great one! (I started color-coding thanks to working on my picture book manuscripts)
I only write long hand for first draft (research and outlines also). Mostly for the reasons you included.
Oh yes! I have big sections of notebooks for research and notes, too!
OMG, Bryn! I thought I was the only person in the world who wrote longhand! haha I write my first drafts in notebooks (Don’t get me started since I have a really unhealthy pen and notebooks obsession…) and then type it up in Google Docs or Word.
As the article mentions, I like to write notes to myself in the margins with my old fashioned fountain pen, cross out words or sentences and also using different pen colors on the paper does something for my creativity. I also like to look back at the notebooks after I have finished the books and see where they came from. It’s kind of like seeing this massive skyscraper, then looking at the blueprints when the building was first conceived.
In my recently released book, The Redhead and the Ghostwriter, a Pulitzer Prize winning author is working with an aspiring author, and she asks why he doesn’t use a laptop. So it was fun to put in my personal experience for why writing it out on paper then sending it to the laptop was the way he did it.
Thanks for that on point and timely article!
Ivan
Ivan, CONGRATULATIONS on the release, first of all! That’s so awesome! (And sorry it’s a belated congratulations. The last few weeks have been so bonkers. 🙂 ) Ahh, I used to have an old-fashioned fountain pen…there’s nothing like them. I should get a new one!
Mostly on the computer for spell check, but if I’m waiting somewhere 4 sheets of copy paper work, A couple of times I’ve used a shopping bag, or post it notes.
Hi Donald! Hahaha, when a writer’s got something to write, almost anything will do! Hope you’re doing well!
I don’t write longhand when I write a story. I also don’t follow my own advice about not editing while you write your fist draft. I cant help but edit as I write on a computer because it is so easily done. So, I was a bit surprised when the best reason I can think of to write longhand–much harder to edit as you write–wasn’t mentioned.
Hi, Tyler! Ahh, that’s such a good point about it making harder to edit as you go! I’m surprised I didn’t mention it, myself. 🙂 I do cross out a lot when I’m writing by hand, but still…writing by hand makes it much easier to keep going!
I placed in several contests with a short story I dreamed, then wrote longhand on my deck the next morning with a cup of coffee. Two hours flew by as I wrote.
I, too, have a large collection of notebooks and journals, but my passion is pens, markers, and highlighters.
Hi, Bonnie! Ahh, it sounds like that story was almost divinely inspired!
I have some friends who are *addicted* to pens and markers. Hey, there are worse addictions!
I’ve kept a cursive journal for more than 30 years. Most of the text goes nowhere, but I continue anyway because it’s my pressure relief valve. A decade ago I stopped buying notebooks and made my own from copy paper and a long-arm stapler. For at home I fold them top to bottom. If I’m on the road I make a few folded side-to-side because they fit in my pocket. I write short fiction. And I rely heavily on a manual typewriter, never letting the typos get in my way.
I posted on this topic at justcanthelpwriting. I do almost all my drafting in longhand for many of the reasons you’ve highlighted. I especially love that extra edit you get when you keyboard. And I value my ability to draw circles, arrows, boxes–all sorts of connections as new ideas pop up. Taking more time, indeed, allows for more incubation even between the lines.
I did have to follow up with a mea culpa for forgetting that not everyone can take advantage of writing by hand. It’s so easy to assume that what is natural for me is natural for everyone. I got strong responses for my mea culpa, which suggests that I was addressing an important issue.
Still, for those who can write by hand, I hope they will follow your advice and give it a try.
Hi, Virginia! (I deleted the duplicate comments—sorry comments were being weird.) I forgot to say that—I do that, too! I circle things, draw arrows, and put stars next to things. Yeah, if it’s an option for a writer, it’s definitely worth a try. 🙂
I am a notebook junkie. I LOVE new notebooks.I love school supplies. That said, I really prefer writing on a computer. I sometimes wonder how any novels got written before Microsoft Word. I love the ability to move paragraphs around and delete and add sentences without starting over.
Rory, I often wonder about that, too…how did Dickens and Austen do it?? Amazing!
I straddle both camps. If I write anything other than poetry or letters, I write on computer. Eventually it’s going to have to be typed anyway and my hand tires quickly from longhand. BUT I always write my poems on paper first. I’m very superstitious about having a bit of a ritual, a magic notebook. I need large pages (8.5 x 11) and large spirals that allow pages to lie flat or turn all the way back. I’ve seen numerous articles on how writing by hand improves creativity, and I believe it. My so-called first drafts would more realistically count as 2-15 drafts. I have to move the poem to the computer while I’m still able to read what I wrote. Technically, I could write my free verse poems on the computer, but verse (which I don’t employ often) requires paper for me to keep up my meter and rhyme straight. Alarie
Hi Alarie! I wasn’t even thinking about poetry…I’ve never drafted a poem on the computer in my life. I really can’t even imagine! I’ve heard about that link between writing and creativity, too.
I can’t imagine it either, but apparently many of our writing colleagues did just that.
Thanks, Bryn. I can relate to some of those reasons. Usually, I do write poetry on paper because it usually comes line by line rather than a stream of thought and I’m not usually in front of a computer when they come. However, my mind races faster than I can write when working on a novel. So then I prefer the computer. All of your points were valid and I may need to try it more. Thanks, again.
Hi Lynnette! YES, I was just saying to Alarie…I’ve actually never drafted a poem on a computer in my life. For me, those HAVE to be handwritten. Thanks for commenting!
Love this, Bryn! I write everything in longhand right up to editing when it’s time to move stuff around or save for something else! 🙂
Hi, Felicia! Yeah, when you need to start moving scenes around, it really needs to be on a computer. I’m glad I’m not the only one who loves writing longhand!
I wrote my very first novel by hand before typing it into the computer. After a hundred thousand words, my typing got better. I was even nice to be able to close my eyes and picture a scene in my mind and type the scene without having to look. That works great unless your fingers are in the wrong position.
I don’t write by hand so much anymore, but since I am working on a second sequel to my first book, I think it would be wise to write this one like I wrote the first one.
Something can be said for using a computer. I once wrote a letter in long hand to my son. He had to ask someone else to read it to him. He had not learned to read cursive in school. That’s sad.
That means he won’t be able to read any of my early journals even if he wants to after I am dead and gone.
Hi, Jessie! (Sorry I’m so late in replying. I think my schedule is going to get less hectic!) That’s an interesting point about writing books in a series using the same method…I bet that would help them be consistent in a lot of little ways! I never thought of that before.
I think they should still teach cursive in school. It may be that your son will learn it later. <3
Hi Bryn!
Hope you‘re good, what a fun topic you choose, I love it! Handwriting is important on so many levels. However, it’s not an option for me. I’ve worked in a restaurant for years and we took the orders by writing them down. My my, the amount of time I struggled figuring out my own handwriting. It was so embarrassing, every so often I had to walk back to the table, asking the customer what they had ordered. Sometimes I just took a wild guess and in case I was wrong, I could always blame the kitchen, haha!
Stay healthy, xoxo Scarlett
Hi Scarlett! Nice to see you here 🙂 I had to smile, because I’ve had many embarrassing moments as a server in the past, myself. (Not handwriting-related, but still!) It’s true—handwriting doesn’t work for everyone!
You make a lot of great points about writing by hand. I miss writing things out that way sometimes. The built in editing was so useful, but since I have the handwriting of a serial killer, there were times that I couldn’t make out what I wrote. I also have the problem of my brain going faster than my hand. Typing helps me keep up a bit better.
I do still do a fair amount of outlining and revision notes by hand however. I find writing it out does make it stick in my head better. If only I could always read what I wrote. LOL.
Erin! Sorry for the late reply. These weeks have been tough lately! “The handwriting of a serial killer” cracked me up. I do have some trouble deciphering my handwriting in the parts where my brain was moving fast, so I get it! 🙂 Hope everything’s going well with you!
I really enjoyed this post, as I love stationery and have always thought writing stuff down helped me remember, so I checked out the link provided too, thanks for sharing ?
Hi Kellie! Ahhh, you know, I love stationery, and it’s been way too long since I’ve written a proper letter. I’ve just today been thinking about doing that more…I am leaving Facebook and I’m doing a lot of thinking about other ways to connect. A handwritten letter is so special. 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
I have written longhand but in the interest of saving time revert to the computer. These are all good reasons to at least start out with longhand. And of course nothing like a fresh sheet of paper for inspiration.
Hi, Tanya! (Sorry for the delayed reply…hectic week at work!) The time factor really is an issue, for sure. Thanks for reading the blog!
I write scenes in a notebook as they come to me, but I don’t write the entire first draft by hand.
A friend writes her entire first draft by hand, and she’s a bestselling author–it’s obviously working for her. 🙂
Denise
Hi, Denise! (Sorry the delayed response…it was quite a week!) I can see why you would do it that way. Sometimes you’ve just got to get it down! 🙂
No worries–I was late in posting.
I often write out my first drafts on paper then type them up later. Usually not the full draft is written longhand, though, as some scenes may just be sketched out as notes for when it’s typed later.
Same here.
This is exactly what I do!
I’m so impressed at all these people writing a whole draft by hand! I can see the benefits but it feels so daunting. I wonder if it would be freeing, though, to be taken away from the pressure of the word count and to just write as it comes out… Maybe I’ll try it for the next one!
It has been some time now since I have written a story or novel freehand, not because I think it silly but simply because the extra time required in typing it later is something that annoy’s me. All of my early novels started out with a notebook, then they were conceived on a digital voice recorder, Now all are written on the PC. I suppose it depends upon what type of a writer you are. My notebooks were so difficult to follow as red and green scores outnumbered the words left of the original tale. Then cutting out bits of pages to move one piece of narrative to another place, stapling them in place and then later to move them again as the tale came together. Yet if you are one of those writers who can hold to the imagined tale, from start to finish then this is a good idea in my opinion.
Because I type so much, my handwriting has gotten terrible over the years; however, I respect all writers who can go this route. Enjoyed reading your post.
Hey, Thank you for your post to reassure me writing longhand isn’t a dying art although how do you stay eco-friendly while doing it. I always have a mix of awe and guilt when I stare at the page and pages of paper.
Thanks
AJM
Hi AJM! What a great question. Sometimes I write on the backs of printed-out pages…when I was still working in an office, I’d pluck them right out of the recycling bin and take them home. 😀 Just now, I ordered post-consumer-recycled notebooks from Office Max, and I love them.
I really enjoyed these tips, thank you! Because of tendinitis woes, I’m unable to write full novels on paper anymore, but I’ve always preferred outlining on something other than a computer. Notebooks and a pencil also mean I can write anywhere, if there won’t be a chance to bring my laptop. There are definitely benefits!
I’m so sorry, E.G. Tendonitis is no joke. 🙁 I hope it gets better! I’m like you–I especially like outlining by hand.
I remember doing this a lot as a child. Yeah, some of my attempts at a novel went unfinished, but a) I didn’t have a home computer at the time, and b) it was good practice. I’m going to start doing it again, and this time, maybe I’ll create that novel.
I’ve got eleven books published on Amazon. Alla of them were done completely on the computer. I was looking online for something related to screenwriting, and I came across an article on handwritten first drafts. The list of authors and screenwriters was amazing.
So book number twelve started out on looseleaf college-rule notebook paper. I have 50+ pages so far (with a blank space between each paragraph and section of dialogue; it’s easier for me to separate everything). And it feels great. The process feels more natural. I used to sit and stare at a blank screen for long stretches at a time. Writing by hand has greatly reduced the writer’s block episodes, and the story flows better. And, as others have mentioned, the desire to edit right away are reduced to a strike-through (maybe a scribble) and then I continue. It’s very liberating.
I enjoyed the read.
*All of them
I’ve kept a cursive journal for more than 30 years. Most of the text goes nowhere, but I continue anyway because it’s my pressure relief valve. A decade ago I stopped buying notebooks and made my own from copy paper and a long-arm stapler. For at home I fold them top to bottom. If I’m on the road I make a few folded side-to-side because they fit in my pocket. I write short fiction. And I rely heavily on a manual typewriter, never letting the typos get in my way.
Great blog, I am currently typing on a keyboard but lately I’ve been debating writing by hand or on a typewriter
I came on your site to read ‘Why do some Publishers have different Word Counts’ – moved on to ‘List of Fiction Genres with Word Count Examples’ (both interesting articles) and ended up here).
I had to take a break from writing to care for my disabled mother. When I finally had the time to write again I was faced with writers’ block – until I started writing longhand. And I’ve stuck to it ever since. I do most of my writing in the wee hours then type it up the next day (adding more as I go). I then print off what I’ve typed up double spaced so as I progress I can red pen additions to the printed copy that either clarify or add a twist I didn’t see at the time.
Hi Lindsey! Caretaking is such hard work, and I’m not surprised it interrupted your writing. I’m so glad writing by hand has gotten you back into the groove. That is wonderful. Like you, I really like what you can discover in the process of transferring handwriting to a Word document! Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend!
Totally agree. I learnt the hard way by losing chapter two on a word document. The tech stress truly blocks my creativity. By hand now for the 1st draft. Its great to have it confirmed.