4 ms·

I recommend writing on a typewriter. Only being able to go forward acts as a forcing function for writing. The lack of distraction is also nice. You're not goin

by rcme 4y ago

I recommend writing on a typewriter. Only being able to go forward acts as a forcing function for writing. The lack of distraction is also nice. You're not going to randomly find yourself on HN, for instance.

biztos 4y ago
Writing with pen (or pencil) on paper gives you "paged" real-time random access, plus the ability to illustrate at any resolution. The satisfying scratch of the roller ball on the paper tooth is also available in some hardware configurations. I agree about the typewriter but there's a lot to be said for actual writing too.
- rcme 4y ago
  The issue I have with pen-and-paper writing is that I don't have the stamina to do it for long. It's quite a work out for your hand.
  - muraiki 4y ago
    One thing that helped me with this was getting good quality pencils where I can use a minimal amount of pressure (a non-ballpoint pen also works). I also had to unlearn gripping the pencil hard and tensing my wrist. Good handwriting doesn't require tension: tension can occur because of misplaced effort at trying to write more nicely. I relearned the motions of how to handwrite using Briem's handwriting repair curriculum: https://sites.google.com/view/briem/free-books/handwriting-repair https://sites.google.com/view/briem/free-books/handwriting-r... Now I really enjoy writing by hand. Of course if I'm writing quickly the quality isn't as nice as when I can take more time. There is a section on the site specifically about hand tension here: https://sites.google.com/view/briem/handwriting/writing-cramp https://sites.google.com/view/briem/handwriting/writing-cram...
  - biztos 4y ago
    Good point. I admit that when I’m writing with pen and paper, it’s usually for things where brevity is desirable. More than a couple full pages at a time and it’s less fun.
  - throwanem 4y ago
    If you haven't tried a fountain pen, do; they're the most comfortable writing implements I know, precisely because they need the least force to make a line. A good pen needs only the weight of the pen itself; you're not really pushing at all, just steering. That lets most of your hand and wrist muscles stay fairly relaxed, and keeps fatigue to a minimum. If you do decide to try one, start with an inexpensive steel-nibbed model like a Pilot Metropolitan. Transitioning from pencils and ball pens involves some unlearning, as you adjust your hand posture and develop a feel for how little force is required. It takes a while, and depending on how hard a hand you have to start, a gold nib may not hold up. We missed a trick when we stopped teaching kids to write with fountain pens, but the lack is easily remedied in later life with a bit of interest and diligence. Fair warning, though: you may find them so comfortable to use for long periods that you develop a writer's bump like mine!

by rcme 4y ago

biztos 4y ago

Writing with pen (or pencil) on paper gives you "paged" real-time random access, plus the ability to illustrate at any resolution. The satisfying scratch of the roller ball on the paper tooth is also available in some hardware configurations. I agree about the typewriter but there's a lot to be said for actual writing too.

rcme 4y ago
The issue I have with pen-and-paper writing is that I don't have the stamina to do it for long. It's quite a work out for your hand.
- muraiki 4y ago
  One thing that helped me with this was getting good quality pencils where I can use a minimal amount of pressure (a non-ballpoint pen also works). I also had to unlearn gripping the pencil hard and tensing my wrist. Good handwriting doesn't require tension: tension can occur because of misplaced effort at trying to write more nicely. I relearned the motions of how to handwrite using Briem's handwriting repair curriculum: https://sites.google.com/view/briem/free-books/handwriting-repair https://sites.google.com/view/briem/free-books/handwriting-r... Now I really enjoy writing by hand. Of course if I'm writing quickly the quality isn't as nice as when I can take more time. There is a section on the site specifically about hand tension here: https://sites.google.com/view/briem/handwriting/writing-cramp https://sites.google.com/view/briem/handwriting/writing-cram...
- biztos 4y ago
  Good point. I admit that when I’m writing with pen and paper, it’s usually for things where brevity is desirable. More than a couple full pages at a time and it’s less fun.
- throwanem 4y ago
  If you haven't tried a fountain pen, do; they're the most comfortable writing implements I know, precisely because they need the least force to make a line. A good pen needs only the weight of the pen itself; you're not really pushing at all, just steering. That lets most of your hand and wrist muscles stay fairly relaxed, and keeps fatigue to a minimum. If you do decide to try one, start with an inexpensive steel-nibbed model like a Pilot Metropolitan. Transitioning from pencils and ball pens involves some unlearning, as you adjust your hand posture and develop a feel for how little force is required. It takes a while, and depending on how hard a hand you have to start, a gold nib may not hold up. We missed a trick when we stopped teaching kids to write with fountain pens, but the lack is easily remedied in later life with a bit of interest and diligence. Fair warning, though: you may find them so comfortable to use for long periods that you develop a writer's bump like mine!