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Curiosity and Experimentation in a Writing Practice

 

Journal and Fox Candle Holder
Journal and PenJournal with a candle and sprig of parsley

Experimentation is a big part of my life. When I work on my visual art, I always strive to find new techniques to improve my work and make it more interesting. When I cook, I try new recipes, tweak old ones, and use new ingredients. The list of experiments goes on and on. Now I try to bring that same air of curiosity to my writing practice.

My Writing History

When I first started writing, many years ago (before computers! gasp!) I wrote my first drafts in longhand, in journals then they would get typed up. Eventually, I moved to a word processor, which allowed for some editing on screens but I usually stuck to handwriting to start.

Computers came along and it took me awhile to write directly into a Word document. I think I finally crossed over into writing my drafts electronically around the time my blogging began in earnest.

But now, as I’ve begun my journey to take my writing more seriously, and am working on writing an actual book, I’ve found that I have gone back to handwriting my first draft.

I do see a difference in my writing when I write by hand first. I think my writing is more personal and contains more emotion than when I write directly into my computer. 

Experiments in Writing

But writing by hand meant typing it into the computer became an onerous task. Until the day I discovered the “Dictate” button. I handwrite the first draft, hit dictate, and then I just read the draft out loud and the computer does the typing for me! Not only does it save me time, but I also find it’s a great editing tool. As I’m reading my work out loud, I find awkward phrases or missing words that I can fix on the fly during the dictation.

I know a few authors who say that dictating their writing is yet another way to write. They don’t write a first draft at all, rather, they dictate their story into software (both use Dragon), upload it into their computer and begin the editing processes. I haven’t tried this out yet. I have to admit I’m not sure if I will be able to organize my thoughts between my brain and mouth that quickly, but I am eager to try. If nothing else, I’ve found that these experiments in HOW I write makes a difference in my results.

Where else can I experiment with my writing?

Aside from trying dictation during my writing sessions, I also want to pull out my daughter’s typewriter to see what happens. I might imagine myself as Dorothy Parker, drink in hand, banging away my thoughts on a typewriter. How would that affect my writing?

A few years ago, I watched a great documentary (California Typewriter) about using typewriters and singer-songwriter, John Mayer, talked about how he writes song lyrics on a typewriter and has found that the practice helps him turn off his inner editor.

Beyond typing, I think there are experiments to be had within my handwriting explorations as well. I wonder if different pens and papers make a difference? What if I strove to improve my handwriting? What if I wrote as quickly and messy as possible? Does where I write make a difference? Time of day? Length of time?

Bringing curiosity to my writing practice has made a difference in my writing and makes my writing time pretty fun too.

Tell Me About Your Writing Practice

How do you write? Which of these ideas will you explore? If you aren’t a writer, can you bring this same air of curiosity and experimentation to other areas of your life? Leave a comment and let me know what comes up for you.

Read More About Handwriting versus Typing

·        Vanilla Papers writes about the benefits of handwriting.

·        Read this study showing that children learn better when writing by hand.



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Comments

  1. MichelleMarch 30, 2022 at 8:56 AM

    It's fun to read about your writing process. There is definitely something magical about writing things by hand. It's like a sketchbook - a way to get the ideas flowing or capture the basic forms. I try to keep a notebook with me so I can write down little thoughts or sketch little doodles.

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    Replies
    1. Laura BrayMarch 30, 2022 at 2:36 PM

      I like the idea of a journal being like a sketchbook!

      Delete
  2. Natalie, the ChickenbloggerMarch 30, 2022 at 11:03 AM

    I miss the days when I had favored pens, and notebooks for journaling, stationery for writing out long, newsy letters. I admit, at long last, I am zippy(ier) and comfortable at my keyboard. I am enjoying your reflections on writing, the tools and processes. It's interesting to consider how our thoughts and expressions must be influenced by our means of stating them in print.

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    Replies
    1. Laura BrayMarch 30, 2022 at 2:38 PM

      Thanks Natalie. It took awhile for me to get used to writing by hand again. I even struggled with retraining the muscles in my hand so I could write for a long time! As I age, I don't know how long I'll be able to do the handwriting method. Guess it's a good thing that I'm exploring the dictation idea!

      Delete
  3. Aleta JacobsonMarch 30, 2022 at 2:41 PM

    I've done like you in the beginning. I have slowly moved over to typing in Pages for my blog. Then I edit then move it over to my blog. If I get an idea and I'm not near my computer I take notes on a paper, tablet with pen. When I am going to write I then put that out and type from there.
    I'm very interested in that California Typewriter. It sounds interesting. I think there is a big difference in how we write, if we write longhand, type, or typewriter. Not sure if one is better than the other just different.

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    Replies
    1. Laura BrayMarch 31, 2022 at 10:30 AM

      California Typewriter is a great movie. I really enjoyed it.

      Delete
  4. UnknownMarch 30, 2022 at 2:47 PM

    Your blog does inspire me to lighten up and be more curious about finding my own writing routine.

    ReplyDelete
  5. LoriMarch 31, 2022 at 9:09 AM

    I like reading about your experiments. Every few months I commit to being "better" about writing regularly- newsletters, blog posts, etc. But I feel like I embody Ernest Hemingway's quote about writing being easy you just sit down at the typewriter and bleed. It really does feel like that every time I try to write lol

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    Replies
    1. Laura BrayMarch 31, 2022 at 10:31 AM

      I feel the same way about developing a regular painting/drawing practice. Sometime writing is painful but I usually enjoy it.

      Delete
  6. ann clawsonMarch 31, 2022 at 9:41 AM

    Yes! I journal every morning, work out problems , pray for my family and it just completely destresses me. My thoughts just flow out and I am aware of when I am not being truthful with myself. So I write the truth and let it out. It's very healing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura BrayMarch 31, 2022 at 10:33 AM

      Journaling is so healing. I write in a journal every morning. Have you read The New Diary? I just started reading it and I'm learning about a lot of fun, new ways to use my journal for self-exploration and anxiety relief.

      Delete
  7. AnonymousApril 1, 2022 at 1:42 PM

    This is so funny, Laura, as I also started writing by hand (before computers!) and actually still do even now that we can't live without computers. Even my blog, most of the time, starts out longhand.

    I was the kid who was ALWAYS writing (I need to hunt down some photos of me from around 8th grade with my notebook in hand when I carried it everywhere) and I remember very clearly that I couldn't type and didn't want to learn to type. I fantasized about being able to dictate my writing. Now, though, I am good at typing and enjoy doing it, but my childhood self would be so happy that she could dictate her writing if she wanted to. Haha!

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  8. C. Jane ReidApril 6, 2022 at 8:54 AM

    I love this idea. It also reminds me that I need to have my typewriter repaired, or see if I can fix it myself. Also excellent photographs. You always have great ones and that is part of the joy of reading your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dana BarbieriApril 16, 2022 at 2:08 PM

    I enjoyed hearing about your writing experiments. I prefer writing by hand. It's therapeutic for me. I love the feel of a particular pen or pencil and paper. I prefer certain paper but I don't always have it available. As for the cooking experiments, I enjoy that too but very often I wish I stuck to my tried and true recipes.

    ReplyDelete

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