Do you write your articles on paper first?

Hi Norah, I find it easier to type than write. My writing has deteriorated so much so that sometimes I can't decipher what I had scribbled. When I'm not near a computer, I will jot down points; but I can't write out the whole article. It will be very frustrating to figure out what I've been writing.

before i write an article or anything online, i tend to prefer outlining it first on a piece of paper. just like an index page. from there, i will type out accordingly. i find it easier that way and its just more complicating to type everything at one go on the computer. it really does work better this way! haha

It depends on what it is. THere are things that are much easier to sit down and make notes and get it all down on paper first. I do this especially if I am doing a restaurant review or something of that nature because I want to be sure and get it all. Then there are other articles that I just have such a good idea of what I want to say that it's easier to just sit down at the computer first.

I don't write the article on paper first! I used to do it. However, it turned out that it didn't make any sense for me! After I make an outline of the story, I just write it directly on my computer

Good idea. But when it comes to answer the discussions, I never write my response on paper first. If it is to write an article, I have to write on the paper first. However, I only write down the outline of the article. The outline will make my idea clear. When my idea is clear, it will be easy for me to finish my article on the computer. You can have a try writing an outline for your article first. It also can save time, I think.

Wow that's pretty awesome norah! I myself am actually more of a typing person, I get my thoughts out a lot better through typing. However, I do start out by writing outlines and things like that for blogs, papers, and anything of that sort! It helps out a lot in the organization process.

I really prefer writing my articles on the computer. It's so much easier for me to edit and come back to later. I'm not big on writing long things like that by hand. It takes me a lot longer to write by hand than it takes me to type. However, if I am away from the computer and won't be getting back to a computer any time soon, I will use paper to write my articles on or to write down snippets of ideas. It's not worth losing an article idea or an entire article because I'm not near a computer.

I tend to write a list of all my ideas out on paper first of all, then go to the computer, open my word processor and start typing, expanding on each of these ideas. If I am away from my computer, I will start writing whatever comes into mind about an article I am interested in writing, but I find that as soon as my word processor opens, I just automatically start to elaborate on what I have written with pen and paper - - Derek

Though it's a good idea to pen down whatever is there, but i just dun have the habit of doing so.. hehe ^_^ TO me, it's like a waste of time, when i can be remembering those main points instead, and elaborate on my own.. hehe ^_^ Besides, if i were to write it down, my hand writing will be so messy that i will take even longer to understand the whole article as compared to reading about what's in there instead.. hehe ^_^

Hello there norahfaith. I think it works for different people. If you ask me, I love to draft first too but on PC rather than on paper. I find that it's easier to just go along and then type the backspace whenever I have errors. I will draft on paper when there are like a long article that needs to be done, or perhaps when I'm about to do research on certain topics.

For me it is quite the opposite. I have been a keyboard typist since leaving school, so I can type as fast as I think. I write much quicker and more accurately on a computer than I can write by hand. Sentences appear on the screen without me having to give any thought to the keys I'm pressing. I have written hundreds of articles very quickly, but I always take time to edit,improve and revise my first draft. It's so easy to do that with word processing. I would have difficulty reading my own handwriting with all the crossings out and additions I make! I do use paper for making lists and for note taking, but I also use computer documents to save notes, links, quotations and information for research.

Absolutely. It is actually quite refreshing to put pen pen to paper sometimes most probably because we no longer do it often enough. Sometimes an information overload from the internet can cripple our thoughts and so not using the computer to begin writing can be quite a relief for the mind. I always have a pen and paper to hand to take down notes when I am using the computer as I tend to get a little confused otherwise!

I usually do not write longhand because my brain is faster than my fingers and sometimes later I have trouble reading my own writing! I take notes often that I later convert to articles but I prefer to type.

there is no need to do that, you can just open a word document of word pad and start writing, word document will underline words that are being misspelt or which may not be in the word dictionary, so i can correct them instantly, i can also check the articles on copyscape after finish writing

I think it will be easiler to concentrate on writing if you write on paper first. I just keep on surfing when I write on the internet. However, if I want to find some information related to what i write, the internet will become much more useful.

I definitely do this. It helps me organize my thoughts better; it's one of my vices. I feel like I write better when I write it with pen-and-paper rather than when I go straight to the computer. I agree with you, it's a good idea if you don't have unlimited access to the internet - or even if you're just sick of staring at a computer screen and want a little break from it.

Wow, Norah, writing an article in ten minutes is such a fantastic record! If you can write better this way, I think you should stick to paper and pencil, and type the article later on. I don't function better without computer. I can use paper and pen to do a mind map, but the actual composition of the article is better done on computer.

i will draft on paper first for the formal articles and it is more used to write something with pen than beat computer,i think the pen is able to inspire my inspiration.

I have truly forgotten what paper is. Sure, for my full time job I have a small pad for my work notes, but to write on paper is so 2008 for me. My paper is the computer monitor, the pen is the keyboard. As a freelance writer, I used to carry pads of paper with me incase I had a writing epiphany. I would write down my notes and put it into words later that day or evening. Well I don't even do that. My blackberry can take notes for me, record my voice for me and other wise remember what I can not so I can remember it later and put it to good use. I even have a note taking program called evernote on the blackberry which syncs itself online so i can (you guessed it) remember what i might not have remembered. How lazy is that ? It is like the baby boomer who can not do long division, and yes I am one of them. We are all slaves to technology. And it is constantly changing