Publisher’s Note: Our guest writer, Stace Dumoski, is a professional writer and editor, aspiring fantasy novelist, and lover of all things magical and fantastical. She publishes the Analog Writers Club on Substack, a terrific alternative approach to writing.
As someone who has been employed as a writer in one capacity or another for a quarter of a century, you’d probably think I no longer suffer from the paralyzing fear that arises when confronted with a blank page. But the truth is that a lot of the time when I sit down to write, even when I know what I want to say, I don’t know what to write.
Of course, I’ve developed a few tricks to deal with this kind of temporary block. Allowing myself to write a few outrageous sentences, things I know will never make it to the final draft, breaks the tension of the blinking cursor and lets me get on with things. Sometimes I’ll start brainstorming in bullets, making a list of random thoughts and ideas I might want to include—it’s not writing if it’s a list, so the insecurity doesn’t kick in. All this hemming and hawing will eventually be deleted, so I’m not worried anyone will ever see it.
But the biggest tool in my kit for getting past Blank Page Block is to step away from the computer altogether. I don’t mean going for a walk, making a cup of tea, or diving into the apps, all of which are nice diversions but don’t really help get the work done.
Reach for your pen
Instead, I reach for my notebook. That’s right, pen, ink, and paper are my go-to tools for getting through a tough rough draft, whether it’s a post for my blog, a video script, or an article for my employer. I’ve even started writing my newest novel by hand.
“But Stace,” you may be thinking (I’ve heard my writer friends say it often enough to know it’s true), “writing by hand is so hard!”
And it’s true. It is harder to draft by hand. You can’t easily delete parts you don’t like, let alone insert words or phrases into the middle of an already completed sentence or paragraph. When you’re done, you have to transcribe what you’ve written to the computer for revision and publication, a tedious task that is made even more difficult if you have trouble reading your own handwriting. (I do!)
But I think that it is exactly because writing by hand is harder that makes it so valuable. It transforms something that is more or less effortless (tapping things into a computer) into something that is effortful. It makes everyday work become something mindful. Writing by hand takes you out of your comfort zone, demands a different sort of focus and attention, and connects you to your physical presence in a way that not only overcomes blocks but leads to deeper and more meaningful work.
Why writing by hand works
There’s a lot of science that supports the value of writing by hand, from the benefits to learning and memory, to improved cognitive development, to improved fine motor skills.
But here’s my personal experience about how writing by hand helps make me a better writer:
Better focus: Using a notebook takes me away from my computer screen, the place where I do everything, all day long, from checking email and reading the news, to streaming videos and playing Wordle. When I pick up a notebook and pen, I know I will be doing one thing and one thing only: writing.
Better flow: Being away from my computer means I am not tempted to click between screens while working. If I need to look up a word, name, or other bit of information for what I’m working on, I can just jot a note on the page to do it later. Those “justified” diversions often lead to big distractions, leading to losing the train of thought I was following in my writing.
Deeper thinking: When I’m writing on the computer, I am always jumping around the document, making changes as I go so that minimal editing is needed by the time I reach the end. But when I write by hand, my only concern is the sentence I’m actually writing right now, and whatever thought that is developing for the next sentence. In other words, I’m thinking forward instead of backwards, a mindset that leads me to deeper and more interesting thoughts and ideas.
As a bonus, if anyone accuses you of using AI to write, you have incontrovertible proof that your draft was written by you and you alone.
I know not everyone is able, for one reason or another, to write at length by hand. But this practice has been transformative for me as a writer, allowing me to pursue a deeper relationship with words and the stories I want to tell.
If you want to experiment with writing your next draft by pen, here are a few tips to help you get started.
A plain notebook or pad, instead of a fancy notebook, will make you feel less precious about the words you put in it. It’s a work book, not a journal you’ll need to keep forever.
A good pen will make it easier to write for longer sessions. A cheap ballpoint is great for writing lists and notes, but you want your writing pen to be as frictionless as possible. Investigate rollerballs and fountain pens to find something that feels good in your hand and writes smoothly on the page.
Using different colors of ink can be practical as well as fun. Use one color to draft, the second to make notes that stand out along the way. And there are so many colors available these days you can always find one to match your mood.
Keep a notepad alongside your notebook to keep track of information you want to look up, ideas for revision, and other thoughts that come up. That way you won’t get distracted, but you’ll remember for later.
Be sure to practice good hand health when writing. Pay attention to how you’re holding the pen. Use your whole arm to write, not just your hand. Give yourself plenty of breaks, and when you do, perform some hand stretches to keep your hand from cramping. Experiment with different pens and pen grips to find whatever is the most comfortable for you. Remember that if you haven’t done much writing by hand for a while, it might be uncomfortable to write for long stretches at first, but it will get easier the more you do it.
Don’t worry about your penmanship. This isn’t going to be posted online, so it doesn’t have to look good. All it must be is legible.
Get a book stand to prop up your notebook while transcribing to the computer. Believe me, it makes a big difference!
If you’re ready to get past your blank page fears and take your writing to the next level, then you’re ready to start writing by hand. Is it harder? Yes. But is it worth it? YES.
You can get more support, tips and inspiration from the Analog Writers Club — I hope you’ll join us there!
Whether you write with a pen or keyboard, Pen2Profit.online is where you’ll find your way to earning money with your words.
Stace, I love this and wholeheartedly agree. Two game changers for me that might be beneficial to those reading are:
1) Frixion erasable pens. I’ve NEVER liked erasable pens until I found these. They erase 100%, with no mess or smudging. They write smoothly and they have refillable cartridges. I’ve bought on Amazon or at Target.
2) a Page-Up paper holder. It looks like 3/4 of a golf ball with a flat bottom and a curved slit for the page to sit vertically on your desk by the computer. They’re cheap so I own a few for the office and home.
I said two things, but a third is a clipboard that opens like an old school pee-chee. It’s great to clip paper on with a hard surface and you can workout on a treadmill or elliptical and have in front of you to jot notes down on or read drafts of your pieces.
I hope this is helpful.
Do you write anything by hand? If so, what? ✍🏻
It's been a long time since I wrote an article by hand. Every morning I handwrite my gratitude list and to-do list. Sometimes I handwrite in my journal.