“My spelling is Wobbly. It’s good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.” – Pooh Bear, from A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the Pooh
Like Pooh, my spelling is Wobbly. When I was a kid, every teacher I ever had urged me to write legibly and at the proper slant, and to pay more attention to my spelling. That may have been the beginning of thinking the one thing I was no good at was writing. To this day when I write by hand I turn the page beyond perpendicular just to get my letters upright. And yet…
There is something that a brain does differently with pen and paper than with keyboard and screen. It isn’t just mechanical.
When I’m into writing a scene or a chapter and the words are flowing, I tend to use the keyboard, because my typing can keep up with my brain in a way my handwriting cannot.
But when I’m brainstorming, or figuring, or hoping for that new idea, I inevitably do better my journal and a pen.
So today’s 1 Thing Thursday Writing Tip: Don’t forget the old fashioned way.
If you need a bit more convincing, here is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s handwritten opening of The Great Gatsby. Ernest Hemingway, too, started writing by hand, moving to a typewriter when the words were flowing.
Happy writing! – Meg
