Steven Symes

There’s something special and different about writing things out by hand, especially when it comes to the creative process. As a writer, I like to do all of my prewriting for something, be it a book or article, by hand. Sure, typing it out on my computer is faster and more efficient, but it also doesn’t result in the same level of creative thought.

I’ve noticed this for almost twenty years now. Doing some research, my intuition seems to be backed by a body of scientific inquiry, which is validating to an extent. It turns out my preference for hand note taking for part of the writing process isn’t merely a personal preference.

Scientific researchers have found that writing by hand stimulates the brain more than just typing on a computer or even on an old typewriter. This seems to be thanks to several factors, including the fact your mind has to slow down when you write. I’ve found this slowing down is conducive to deeper thought and exploration of a subject, which are key elements when I’m brainstorming ideas for something to write or am trying to think through complex plans.

Handwriting also engages more of the brain and leads to more neurological connectivity patterns. Different areas of your brain must coordinate to form letters and think through what you’re writing. Interestingly enough, that in turn increases learning and memory retention.

While not applicable to what I do now, this is why note taking done in class is best done by hand, not on a computer. I know that will anger some, but the science backs that conclusion.

Applicable to everyone is the conclusion some researchers have drawn that writing by hand regularly increases not only learning and memory retention but also your attention span and cognitive health. In this day and age of short form videos, which seem to be dumbing people down while shortening their attention spans, that’s wonderful news.

Writing by hand can be done through a journal or even just jotting down ideas you have for work on a legal pad. I take a number of handwritten notes regularly and have found the practice helps me think more adeptly though complex problems.

Of course, I’ve been criticized by some for my decidedly low-tech method of thinking through problems. For some, novelty means superiority, so they favor anything on the cutting edge of technology over methods which have been proven over the centuries. While I don’t eschew the high-tech in my writing process, I find an analog experience with a pen and paper is sometimes the best way to work through problems.

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