"There's no better tool for writing than pen and paper." - Ancient proverb
I don't know if it's the nostalgia, but that that sentiment feels convincing. Does that make it true?
So, why does paper feel like paper?
What you see is what you get.
On paper, every scratch shows. Want to make it pretty? You can't just select text, go to the fonts section and change it. You'll have to write it yourself. And don't even get me started on undo.
You write as quick as you can write. Maybe.
No, that's not a typo. The cursor just doesn't move as quickly as I type.
Okay, so this could be because I use a computer that came out during the stone age. Most modern computers don't lag. Why is that? Maybe it could be because...
Paper is more reliable...and cheap.
That's right. Your old Pentium Dual Core laptop
isn't going to write your essay on Google Docs without having a meltdown. But that stack of paper you bought to write love letters to your first girlfriend? I know, it looks a
little yellow but... it's still good enough for your
first draft.
Want a fresh stack? Just walk to
your nearest stationery store and hand out your
spare pennies.
It's things like that gives paper that edge.
So, are digital tools actually that bad?
Okay, so I know I sound like a boomer for saying this, but for some goshdarn reason words flow out of my hand when I use a piece of paper compared to when I use google docs.
But that's because I grew up with pen and paper. My future kids would have the same practial sensibilities for using pen and paper as I do for hieroglyphics.
When I started my writing career, I had so much writer's block, I couldn't breathe. And it was pretty ironic too, as I used to write without thinking when I wasn't paid to do it.
That's when I realised something. My DMs were
waay more creative than the stuff I could ever write on
Google Docs.
Does that mean WhatsApp is the most superior form of writing? Probably not. It was just something that I'm comfortable with.
The two modes of writing.
When I'm writing something. I usually am not
thinking about the words I type. Instead, my brain goes like this:
That's a weird way to phrase thingsThat's a weird way to phrase thingsThat's a weird way to phrase thingsThat's a weird way to phrase thingsThat's a weird way to phrase thingsThat's a weird way to phrase thingsThat's a weird way to phrase thingsThat's a weird way to phrase thingsThat's a weird way to phrase thingsThat's a weird way to phrase things
I know this happens to you too. Don't lie. So, how do we fix this?
One way is to reframe your mindset. You're either
writing or you're editing. Don't edit
while you write. Let the mistakes happen. Once you're
done writing, you can resume being the world's worst
critic.
And that's easier said than done on a computer. There's nothing more tempting than pressing that backspace key to do a quick edit. But on paper, you can't. Mistakes are mistakes. And you have the luxury of letting them be, till you correct them on your next draft.
HTML as the rough draft.
This is how I write.
That's right. I'm using HTML. And for good reason.
Look at the preview on the left. It's so pretty, isn't it? Definitely better than the ugly HTML code on the right. With all the weird colours and symbols and letters that get cut off in between. You know what that reminds me of?
A first draft. On paper.
That's right. It's messy. Just like your terrible
handwriting on paper. Because you can make mistakes freely if the output looks this ugly. And that's what makes it
beautiful.
But unlike writing your drafts on paper, you don't have to rewrite anything! You can marvel at your final draft in its pixel perfect glory whenever you want. But every time you write, you get to do it on your unpolished draft that won't intimidate you.
And that's why I think HTML is like paper, but for the internet.
