Image Description: A person wearing a yellow shirt writes in an open notebook with a pen while seated at a desk. The photograph focuses on the person's hand and the notebook. A stack of books is visible but out of focus in the foreground, and a softly lit window is blurred in the background. Source: https://www.sarahseleckywritingschool.com/why-you-should-write-by-hand?srsltid=AfmBOopNKRCRo2_WZySrev4Nq8ECu7By-AC5W4mz5RWSZD7nLdUr8fD5
One of the best pieces of writing advice I've received came from one of my advisors, In my previous post, How to Survive Grad School: Read Every Day, I wrote about paying attention to authors whose work you enjoy reading and learning from how they style and structure their writing. Julian is one of those writers for me.
His advice? Write by hand.
So, I've started writing by hand, and it has changed the way I approach writing.
Julian suggested first creating an environment for writing. Find a dedicated writing surface and a writing tool that feels right for the project you're working on. For me, that's a stack of 6 脳 4 yellow notepads and a black calligraphy pen. Julian uses Muji notebooks, but I like being able to remove pages that aren't working. The point isn't the materials. It's about creating a space that tells you it's time to write and connects you to the project you are working on.
Lately, I've been bringing a stack of books, my notepads, and my pen out to the patio. Then I write.
I write double spaced so I can return to the pages and add new ideas as they come. The pages become messy. I cross things out, add notes to myself, draw arrows, and build on earlier thoughts. There is something satisfying about seeing the physical process of writing develop on the page and having a physical record of that process.
Writing by hand gets me away from the screen. Like reading a physical book, the experience is different. It gets ideas flowing more naturally, and I think through them differently than I do when I'm typing. I also find that I keep thinking about what I've written after I've put the pen down.
Yes, this means you'll eventually have to type everything up. But I've realized you're never simply typing up your notes. As I type, I'm refining arguments, expanding ideas, making connections, and developing thoughts that weren't there the first time around. Typing becomes part of the writing process.
Whether you are stuck in a section of your writing or shifting your focus toward writing your dissertation, my advice, well Julian's advice, is simple:
How to survive grad school? Write By Hand.