Karen Marcam - Historical fiction about everyday people facing ageless challenges with universal emotions
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Fun Stuff
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

The Handwriting on the Wall

6/28/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture of spiral notebook and pens
I was thinking earlier today about the continued importance of handwriting in this age of technology.  More specifically, I was thinking about how valuable it can still be to writers, even though most of us do the bulk of our writing on computers.
 
Let me explain.  Some of you may recall my mentioning in the past the large whiteboard mounted on the wall of the room where I do my writing.  This board is invaluable to me when I am plotting out a story or fleshing out a specific scene.  I have long noticed that when I write notes out on the board, the whole brainstorming process is just easier.
 
I have other friends who hand write story notes in notebooks.  Another friend writes out the entire first drafts of her stories by hand on a legal pad.  What do we all have in common?  Writing things out by hand when we need to be creative.
 
As it turns out, this sense of greater creativity and productivity is not simply in my imagination.  More and more studies are proving the connection between our hand and our brain.  When we write by hand, it stimulates areas of the brain which lead to increased skills such as comprehension, problem-solving, and retention.  Other studies have discovered that young children who learn their letters by drawing them manually instead of typing them on a keyboard, for example, learn much better and faster.

Picture of large whiteboard on wall
So as it turns out, I was being smarter than I realized when I asked my husband to mount the whiteboard on the wall.  Each time I use it, I am strengthening the connection between my hand and my brain and am improving my writing. 
 
If you don’t have the space for an oversized whiteboard on your wall, grab a pencil and a legal pad.  This is what I used when I was problem-solving during my former day job as a business analyst, and I can attest to its success. 
 
But if I have given you the urge to go-to-town with a large whiteboard and colored markers, then don’t spend buckets of money for the expensive (and smaller) versions sold in office supply stores.  Get to your local big box store and look for white hardboard wall panels in the section where paneling is sold.  You can purchase a 4’ x 8’ sheet of smooth, acrylic-coated wall panel (i.e., whiteboard) for less than $20.  They are lightweight, and fairly easy to tack up.  Some people even use glue or double-stick tape.
 
Or you can still find that trusty legal pad.  Either way, happy writing and happy creativity.

2 Comments
buy essay papers link
7/9/2018 07:16:54 am

Writing has contributed a big part of our childhood and we are all aware of the fast growth of technology. There are some students who are eager to be a writer someday because of their English teachers. They learn a lot of lessons that taught them to be fearless and to have that courage to reach for their dreams in life. School has taught us a lot of things and it has taught us to be a person that is brave enough to reach for the stars. There is no one to beat here, but that negative thought in our minds.

Reply
golf clash hack no survey link
5/13/2019 01:24:21 am

There are many fanatics of games that simply can not afford to use their own money to make the necessary purchases in the Clash game guide, our tools will always be available to them.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I write historical fiction, and I invite you to share the journey to published author with me.

    Archives

    December 2022
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture

Home

About

Blog

Fun Stuff

Contact

Copyright © 2015
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Fun Stuff
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy