Option 1: Write a diary entry, reflection, short story, or a poem of approximately 500 words by hand. Take a photo of your work. You may opt to reflect on a moment of your day, comment on a news story you’ve encountered, or theorize about readings with which you’ve engaged. Alternately, you may opt to write creatively. Whatever genre you select, the goal is to write “manually” (from Old French manuel, from [and later assimilated to] Latin manualis, from manus “hand”). Include a short (250-300 words) commentary about your manual production of text in which you address the following questions:
Do you normally write by hand or type? Did you find this task difficult or easy? Explain.
When it comes to writing long papers such as essays and assignments or lecture notes I will usually type. If I am writing something short I will usually write by hand. I do prefer paper planners over digital ones and so small items like to-do lists will usually be written on paper. I did not find this task particularly difficult, if anything it felt a little time consuming since writing by hand takes a little longer than typing on a digital tool.
What did you do when you made a mistake or wanted to change your writing? How did you edit your work? Did your choice of media play a part in how you edited your work?
I usually write in pen and so when I made a mistake I used white-out to fix it. Since I wrote in single space, if I needed to add a word I had to write in a tiny gap. The choice of media did play a part in how I would edit my work. I knew that writing by hand would not allow me to move paragraphs around without rewriting it and so prior to starting my diary entry, I briefly brainstormed what I wanted to write and how to organize it to minimize as many mistakes as possible. Unlike writing on a computer, I could not easily ‘ctrl+c’ and ‘ctrl-v’ to move, remove, or add sentences.
What do you feel is the most significant difference between writing by hand and using mechanized forms of writing? Which do you prefer and why?
The most significant difference between writing by hand and using a mechanized forms of writing is time. As I reflect and type my answers out right now I am able to share my thoughts much quicker that if I were to write this reflection by hand. Another difference I noticed through this activity is convenience. Digital writing tools today have many functions that enhance our writing skills. Fonts to keep our writing neat and even, a redo and undo button for mistakes, as well as a cloud to save our work and have access to it wherever we go are just a few of the abundant tools available for us.