I had a family picnic this weekend, and I thought I’d write that as my diary by hand. I must confess, I have not written much of anything by hand in a long time. The most I’ve written is perhaps a phone number I had to quickly write down while on the phone, or a cheque. This short piece reminded me of how sore my hands were all the time while I was in elementary and high school.

Do you normally write by hand or type?

I normally text or type rather than write by hand. Many years ago, when I did not have a computer or smartphone, I wrote everything by hand. However, now that we have these devices, typing is more convenient and efficient for me, especially for longer pieces of writing.

Did you find this task difficult or easy? Explain.

This task was relatively easy because it was relatively short, and I was able to organize my thoughts clearly and structure the entry in a coherent way. However, I find it more difficult than texting or typing. I haven’t written larger pieces of text in a very long time, as I almost exclusively type or text. It took much longer, and it was challenging to keep the flow smooth without frequent stops to reorganize my thoughts.

What did you do when you made a mistake or wanted to change your writing? How did you edit your work?

When I made a mistake or wanted to change something, I had to cross it out and restart. I was also very conscious the entire time I was writing and reminded myself to think before I write it down. I wanted to avoid editing my work as I did not want to cross out and rewrite items. When I finished my work, it was even harder to edit my writing.

Did your choice of media play a part in how you edited your work?

Yes, typing and texting allowed for more flexible and efficient editing. I could make changes without worrying about the messiness of crossing out words or squeezing in corrections, which was a hassle when writing by hand.

What do you feel is the most significant difference between writing by hand and using mechanized forms of writing?

The main difference is the ease and speed of editing. Typing allows for quick corrections and adjustments, while writing by hand can be more cumbersome when changes are needed. Additionally, typing can be faster and less tiring, especially for lengthy documents. My hand was sore as I wrote longer sentences on paper. Another significant difference between writing by hand and using mechanized forms of writing is that I had to really think ahead when I was writing by hand, and think of the spelling of each word more carefully. I could not rely on auto-correct, or the ease of editing on a computer. I had to think about what I really want to write, think of the sentence structure, the grammar, the time when the event happened, how it will influence my piece, before actually writing it down on paper. On a device, I can write freely, and rethink the above points later.

Which do you prefer and why?

I prefer typing because it saves time, allows for easy editing, and is generally more efficient. It also allowed a more smooth flow of thoughts. While writing by hand can be more personal and reflective, the convenience and speed of typing make it my preferred method for most writing tasks.