Methods of writing have evolved over the years from writing with pen and paper to typewriters to computers. With so many different options, writers often struggle to find the method best suited to their writing style or they often end up stuck with one method that does not work for them.

Pen and Paper

Many writers to this day still prefer to write their books or articles by hand using a pen or pencil and paper. These writers often go on to hire someone to later type their work into a computer for publication. The choice of manual writing is often made due to the writer not being a fast typer, having no interest in typing, or the enjoyment of writing. For example, J.R.R. Tolkien chose to write using a pen and he once said, “A pen is to me as a beak is to a hen.” Some writers just write better when they can physically write out each letter, word, and mark of punctuation. This method might be slower than the other options, but this is the method many writers use to write their masterpieces.

Typewriter

“I think the computer is a hindrance to good writing because it is so tempting to leave what you've written. If you use a typewriter, you must retype if you make a mistake, and thus, you must re-examine every word.” ~ Edith Pearlman

Many might think that typing out a book or article on a typewriter is outdated, but there are those like Edith Pearlman that see the usefulness in using a typewriter instead of a computer. By using a typewriter, it is harder to get distracted as there will be no pop ups promising the chance to win a million dollars, or emails begging to be read. Instead, it is just the writer, their imagination, and the ability to get it written faster than using a pen or pencil.

Computer

Most writers use the computer for their writing due to all the ways it can help the modern writer to both write quickly and improve upon their writing. The use of a spell check, a thesaurus, and a dictionary all in one is a godsend for most writers and they can simply let the computer fix most of their mistakes for them and suggest where all those annoying commas should go.

A Mix of Multiple Writing Methods

A less common writing method, but one utilized by James McBride in his own words: “I type most of my books for the first chapter or two - I use a manual typewriter for the first 50 pages or so - and then I move to the computer. It helps me keep the work lean so I don't end up spending 10 pages describing a leaf” (James McBride). Like James McBride, there are some writers that will use more than one writing method. Some writers will switch between physical writing and typing while others will switch between all of these methods when writing one book, and in doing so they create their own unique writing method that is well suited to them on an individual level.