Tactile Writing

In this age of technology, writers have to be careful not to become too dependent on computers. While computerization has made a writer's work easier and faster in a myriad of ways, it has also changed the nature of writing and our relationship to the written word. Prior to the computer age, writing was a very tactile experience. It was the scratching of pen on paper or the clacking of typewriter keys punctuated by the rhythmic clunking of the typewriter return. Writers were connected to their writing in very sensual ways. What the computer has ushered in is a disconnect from this tactile orientation to a mostly visual one. On a computer screen, our writing automatically "looks" better and therefore seems better than when it is scribbled on a sheet of paper. As a result, we often have an illusion that our work is more polished than it really is. When typing on a computer, our mind works differently than it does when applying lead or ink to paper. Different neurons fire and thought is processed in different ways. I encourage my writing students to regularly produce handwritten work so they don't lose that vital connection from mind to hand to paper, because it is profoundly different than the connection from mind to keyboard to screen. By all means, utilize all the benefits that technology brings to the writing process, but don't lose touch with tactile writing. The quality of your writing will be greatly enhanced by the sensual experience of handwritten work and you will find greater enjoyment in the writing craft.