By Hand

Hello, Wednesday. How did you get here so quickly?

I'm thinking I might do some writing by hand today. I wrote most of "Green Like the Water" with pen and paper, and though many times my fingers couldn't keep up with the stream of words in my head, and I was forced to go more slowly, doing things the old fashioned way turned out to be freeing and inspiriting.

For one, it helped on those busy days. Rather than wait for the computer to boot up, to think, opening tabs and eventually becoming distracted by the Web, the notebook only needs its cover flipped and then it's off to the races. I imagine it feels something like a musician unplugging the guitar and having an impromptu jam session on the sofa.

For another thing, it felt deeply personal, to put down the words by hand, and I think as a result, I wrote a little more bravely. I was a little "stuck" with the story, and changing the pace of the work was the shot of WD-40 it needed to get going again.

So, I have a busy week of errands to run, and I think I'll go unplugged some. The next time you feel caught in a rut, try the old ink-to-page routine. The smell of the fresh paper, the light tang of the pen marks - It's like therapy, and it's productive at the same time.