Writing Strategies — Handwriting to typing
How using pen and paper can help you to write better and more creatively
Contents
Introduction
This blog post is part of a series of writing strategies sourced from staff, students and researchers working at the University of Manchester Library. Try all of them out and see what works for you!
This post focuses on ‘handwriting to typing’, and how it can help you to write better and more creatively by turning off your device and picking up good, old-fashioned pens and paper.
Making progress in your writing using the ‘handwriting to typing’ strategy
Sometimes, you need to get that essay, article or chapter written but you struggle to make significant progress. This may be because you can’t think of the perfect way to start, or you’ve written some words but can’t seem to come up with any more ideas.
Trying out different writing strategies can set the wheels in motion and help you to overcome these obstacles.
What is the ‘handwriting to typing’ strategy?
The ‘handwriting to typing’ strategy is a move towards hand-written notes. It is used for processing information, re-framing it in your own words, helping you to structure your work as well as make connections between ideas.
Why does it deliver better results?
This process works differently and delivers better results because handwriting leads to a deeper cognitive processing of thoughts. Handwriting can be an important intermediate step between reading and writing (often more difficult than reading, but easier than full-on writing).
According to Mangen, Anda, Oxborough and Brønnick (2015), the process of reading and writing involves a number of senses. When writing by hand, our brain receives feedback from our motor actions, together with the sensation of touching a pencil and paper. This kind of feedback is significantly different from that which we receive when touching and typing on a keyboard.
What are the benefits of the strategy?
Learning by doing
An experiment carried out by a group of neurophysiologists, Jean-Luc Velay et al. (2011), established that different parts of the brain are activated when we read letters we have learned by handwriting, compared with those activated when we recognise letters we have learned through typing on a keyboard.
When writing by hand, the movements involved leave a motor memory in the sensorimotor part of the brain, which helps us to recognise letters. This implies a connection between reading and writing, and suggests that handwriting is useful for better long-term comprehension.
More creativity
Research shows that handwriting enhances cognitive abilities and results in increased creativity. Multiple studies suggest that this process stimulates creativity, compared with other modes of expressing ideas.
Better knowledge retention
Experiments suggest that the brain is discernibly more activated when we read a verb that is linked to a physical activity, compared with being read an abstract verb, or a verb not associated with any action. Since writing by hand takes longer than typing on a keyboard, this aspect of time investment may also influence the learning process.
In a study conducted by Mueller et al.(2018), students who wrote by hand appeared to have better retention of information than those who did not. I discovered myself that I remember more when I write things down and this may be because hand movement stimulates a form of recognition in addition to the eyes.
Enhanced critical thinking abilities
Handwriting also helps you to gather your thoughts and plan your writing before you get absorbed in it. You might find that knowing that editing is messier and more difficult than when you type may also encourage more thoughtful and considerate planning and word use!
Reduced strain on eyes
Handwriting notes also gives you a break from typing or looking at your computer for longer periods, giving your eyes some relief. This may be helpful after a prolonged period of working on computers. I discovered that switching to handwriting after working on the computer helps my productivity levels by giving me a different work setting.
Other benefits
Other benefits of the ‘handwriting to typing’ strategy include a stronger understanding of key concepts and enabling flexibility in your work mode.
How can you use this strategy?
Handwriting does not have to be all about writing blocks of text. The following are the ways in which the strategy can be used:
- mindmaps
- spider diagrams or idea maps
- listing or organising ideas
- sticky notes
- flow charts
Tips to get you started
- Summarise what you know or have a read around a topic, and add your thoughts too;
- Think of other aspects you may need to learn about or gaps in your knowledge, and write them down;
- Type out your summary or use a handwriting recognition app to convert it into a typed piece to merge with the rest of your work.
What are the limitations?
As helpful as this strategy is, it is not without its limitations. For instance, handwriting can be more time-consuming than directly typing out your work. However, you could use some technology (INKredible is a popular free app for touch-screen devices) to enable an easier and faster conversion to typed documents.
Even with technology to help with the conversion, though, this might not be the strategy for you if you find handwriting difficult.
Conclusion
Our bodies are designed to interact with the world surrounding us and relying on computers for writing, while helpful, can also have downsides. The benefits of reducing screen-time aside, the handwriting to typing strategy has many other benefits.
It has been proven that writing by hand not only strengthens the learning process, but also improves your creativity. When typing on a keyboard, this process may be impaired as devices can be a distraction, reduce your focus, and encourage too much multitasking.
If you need a change of pace, the benefits of the ‘handwriting to typing’ strategy may be the boost you need to tackle your current writing challenges.
There’s only one way to find which writing strategies work for you, and that’s by giving it a try!
Check out the My Research Essentials Medium publication for more writing strategies to try, or join our writing communities and write with us at our Shut Up and Write sessions and Writing retreats.
By Amala from the Student Team
