I’m a fast typer and given a choice, that’s the method of getting words on paper I’ll always choose. But when I’m stuck and don’t know how to get a character from point A to B or express my protagonist’s emotional state in an innovative way, I invariably get a piece of paper and a pen to sort things out.
Jotting down my thoughts by hand seems to spark a multitude of random ideas. It might take a bit of time but eventually, my scribbles pave the way to a solution.
In the past, I thought I was just being old school, falling back on what I’d learned as a child. But google “handwriting versus typing” and you’ll find science-based articles published by Scientific American, PubMed Central, and the Swiss-based MDPI, as well as numerous other online periodicals discussing the difference.
Studies conducted world-wide consistently reveal that handwriting beats typing when it comes to learning, memory, problem solving, and creativity. Using brain scans while people were typing or writing by hand, scientists noticed that significantly more areas of the brain lit up when a person was using a pen or pencil on paper.
And when it comes to cursive versus printing, cursive leads every time. The broader spectrum of cognitive activity while writing longhand, indicates deeper thought and engagement with the material, which in turn, promotes analytical thinking and creativity. And hopefully more “Aha!” moments when it comes to problem solving.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to start writing books or blogs in longhand. Typing is a valuable skill, especially for writers. And today’s technology makes it incredibly easy to correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar, as well as move, change, or delete text.
But I do plan to reach for pen and paper more quickly the next time I’m stuck. And this makes me wonder how wise it is for schools to drop cursive from their curriculums.