I write my first draft by hand, at least for fiction. For…
“I write my first draft by hand, at least for fiction. For non-fiction, I write happily on a computer, but for fiction I write by hand, because I'm trying to achieve a kind of thoughtless state, or an unconscious instinctive state. I'm not reading what I write when I wrote. It's an unconscious outpouring that's a mess, and it's many, many steps away from anything anyone would want to read. Creating that way seems to generate the most interesting material for me to work with, though.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Writing by hand for fiction helps access an instinctive, unfiltered creative flow.
In simple terms: Handwriting taps subconscious for storytelling.
Try handwritten drafts to unlock raw ideas.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- fiction writing
- brainstorming sessions
- creative workshops
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does physical writing affect your ideas?
- Can digital tools mimic this instinct?
Handwriting may be slower and less editable.