How the Means of Writing Affects Work Flow
To write is to give your thoughts a concrete reality. Evolving technologies provide many means to choose from when you decide to imprint your thoughts on paper or digital spaces.
From conventional handwriting, to pressing keys, or employing speech-to-text programs, you can utilize different means of writing for varied use cases. Knowing the strengths of each method of writing and choosing the one most suited to your needs can help you write strategically.
Three Ways of Writing
Writing is both a process and a product. You see this in the two different meanings of “writing”: as a verb, it refers to the act of writing, while as a noun, it’s what you end up with. While the outcome (book, blog post, script, etc.) is ultimately what draws eyeballs, the act of writing itself shapes that outcome.
Changes in writing methods can influence the written material, and how the reader feels about it. This is because different methods demand varying engagement from the writer. To achieve the right outcome you must carefully pick the method best suited to your workflow.
Let’s examine first the method which dominated literary composition from cuneiform to the dawn of the typewriter: handwriting.
Handwriting
Typically, handwriting:
…takes time, as it involves physically sketching out each letter.
…enhances focus and precision, reducing careless mistakes and sloppy thinking.
…has a personal touch, enabling visual expression of thoughts in hand-crafted words.
…encourages you to map out the structure beforehand, minimizing the need for revisions.
The deliberate pace of handwriting lends itself to an intentional workflow, encouraging you to refine your thoughts before committing them on paper. In a way, writing creates a gap between thought and expression, separating them to the benefit of both. It’s like having two versions of the same idea, one in the mind: abstract, the other in black and white: concrete. This “double-vision” means that handwriting helps emphasize the reflective component of composition.
However, typing on a keyboard dominates modern writing. A step faster than handwriting, typing speeds up the flow by aligning your thoughts and fingers. Composition and ideation are more in tune now as you think with your hands.
Keyboard Input
Typing on a keyboard:
…is quicker than handwriting, clocking over three times the words per minute.
…sparks active thinking, letting you refine ideas as you type –– perfect for brainstorming.
…relies on uniform fonts and layouts, ensuring legibility and polished look.
…makes editing seamless, giving more scope for making and correcting mistakes.
While keyboard typing outpaces handwriting, both are nonverbal, with hands mediating the gap between thought and expression. The third way of writing, speech-to-text, bridges the gap almost instantly.
Speech-to-Text
The speech-to-text method of writing:
…is easy to use and flexible, with instant production in real time.
…improves communication skills, as you practice speaking and articulation.
…offers portability and accommodates all users, including those with special needs.
…can break through writer’s block, as the act of speaking becomes writing.
Which Means To Use?
Handwriting, keyboard typing, and speech-to-text each lend themselves to significantly different workflows. This can affect the writing process in several important ways.
Handwriting, though slow, leads to better information retention. If the purpose is to learn a new topic, come up with fresh ideas, and understand complex concepts without the need for speed, handwriting is the top choice. It demands attentive involvement of the writer, deepening cognition. You can also make full use of the 2D paper, drawing arrows, margin notes, or diagrams as needed. Handwriting also adds a personal touch, whether it’s a thank you letter or a hand-painted sign.
A PEW survey from 2024 found that 91% of U.S. adults own a smartphone, and 98% own a cellphone of some kind. In addition, about 67% own a desktop, laptop, or tablet. If we count on-screen keyboards, keyboard typing is by far the most prevalent means of writing. And for good reason: it’s speedy, simple to save progress, and easy to share. You can play around with words and layouts, and repeatedly edit without the headache of rewriting text by hand.
For the fluent, speech-to-text is possibly the fastest and handiest writing method among the three. A study comparing speech and keyboard text entry on touchscreen phones found that the English input rate was almost three times higher with speech recognition. If you’re someone who has difficulty adapting to typing, then this method can work wonders. You also get to know how your writing sounds before it’s processed into text, which is an obvious plus where speech-writing or branding is concerned.
However, although speech-to-text processing systems are growing by leaps and bounds, accuracy can still be a problem if the environment is noisy or if the software is unable to pick-up your accent. Your neighbors in the office or café also may not appreciate your monologuing, requiring you to be a bit more choosy about the place and time in which you work.
Choosing The Right Method For Your Workflow
In his On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, prolific writer Stephen King said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut.”
If you read a lot then the question is: how best to convert that into interesting content? The simple answer is to write more and more. Of course, writing more does not guarantee better quality. You need to put some thought into what to write, and also pick the right method for brainstorming, drafting, and editing phases.
Each writing method has its trade-off between quality and quantity. To get the best of both worlds, blend your methods depending on the task. Keyboard typing and speech-to-text are quick, but they may not always lead to the desired depth of expression. The fast moving nature of the medium may get overwhelming, especially for the beginners. That’s why it’s a good idea to slow down a bit in the brainstorming phase with some handwritten content. Quality takes time, and as the saying goes: slow and steady wins the race.
Foundation of Clarity
The good news is that it’s easy to bring the effectiveness of handwritten content into the digital space through fonts, images, charts, info-graphs, drawings, animation and more. With the right skills and imagination, handwritten content can be transformed into information-rich, easy-to-understand digital content.
In the end, digital content may far outweigh handwriting in its reach and impact. But that is possible only if the fundamentals of what you wish to express are clear. Handwriting can achieve a foundation of clarity, while keyboard writing and speech-to-text can speed up composition. Switching between them as needed helps you sift the wheat from the chaff.
To sum it up, handwriting demands time and care, giving conceptual clarity and yielding refined results. Keyboard typing is quick and handy, unlocking endless creative options to work with. Speech-to-text is the fastest and most portable, turning the process of writing into something as simple as speaking. Understanding the nuances of how each shapes your writing is key in designing a smooth workflow, one that’s tailored to your needs and which enables you to produce quality and consistency.