It’s not an elegant title, but it tells the truth.

This is going to be a quick post because Barry and I have dinner plans with new friends and half an hour out from it, I am still in my bathrobe, so. But I really do want to kvetch about this.

Lately I have returned to writing in notebooks, long hand. There are several reasons I’m doing it, such as portability and to see if I write differently. (Yes, I do. I write more thoughtfully and philosophically, I think.) The only problem is that then said writing must magically find its way onto the laptop and into a Word file. Right.

The writing part went really well recently — I found myself quickly with 100 fresh pages of my novel. How fun it was to go from a coffeehouse with my light notebook to a park bench. How liberating! Until.

I have spent two days this week transcribing and whining. Whining and transcribing. I’m happy to say that I transcribed all 100 pages, yippee, and now I’m editing them. Editing, I don’t mind. In fact, I enjoy it, once I get started.

I whined about the transcription so much my husband asked why I didn’t just hire someone to type it in for me. Trust me, I was tempted. But it occurred to me there might be benefits to doing it myself. Just what are those said benefits, you ask?

1. It reminds you of what you wrote. Maybe I’m the only one who forgets what she wrote some days, but it happens to me. So transcribing places the story more firmly in my mind.

2. It’s an early form of editing. As you type, if you’re like me, you’ll whittle at that bad boy even as you’re transcribing it.

3. It enthuses you to write more. I found that after I had the new pages on the laptop before me, I was inspired to keep going.

4. It’s interesting to see if you do write differently when you write long hand. I think I do. You should try it!

5. I was easily able to add side notes and questions. Yeah, you can do this in Word, but it’s a little harder to make out, if you ask me.

6. I underlined things I questioned as I wrote that I might want to confirm or reconsider. Again, early editing without it seeming as if I were being overbearing on myself, so it was nonthreatening when I went back.

7. Cursive just seems friendlier and prettier. Maybe not my writing — I can write prettily but am usually too busy/impatient to — but cursive (or print, if you prefer) is romantic looking.

Maybe I could think of more reasons, but our dinner date looms and while I don’t think the restaurant has a dress code, I’m not sure a robe and slippers are acceptable attire.

So write by hand, and then transcribe. If you dare. It may be worth it.