I believe the Comic Sans hack is more about changing the font so that it looks different. I also really don't like Comic Sans, so I tried changing it into another font, different than the one I usually use, and it's actually easier to edit. It's less of a writing hack and more for editing I think, because you always see it in the same font and seeing it in a different one might give you another perspective on it, idk maybe it also helps in writing for some people.
I actually read that the Comic Sans hack works for some people because it's the easiest font to read, not necessarily because it makes it look ugly so you don't dwell on sentences you've written for too long For me personally, I understand why people hate the font, but I don't, I just don't like it very much, and for me the hack actually works and I write a little faster with it
That's what I've heard. It's easier for your brain to make out and process the letters because of how wonky and distinctive the shapes of each letter are. That's why it's also considered a dyslexic-friendly font. Although I've also heard the claim it's easier to get stuff out cause you don't take things getting written in Comic Sans as serious as other fonts (Granted I think that's probably more a placebo effect of anything). I personally use Lexend Deca. It's a font also designed for people with Dyslexia, so it's easier to read/process, but it's a lot more attractive looking. I don't know if it helps me write faster, but there's no harm in using it even if it only helps read over what I just wrote a little easier.
Very interesting! Have you ever tried dictation software. I'm thinking maybe visualising a scene and dictating with your eyes closed might yield some rich results...
I have used this. It works really good if you can manage the flow of your thoughts (so probably a long description paragraph or dialogue prelims) but this has a problem of possible typos ..so you need to edit properly. But this hack works great for unedited first cut where you are just thinking some initial work. My go to tool is just simply a google doc enabled with speak to text.
I just have to say, I'm really loving this different view for your videos! I don't think I've ever seen your desk before between Reedsy and your regular channel. For the visualization hack, I do this constantly as I'm writing. I see everything happening like a movie as I'm writing it though, instead of before. In fact, I find it pretty much impossible to write if I *don't* see it in my mind.
I see the story play out like a movie in my head while I'm writing too! I think that's why playing it through in my head before I wrote actually helped? It was like a practice run haha
I always hand write my rough draft. It is part of my process. it helps me to be able to vomit my story onto the page quickly. Then, I type it and because I am transferring it from paper it gets extremely heavy editing during that process. Once it is on the computer I consider that to be my first draft. Then, it gets self edited several times from there before going to a professional editor.
I find hand writing unrelated dialog very useful. It's also a way to grab a few minutes to get something down when you don't have your computer and it gives me a chance to practice editing if I use it later.
Scrivener has a "full screen composition mode" where you get a gray strip of virtual paper with white type, and everything else on the screen goes semi-transparent black. No controls, no buttons, no taskbar, no desktop, and no icons. It's nice.
I spent my beginning years of writing (think early highschool years) doing ALL my work by hand. I literally wrote three copies of my first novel out by hand (it took FOREVER). Now that I have a laptop, it's a lot easier, but I definatly go back to writing in hand some times because that's how I learned to write originally. (Plus I have neat writing, so that's probably why I like it)
I also write like random pieces,and they give me inspiration somehow. If I’m given a plot I’m not good at writing it as I find I just want to follow what I’m thinking of,which is why my plots are usually tiny and really rough...and usually end up not being used in the stories xD
I use different fonts for different stages of editing. Being dyslexic comic sans is a godsend. Open dyslexic font is also great. I like to print and line edit. But I leave different parts of my digital manuscript in different fonts indicating what level of editing there in. I love handwriting for zero drafting and I take the handwriting material and dictate into digital with dragon natural speech. I end up editing as I dictate. I write a more casual style when I hand-write. This is because I spend 8 hours a day writing very formal reports at work. Iassociate typing first drafts with the formal reports I do it work. Handwriting also gets me away from my desk and into a more comfortable place to sit. I don't have a stand-up desk but I can dictate standing up at my desk.
Yes, as a fellow dyslexic I also find Comic Sans much easier to read than most fonts-- and that made me like it. (since, readable > not readable) Seems like she's describing a very visceral reaction, I don't think most people hate it so much that it hurts them-- but probably most people aren't like us and actually find it easier to read than normal.
Oh and hey, you mentioned that you tend to have "messy copy" - I was curious, could you take us through a section of a story you're working on, like a few pages that you're editing or finalizing? I think it'd be very interesting and beneficial to see your process and how you refine to the point you're getting it ready as suitable copy. Hopefully that makes sense!
I write school related things in comic sans before formatting it correctly. But for my writing, I like to use a different font for every different story, just whatever I'm into at the time
Oh I looooove writing by hand, but I think it stems from not having a computer until my late teens so I always wrote that way as a kid and I felt my most creative during those years, so writing by hand really takes me back. Plus I typically write in a linear way, so it works for me as I'm not lifting & shifting huge chunks of text. It does have drawbacks though, namely the fact that sometimes your brain moves faster than you can hand write, so you hold yourself back a bit, and of course the time taken to type it up (though it does give me chance to edit as I go, which I consider a plus). I recently invested in a Remarkable though, which is a great tool for any hand writers out there - it's like a non-backlit paper white tablet which is literally just made for writing or drawing. Feels just like writing on normal paper, not laggy or strange at all. Great for not wasting tons of paper and it has a handwriting to text function which is pretty accurate, so I can now convert all my writing to text quickly and then just edit the odd error. Great to see lots of different hacks in this video - always interesting to hear how others find ways to practise writing.
Visualizing the scene is amazing. I do it all the time (in fact, that's one of the many reasons why I'm such a slow writer but improves my writing so much, it's crazy). The part about writing in Comic sans was arguably one of the most hilarious moments in any video you've made. I rewatched it three times and laughed just as much every single one XD Don't change Shaelin. You're amazing.
Haha I feel the opposite about handwriting. I associate it with writing in my diary where I have zero expectations for myself, so when I’m drafting a lot of the pressure lifts off my shoulders. These tips were really interesting, I’ll give some of them a shot!
I don't write scenes by hand, but I keep a writing journal that helps a lot. Before i write i start with the time I started, and then after I finish I write the time again. Then I jot down my word count for the day, and the total word count of my story. Then I write down what I had wrote that day, and then any thoughts or new ideas I had that came to me during or after the writing. I've been doing this since August and it helps a lot. Before the journal I wrote maybe once a week if that, but when I can look back at my sessions it makes me want to write more and now I write everyday.
The Comic Sans hack is hilarious! I was laughing so much, how you explained it. :D Visualization sounds good. Writing by hand works really well for poems! At least for me. But I would never write something long by hand. Thanks for an interesting video.
I never heard of the unrelated dialogue exercise! I'm going to try it! As for Comic Sans, I actually like it; this font feels easy on my eyes. This hack works well for me! I'll need to change the font back to Courier New... But for now, it's much more freeing to type my screenplay like this! I think it's because Comic Sans looks more like handwriting; whereas, Courier New emphasizes all of the formatting standards that come with a screenplay.
5:02 I kinda make the scene up as I go and sometimes I change them when editing cos I think other things would fit better Edit: I sometimes picture it if I get stuck though
I wrote by hand before I started writing with computers and now my phone....non-smart phone.....What I did was to take a note book then rule lines with a black pen inbetween lines already on the note book to make the space between each line smaller....then I started writing with pencils such that when I look at my book develop it looked like a novel as the hand written words were small enough to compare them with computer fonts.....I wrote with pencils so that I could erase the mistakes I made. I still use this trick today some times.....this was a trick I used way back in the 80's and 90's.....when I was writing mostly poetry.....this was because I sometimes could not get the Shell Petroleum Development Company diary my Dad used to have at christmas every year where he worked.....those diaries were the gold I sought after.....I could write smoothly on it's smooth pages and the spaces between each line on them were quite small.....small enough that whenever I wrote on the diary.....my handwriting were like the fonts of a novel written for example in Comic Sans. I suggest you try it out Shaelin....using pencils after ruling the lines.....I know it's hard work ruling all those lines....or you could buy a special notebook with small spaces between each line and then write with pencils.....to see if your creativity shines through as your book develops before your eyes. Kind regards, Efosa Osakue Agbonson.
Shaelin, you are my comic sans spirit animal! How you worded your disgust for it matches mine so perfectly! I could never do that hack. Like you, I need to enjoy seeing the words on the page. I already visualize scenes and write unrelated dialogue. I can't game quite for long periods due to chronic pain, but I do tend to find hand writing my notes and ideas as well as physically editing by hand helps me best. I'd try blindfolded writing once, but I suspect I'm too much of a control freak for that too work well for me.
3:01 I write by hand but I only write tiny bits at a time and if I do write for a while I get lost in the writing so much I don’t feel my hand cramping...until I wake up the next morning T-T and I sometimes type. I find they both work for me
I'm totally with you on writing by hand. I hate it. I also agree with visualization. Although I do it a little differently,. Since I'm a serious plotter I read through my outline and notes, for what I want to write that session. Then taking slow deep breaths I just let the images float through my mind. I don't filter them or try to force them, just whatever happens. This has two advantages. I'm relaxed when I start and it usually generates great ideas. As for writing with your eyes closed I'm not totally with you. I don't try to write an entire scene or spend the whole session with my eyes closed, but when I'm writing lots of dialog or intense action I'll do it for those parts only. As you said you can visualize better with your eyes closed and for passages like that this works well for me. I'm more focused I suppose. I would never try to spend a whole writing session with my eyes closed though. I should also say I can type very well so that helps. Great post.
I want to write a novel by hand tho faced the same issues you did. But I have an idea now! I'm gonna do the second draft on paper since I will get impatient and write it as concisely as possible.
I prefer to write in Times New Roman, or Liberation Serif. I prefer to read in that font and so I like to write in it. I think the Comic Sans hack was some joke slamming that font.
You should try the scriptwriting hack. Write your first drafts like a movie screenplay with fewer details and no camera directions. Then in the second draft, rewrite the scenes with more details.
The only things I will do by hand is maps if the novel needs one, character outlines (so important information about that character), and if it's fantasy I will note the mythical creatures I want in the book. Other than that I type everything else. I used to love writing by hand and have many notebooks that are filled with stories, but since my stroke I have a really hard time writing by hand.
The dialogue excercise I actually use a lot without knowing, a lot of the time I write down random dialogue for my characters and end up putting it in my story
I definitely can not write by hand whatsoever... my thoughts are going at such a quick pace when I have an idea pinned in my head that jotting it down with my hand rather than on a computer is way more stressful. I hate the feeling of not getting all of my ideas down for me to look back at. definitely agree.
Back when I was consulting there were times I had to write stuff humans would read, so I tried Dragon Naturally Speaking (this was '96 or '97). My computer was a touch slow and I had to stop now and then to let the software catch up. I was working on technical documents that were loaded with acronyms, which I tried to pronounce as words rather than spell out. I tried teaching the software my acronyms, which sorta worked. In the end every sentence was so loaded with errors (yet real English words) that if I didn't stop, backspace, and correct each error, by the time I got to the end of the paragraph I had no idea what the first sentence of that paragraph was supposed to say. Much faster to just type.
@@Reedsy Another one that I use when I'm writing a first draft, and starting to overthink is a mantra: "I'm creating raw material". I say this a few times to make me realize that I should just write and not hang up on small thing at this stage
This popped up in my recommended for some reason. tl;dr - To each their own, and people can change the more they try to break their deeprooted habits and thought patterns. Plus, trying to find creative ways to break patterns are sometimes fun in the era of stay-at-home-and-like-it. (I do. And I thrive in it.) Thoughts: I write by hand a lot. And I do it because I grew up in a time with no electronics. Anyway. I still do so because at work - I can't just pop-up my personal Drive account or install anything that wouldn't be monitored. I suck at typing on touchscreens, because English is my third language and so on... But I get to have my planners/journals at work, because I'm mostly alone in my office box. And sometimes you just need to catch that zeitgeist of inspiration and jot down anything and everything mid-Teams/Zoom, while still keeping your job activity. I mean I wrote like... 60+ pages in three weeks by hand on my day-to-day pages because I became invested in the story draft. Anyway, that's probably always going to be my zero draft - where I don't get those stupid grammar mistake lines, where I can mix'n'match my polyglot brain into finding the right words. Sure, while writing it down you may get only 60% of the writing. But when you transcribe it, you're actually already editing if you go and add anything. You are reading it through and processing it for the second time. Just a food for thought. Visualizing - I mean, I do it all day everyday. And yet I still have no idea what most of my characters look like. So who ever gets to read it will have to tell me. Comic Sans - not a fan. I'm a font nerd too, but I've yet to find one that I love and would die for. I doubt there ever will be one. I mean, I understand why it is a hack. It's like listening to Mario Party music while writing essays or long articles. + I would never switch the font of my on-going WIP so that's where we're different. I'd pagebreak /make a new text file for it, switch the font there and after the exercise I'd switch it back and then do editing if any. Eyes closed - I mean I can do it, because I've had to memorize two or three different keyboard layouts and it's no different that dictating for me (read: I need to think in English to type in English; I don't normally think in English). Dialogue exercises are great if you really need them. I usually start building a scene from a dialogue, because talking is very important in a silent culture like mine. When we value silence, the words that are used need to have meaning. I think it stems from that.
Comic Sans: Several years ago I bought a programming book on the C language. Every programming book ever uses a mono-spaced font for example code. Every one, without exception... Except the book I bought used comic sans for example code. First, it's a proportional font, and programmers work, think, and even dream code in a mono-spaced font. Second, it's comic sans. I went to look for that book, but I can't find it on my shelf. Did I burn it? Throw it away? Probably not. I cherish books too much. But comic sans, so maybe I did.
maybe the no-look-typing hack is supposed to be done in a way more like writing stream of consciousness? like you just keep typing what pops up in your mind without backspacing? idk. this hack sounds really interesting to me but it sucks that i can't try it with my language (chinese) cuz we always have to pick words after typing the pronunciation, like some other eastern languages.
Huh. Up until now, I've been writing by hand, but that's just because it gives me time to think and allows me to see the whole page I'm writing on. With a scene, I can't see the whole page unless I want to squint at a screen (and squinting at something that emits light is never very nice of a feeling). Nothing to do with it being more 'natural' So basically, the same kind of reason than the one that you line-edit on paper for. Also, I tend to feel like typing up the whole thing afterwards allows me to change a lot more things because I'm sort of 'starting from scratch', to an extent, while if I just had the document typed up already I wouldn't re-type the whole thing and might not end up changing as much It's not for everybody, and that's fine
I comment on and rate the hacks (years late). I call zero neutral, and add numbers based on added value to the writing process. Hack 1: Writing by Hand?!? This sounds like a hack for people who feel like computers and typewriters are still new. Kinda like commuting on a horse because because you don't want to learn how to drive (but somehow you can ride a horse). Seems irrelevant in 2023. (0 out of 5) Hack 2: Visualizing the Scene: Sounds like a great idea. Seems like the time spent would make the words flow easily when you start to type. Works for me when I do it. (4.5 out of 5 - same as the video) Hack 3: Comic Sans: WTF. I get this as a way to turn off the inner editor while drafting. (0 out of 5) Hack 4: Writing With Your Eyes Closed: What possible value can come from multiplying the number of typos and errors by an order of magnitude? Loved the hilarious example in the video, though. (0 out of 5) Hack 5: Dialog Exercises: Neat idea! Have never considered this. What a cool way to get to know your characters and build up those dialog muscles. (4 out of 5 - same as the video)
I think I'm gonnna try the pre visualization/meditation and the eyes closed hack, I just feel it can work for me. If you make another video like this you should try "the most dangerous writting app" on a web browser, it has been very effective for me in terms on writting a first draft. Thank you for the advices, you're very good at teaching and nice outfits btw.
@@Reedsy well you can always type a letter and backspace it, it would not delete anything of your progress but the time will pass though. It's like going out jogging and still keeping moving when reaching a pedestrian redlight.
The closing your eyes and visualizing the scene might be even better if you just talk into a voice recorder instead of typing, then transcribe later. Then you don’t have to deal with typos but still get all the benefits.
Not surprised the writing hack didnt work for you. Its not about some mystical vibe of olden times. Its because those of us who grew up before computers worked on paper in school. Its how we learned so its ingrained in us. I find that I think slower when writing which can be wonderful at times, frustrating at others
I've tried to use comic sans, but I looked at it for like a minute and realized my vision might not let me. I personally prefer Verdana as it is bigger than other similar fonts when set to the same font size.
My best hack is to write twice a day. Instead of write for 4 hours straight, I always rather write 2 hours in the morning or afternoon and 2 hours in the night. In the second session (the night one) I am prolific as hell. I recommend.
I have been having a lot of trouble with a very seemingly simple issue, which the internet has been useless for. How would one describe the sound of a snake in sand or something similar?
I only write by hand when I'm at work or out somewhere away from my pc & come up with an idea. Aside from that writing by hand is not my favorite thing either.
FYI only, the sweater at 8:00 does make you look about 20 lbs. heavier. Love your videos I'm going through all of them. I write in Garamond or Times New Roman. If typing is not your strong point possibly voice to text?
Huh. I like comic sans - but heck, I really don't see how changing your font to something supposedly 'ugly' would improve anything. If anything, wouldn't it make things worse? This sort of thing is typically what distracts me so much that I can't concentrate
V8 vegetable drink, at room temperature, with enough Tobasco sauce to make it _almost_ undrinkable. What it does for me is signal that it's time to stop watching RUclips (or whatever) and start writing. Also _almost_ too much Tobasco keeps me from chugging all the V8 within the first 10 minutes. One sip and "Ohh, it burns so good." Then I put the glass down and write some more.
I kind of disagree with you on writing with hand like i write all my stories with hand i think just becuase i am young meaning i dont really use devices to write as in primary school you need to write things by hand
Wait WHY DO YOU DOUBLE-SPACE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Why the double-space This is another reason my first drafts are on paper - so I can cramp everything together (I also tend to write really small). Double spacing is my nightmare
No offense, but I do find it bewildering that people can have such revulsion for writing in A PARTICULAR FONT. I mean, sure, writing with the blood of babies on a page made of human skin, I get THAT being a horrible experience, but... using an ugly crayon font? Maybe it's because even Comic Sans looks neater and more legible than my own handwriting!
@@skaetur1 If you like writing by hand, that's great! But it does create a much messier draft if you are, like me, someone who is constantly rearranging things as you write. It might be possible, but for me that didn't mean it was necessarily convenient or helpful! Plus the amount of effort it took really detracted from the quality of my work, so it's certainly not for everyone.
It also adds a whole extra step of transcribing and possibly additional errors. It's not the method that makes the writer but the completed words on the page.
@@Reedsy I find it easier to rearrange things with circles and arrows. When I see the text on the screen my mind can't play around like I can with the paper pages and pens in my hand. I wish I could use all that grammerly and scrivener junk, but I guess I'm too old. :)
I believe the Comic Sans hack is more about changing the font so that it looks different. I also really don't like Comic Sans, so I tried changing it into another font, different than the one I usually use, and it's actually easier to edit. It's less of a writing hack and more for editing I think, because you always see it in the same font and seeing it in a different one might give you another perspective on it, idk maybe it also helps in writing for some people.
I actually read that the Comic Sans hack works for some people because it's the easiest font to read, not necessarily because it makes it look ugly so you don't dwell on sentences you've written for too long
For me personally, I understand why people hate the font, but I don't, I just don't like it very much, and for me the hack actually works and I write a little faster with it
That's what I've heard. It's easier for your brain to make out and process the letters because of how wonky and distinctive the shapes of each letter are. That's why it's also considered a dyslexic-friendly font. Although I've also heard the claim it's easier to get stuff out cause you don't take things getting written in Comic Sans as serious as other fonts (Granted I think that's probably more a placebo effect of anything).
I personally use Lexend Deca. It's a font also designed for people with Dyslexia, so it's easier to read/process, but it's a lot more attractive looking. I don't know if it helps me write faster, but there's no harm in using it even if it only helps read over what I just wrote a little easier.
This is one of your best videos. It was very engaging.
Can you make a part 2 of this? This vid was amazing!!
Printing with crayons in comic sands. It has to be tried.
Shalein, your handwriting is much better than mine.
Very interesting! Have you ever tried dictation software. I'm thinking maybe visualising a scene and dictating with your eyes closed might yield some rich results...
That's actually genius.... (noting that one down to try!)
I have used this. It works really good if you can manage the flow of your thoughts (so probably a long description paragraph or dialogue prelims) but this has a problem of possible typos ..so you need to edit properly. But this hack works great for unedited first cut where you are just thinking some initial work. My go to tool is just simply a google doc enabled with speak to text.
@@Reedsy DISCLAIMER: Writing a sex scene this way in Starbucks may get you committed!
I just have to say, I'm really loving this different view for your videos! I don't think I've ever seen your desk before between Reedsy and your regular channel. For the visualization hack, I do this constantly as I'm writing. I see everything happening like a movie as I'm writing it though, instead of before. In fact, I find it pretty much impossible to write if I *don't* see it in my mind.
I see the story play out like a movie in my head while I'm writing too! I think that's why playing it through in my head before I wrote actually helped? It was like a practice run haha
I always hand write my rough draft. It is part of my process. it helps me to be able to vomit my story onto the page quickly. Then, I type it and because I am transferring it from paper it gets extremely heavy editing during that process. Once it is on the computer I consider that to be my first draft. Then, it gets self edited several times from there before going to a professional editor.
Me too .
I find hand writing unrelated dialog very useful. It's also a way to grab a few minutes to get something down when you don't have your computer and it gives me a chance to practice editing if I use it later.
Scrivener has a "full screen composition mode" where you get a gray strip of virtual paper with white type, and everything else on the screen goes semi-transparent black. No controls, no buttons, no taskbar, no desktop, and no icons. It's nice.
I spent my beginning years of writing (think early highschool years) doing ALL my work by hand. I literally wrote three copies of my first novel out by hand (it took FOREVER). Now that I have a laptop, it's a lot easier, but I definatly go back to writing in hand some times because that's how I learned to write originally. (Plus I have neat writing, so that's probably why I like it)
I also write like random pieces,and they give me inspiration somehow. If I’m given a plot I’m not good at writing it as I find I just want to follow what I’m thinking of,which is why my plots are usually tiny and really rough...and usually end up not being used in the stories xD
I use different fonts for different stages of editing. Being dyslexic comic sans is a godsend. Open dyslexic font is also great. I like to print and line edit. But I leave different parts of my digital manuscript in different fonts indicating what level of editing there in.
I love handwriting for zero drafting and I take the handwriting material and dictate into digital with dragon natural speech. I end up editing as I dictate. I write a more casual style when I hand-write. This is because I spend 8 hours a day writing very formal reports at work. Iassociate typing first drafts with the formal reports I do it work.
Handwriting also gets me away from my desk and into a more comfortable place to sit. I don't have a stand-up desk but I can dictate standing up at my desk.
Yes, as a fellow dyslexic I also find Comic Sans much easier to read than most fonts-- and that made me like it. (since, readable > not readable)
Seems like she's describing a very visceral reaction, I don't think most people hate it so much that it hurts them-- but probably most people aren't like us and actually find it easier to read than normal.
Oh and hey, you mentioned that you tend to have "messy copy" - I was curious, could you take us through a section of a story you're working on, like a few pages that you're editing or finalizing? I think it'd be very interesting and beneficial to see your process and how you refine to the point you're getting it ready as suitable copy. Hopefully that makes sense!
I write school related things in comic sans before formatting it correctly. But for my writing, I like to use a different font for every different story, just whatever I'm into at the time
I used to do that! (before I found ride or die font, garamond)
Oh I looooove writing by hand, but I think it stems from not having a computer until my late teens so I always wrote that way as a kid and I felt my most creative during those years, so writing by hand really takes me back. Plus I typically write in a linear way, so it works for me as I'm not lifting & shifting huge chunks of text. It does have drawbacks though, namely the fact that sometimes your brain moves faster than you can hand write, so you hold yourself back a bit, and of course the time taken to type it up (though it does give me chance to edit as I go, which I consider a plus). I recently invested in a Remarkable though, which is a great tool for any hand writers out there - it's like a non-backlit paper white tablet which is literally just made for writing or drawing. Feels just like writing on normal paper, not laggy or strange at all. Great for not wasting tons of paper and it has a handwriting to text function which is pretty accurate, so I can now convert all my writing to text quickly and then just edit the odd error. Great to see lots of different hacks in this video - always interesting to hear how others find ways to practise writing.
Visualizing the scene is amazing. I do it all the time (in fact, that's one of the many reasons why I'm such a slow writer but improves my writing so much, it's crazy).
The part about writing in Comic sans was arguably one of the most hilarious moments in any video you've made. I rewatched it three times and laughed just as much every single one XD
Don't change Shaelin. You're amazing.
Haha I feel the opposite about handwriting. I associate it with writing in my diary where I have zero expectations for myself, so when I’m drafting a lot of the pressure lifts off my shoulders. These tips were really interesting, I’ll give some of them a shot!
I think lots of people feel that way! I think because I don't handwrite often it's not too natural for me, but that makes sense!
I don't write scenes by hand, but I keep a writing journal that helps a lot. Before i write i start with the time I started, and then after I finish I write the time again.
Then I jot down my word count for the day, and the total word count of my story.
Then I write down what I had wrote that day, and then any thoughts or new ideas I had that came to me during or after the writing.
I've been doing this since August and it helps a lot. Before the journal I wrote maybe once a week if that, but when I can look back at my sessions it makes me want to write more and now I write everyday.
I used to log my word count in a similar way and it made me really productive!
The Comic Sans hack is hilarious! I was laughing so much, how you explained it. :D Visualization sounds good. Writing by hand works really well for poems! At least for me. But I would never write something long by hand. Thanks for an interesting video.
I never heard of the unrelated dialogue exercise! I'm going to try it!
As for Comic Sans, I actually like it; this font feels easy on my eyes. This hack works well for me!
I'll need to change the font back to Courier New... But for now, it's much more freeing to type my screenplay like this!
I think it's because Comic Sans looks more like handwriting; whereas, Courier New emphasizes all of the formatting standards that come with a screenplay.
5:02 I kinda make the scene up as I go and sometimes I change them when editing cos I think other things would fit better
Edit: I sometimes picture it if I get stuck though
Love this video!! ✨
I wrote by hand before I started writing with computers and now my phone....non-smart phone.....What I did was to take a note book then rule lines with a black pen inbetween lines already on the note book to make the space between each line smaller....then I started writing with pencils such that when I look at my book develop it looked like a novel as the hand written words were small enough to compare them with computer fonts.....I wrote with pencils so that I could erase the mistakes I made.
I still use this trick today some times.....this was a trick I used way back in the 80's and 90's.....when I was writing mostly poetry.....this was because I sometimes could not get the Shell Petroleum Development Company diary my Dad used to have at christmas every year where he worked.....those diaries were the gold I sought after.....I could write smoothly on it's smooth pages and the spaces between each line on them were quite small.....small enough that whenever I wrote on the diary.....my handwriting were like the fonts of a novel written for example in Comic Sans.
I suggest you try it out Shaelin....using pencils after ruling the lines.....I know it's hard work ruling all those lines....or you could buy a special notebook with small spaces between each line and then write with pencils.....to see if your creativity shines through as your book develops before your eyes.
Kind regards,
Efosa Osakue Agbonson.
Shaelin, you are my comic sans spirit animal! How you worded your disgust for it matches mine so perfectly! I could never do that hack. Like you, I need to enjoy seeing the words on the page.
I already visualize scenes and write unrelated dialogue.
I can't game quite for long periods due to chronic pain, but I do tend to find hand writing my notes and ideas as well as physically editing by hand helps me best.
I'd try blindfolded writing once, but I suspect I'm too much of a control freak for that too work well for me.
3:01 I write by hand but I only write tiny bits at a time and if I do write for a while I get lost in the writing so much I don’t feel my hand cramping...until I wake up the next morning T-T and I sometimes type. I find they both work for me
I'm totally with you on writing by hand. I hate it. I also agree with visualization. Although I do it a little differently,. Since I'm a serious plotter I read through my outline and notes, for what I want to write that session. Then taking slow deep breaths I just let the images float through my mind. I don't filter them or try to force them, just whatever happens. This has two advantages. I'm relaxed when I start and it usually generates great ideas. As for writing with your eyes closed I'm not totally with you. I don't try to write an entire scene or spend the whole session with my eyes closed, but when I'm writing lots of dialog or intense action I'll do it for those parts only. As you said you can visualize better with your eyes closed and for passages like that this works well for me. I'm more focused I suppose. I would never try to spend a whole writing session with my eyes closed though. I should also say I can type very well so that helps.
Great post.
Your visualizing process sounds great, I'll have to try some of your tips!
I want to write a novel by hand tho faced the same issues you did. But I have an idea now! I'm gonna do the second draft on paper since I will get impatient and write it as concisely as possible.
I prefer to write in Times New Roman, or Liberation Serif. I prefer to read in that font and so I like to write in it.
I think the Comic Sans hack was some joke slamming that font.
Cate Cavanugh did the closed eyes hack by turning the font white, which I liked.
I think there should be more videos like this please. I found it to be quite helpful.
You should try the scriptwriting hack. Write your first drafts like a movie screenplay with fewer details and no camera directions. Then in the second draft, rewrite the scenes with more details.
Interesting, I'd love to try that one!
The only things I will do by hand is maps if the novel needs one, character outlines (so important information about that character), and if it's fantasy I will note the mythical creatures I want in the book. Other than that I type everything else. I used to love writing by hand and have many notebooks that are filled with stories, but since my stroke I have a really hard time writing by hand.
The dialogue excercise I actually use a lot without knowing, a lot of the time I write down random dialogue for my characters and end up putting it in my story
Comic Sans is my favorite font. I have ADHD and I hear its common for us to like it cause its somehow easier for us to read.
I use different color pens and pants it in notebooks.
15 mins later
"So I wrote only one page"
me: 👁👄👁
Omg, I love Garamond! Twins!
Thanks so much for suffering on our behalf :D Always very interesting content from you
I definitely can not write by hand whatsoever... my thoughts are going at such a quick pace when I have an idea pinned in my head that jotting it down with my hand rather than on a computer is way more stressful. I hate the feeling of not getting all of my ideas down for me to look back at. definitely agree.
For me it is actually the other way around, because I am faster at writing by hand.
Back when I was consulting there were times I had to write stuff humans would read, so I tried Dragon Naturally Speaking (this was '96 or '97). My computer was a touch slow and I had to stop now and then to let the software catch up. I was working on technical documents that were loaded with acronyms, which I tried to pronounce as words rather than spell out. I tried teaching the software my acronyms, which sorta worked. In the end every sentence was so loaded with errors (yet real English words) that if I didn't stop, backspace, and correct each error, by the time I got to the end of the paragraph I had no idea what the first sentence of that paragraph was supposed to say. Much faster to just type.
Visualization works for me also :)
I really wish I'd tried it sooner!
@@Reedsy Another one that I use when I'm writing a first draft, and starting to overthink is a mantra: "I'm creating raw material". I say this a few times to make me realize that I should just write and not hang up on small thing at this stage
14:34 i feel you. I wrote over my writing :(
This popped up in my recommended for some reason. tl;dr - To each their own, and people can change the more they try to break their deeprooted habits and thought patterns. Plus, trying to find creative ways to break patterns are sometimes fun in the era of stay-at-home-and-like-it. (I do. And I thrive in it.)
Thoughts: I write by hand a lot. And I do it because I grew up in a time with no electronics. Anyway. I still do so because at work - I can't just pop-up my personal Drive account or install anything that wouldn't be monitored. I suck at typing on touchscreens, because English is my third language and so on... But I get to have my planners/journals at work, because I'm mostly alone in my office box. And sometimes you just need to catch that zeitgeist of inspiration and jot down anything and everything mid-Teams/Zoom, while still keeping your job activity. I mean I wrote like... 60+ pages in three weeks by hand on my day-to-day pages because I became invested in the story draft. Anyway, that's probably always going to be my zero draft - where I don't get those stupid grammar mistake lines, where I can mix'n'match my polyglot brain into finding the right words. Sure, while writing it down you may get only 60% of the writing. But when you transcribe it, you're actually already editing if you go and add anything. You are reading it through and processing it for the second time. Just a food for thought.
Visualizing - I mean, I do it all day everyday. And yet I still have no idea what most of my characters look like. So who ever gets to read it will have to tell me.
Comic Sans - not a fan. I'm a font nerd too, but I've yet to find one that I love and would die for. I doubt there ever will be one. I mean, I understand why it is a hack. It's like listening to Mario Party music while writing essays or long articles. + I would never switch the font of my on-going WIP so that's where we're different. I'd pagebreak /make a new text file for it, switch the font there and after the exercise I'd switch it back and then do editing if any.
Eyes closed - I mean I can do it, because I've had to memorize two or three different keyboard layouts and it's no different that dictating for me (read: I need to think in English to type in English; I don't normally think in English).
Dialogue exercises are great if you really need them. I usually start building a scene from a dialogue, because talking is very important in a silent culture like mine. When we value silence, the words that are used need to have meaning. I think it stems from that.
Comic Sans: Several years ago I bought a programming book on the C language. Every programming book ever uses a mono-spaced font for example code. Every one, without exception... Except the book I bought used comic sans for example code. First, it's a proportional font, and programmers work, think, and even dream code in a mono-spaced font. Second, it's comic sans. I went to look for that book, but I can't find it on my shelf. Did I burn it? Throw it away? Probably not. I cherish books too much. But comic sans, so maybe I did.
maybe the no-look-typing hack is supposed to be done in a way more like writing stream of consciousness? like you just keep typing what pops up in your mind without backspacing? idk. this hack sounds really interesting to me but it sucks that i can't try it with my language (chinese) cuz we always have to pick words after typing the pronunciation, like some other eastern languages.
Huh. Up until now, I've been writing by hand, but that's just because it gives me time to think and allows me to see the whole page I'm writing on. With a scene, I can't see the whole page unless I want to squint at a screen (and squinting at something that emits light is never very nice of a feeling). Nothing to do with it being more 'natural'
So basically, the same kind of reason than the one that you line-edit on paper for.
Also, I tend to feel like typing up the whole thing afterwards allows me to change a lot more things because I'm sort of 'starting from scratch', to an extent, while if I just had the document typed up already I wouldn't re-type the whole thing and might not end up changing as much
It's not for everybody, and that's fine
I comment on and rate the hacks (years late). I call zero neutral, and add numbers based on added value to the writing process.
Hack 1: Writing by Hand?!? This sounds like a hack for people who feel like computers and typewriters are still new. Kinda like commuting on a horse because because you don't want to learn how to drive (but somehow you can ride a horse). Seems irrelevant in 2023. (0 out of 5)
Hack 2: Visualizing the Scene: Sounds like a great idea. Seems like the time spent would make the words flow easily when you start to type. Works for me when I do it. (4.5 out of 5 - same as the video)
Hack 3: Comic Sans: WTF. I get this as a way to turn off the inner editor while drafting. (0 out of 5)
Hack 4: Writing With Your Eyes Closed: What possible value can come from multiplying the number of typos and errors by an order of magnitude? Loved the hilarious example in the video, though. (0 out of 5)
Hack 5: Dialog Exercises: Neat idea! Have never considered this. What a cool way to get to know your characters and build up those dialog muscles. (4 out of 5 - same as the video)
I think I'm gonnna try the pre visualization/meditation and the eyes closed hack, I just feel it can work for me. If you make another video like this you should try "the most dangerous writting app" on a web browser, it has been very effective for me in terms on writting a first draft. Thank you for the advices, you're very good at teaching and nice outfits btw.
I have heard so much about the most dangerous writing app and have been terrifying to try it. This might be the time.
@@Reedsy well you can always type a letter and backspace it, it would not delete anything of your progress but the time will pass though. It's like going out jogging and still keeping moving when reaching a pedestrian redlight.
The closing your eyes and visualizing the scene might be even better if you just talk into a voice recorder instead of typing, then transcribe later. Then you don’t have to deal with typos but still get all the benefits.
I should definitely try that!
Not surprised the writing hack didnt work for you. Its not about some mystical vibe of olden times. Its because those of us who grew up before computers worked on paper in school. Its how we learned so its ingrained in us. I find that I think slower when writing which can be wonderful at times, frustrating at others
I've tried to use comic sans, but I looked at it for like a minute and realized my vision might not let me. I personally prefer Verdana as it is bigger than other similar fonts when set to the same font size.
Keep doing what you're doing ... I say to Shaelin, and Reedsy. :)
My best hack is to write twice a day. Instead of write for 4 hours straight, I always rather write 2 hours in the morning or afternoon and 2 hours in the night. In the second session (the night one) I am prolific as hell. I recommend.
I also find that works really well!
I have been having a lot of trouble with a very seemingly simple issue, which the internet has been useless for. How would one describe the sound of a snake in sand or something similar?
... should have added about the font challenge "And I had three near-death experiences in the week after I tried it ..."
I only write by hand when I'm at work or out somewhere away from my pc & come up with an idea. Aside from that writing by hand is not my favorite thing either.
FYI only, the sweater at 8:00 does make you look about 20 lbs. heavier. Love your videos I'm going through all of them. I write in Garamond or Times New Roman. If typing is not your strong point possibly voice to text?
Writing late at night is my thing, because I'm sleepy so I can't get distracted.
Dude, I was thinking comic sans was some bizarre and unreadable font by the way she was talking about it. XD
Huh. I like comic sans - but heck, I really don't see how changing your font to something supposedly 'ugly' would improve anything. If anything, wouldn't it make things worse? This sort of thing is typically what distracts me so much that I can't concentrate
Wait, i didn't know you had two channels??
V8 vegetable drink, at room temperature, with enough Tobasco sauce to make it _almost_ undrinkable.
What it does for me is signal that it's time to stop watching RUclips (or whatever) and start writing. Also _almost_ too much Tobasco keeps me from chugging all the V8 within the first 10 minutes. One sip and "Ohh, it burns so good." Then I put the glass down and write some more.
Shaelin's Comic Sans PAIN though...I am so sorry
Your Comic Sans is my Courier New
I kind of disagree with you on writing with hand like i write all my stories with hand i think just becuase i am young meaning i dont really use devices to write as in primary school you need to write things by hand
Wait WHY DO YOU DOUBLE-SPACE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Why the double-space
This is another reason my first drafts are on paper - so I can cramp everything together (I also tend to write really small). Double spacing is my nightmare
Instead of typing with your eyes closed, you could talk to text it instead.
i love comic sans - i hate cheese
No offense, but I do find it bewildering that people can have such revulsion for writing in A PARTICULAR FONT. I mean, sure, writing with the blood of babies on a page made of human skin, I get THAT being a horrible experience, but... using an ugly crayon font? Maybe it's because even Comic Sans looks neater and more legible than my own handwriting!
I’m distracted by how gorgeous you are.
You don't hand write? Any of you who claim to be writers without hand writing, you not writers.
Saying it's hard to move things when it's hand writing is ridiculous. It's called a circle and combined with an arrow, all things are possible.
@@skaetur1 If you like writing by hand, that's great! But it does create a much messier draft if you are, like me, someone who is constantly rearranging things as you write. It might be possible, but for me that didn't mean it was necessarily convenient or helpful! Plus the amount of effort it took really detracted from the quality of my work, so it's certainly not for everyone.
It also adds a whole extra step of transcribing and possibly additional errors. It's not the method that makes the writer but the completed words on the page.
Some one us kinda moved on to online docs. Easy to manage and edit...
@@Reedsy I find it easier to rearrange things with circles and arrows. When I see the text on the screen my mind can't play around like I can with the paper pages and pens in my hand. I wish I could use all that grammerly and scrivener junk, but I guess I'm too old. :)