Every Tool Has A Price

There are three main ways that I write things: pencil and paper in my notebook, typing on my computer, and typing on my phone. Each of them are tools to record the written word. None of them are good or bad inherently. They are tools, and each one has pros and cons.

Paper is an amazing medium to write on. We really have perfected it as far as I can tell. Handwriting is a process unlike any kind of typing, and paper is a medium that no digital format can ever really reproduce. Drawing characters, as opposed to pressing keys for them, is different, has a different effect on the brain and the body. Sometimes, I really feel like it stimulates thought more than any other means.

The costs of paper are many. It is fragile. It is not easily transferred to other formats. And it is painfully slow relative to typing. It takes hours to write by hand what I could type on a computer in minutes.

Typing on my computer is awesome. It is, without a doubt, the fastest way to create. The other nice thing about it is that as long as it is connected to the internet, I can be listening to music and doing quick bits of research as I write. It also has countless ways to transfer what I've written to other computers, and it's incredibly legible.

The downside of my computer is its portability. Although it's a laptop, it is a bulky one. It is designed for power, not mobility. So I really only use my computer when I am at it. And ideas do not always come so conveniently-timed.

My cell phone is actually in between the computer and the notebook. My phone has all the internet access, the ease of transferring written materials to other devices (like through emails), and the mobility so that I can write whenever and wherever.

The cost of the cellphone is that it is not particularly quick to write on (though probably faster than handwriting). It also is not the most pleasant experience. I am used to handwriting, and I am used to standard keyboard typing. I admit that I am getting the hang of typing on my phone's keyboard (thank you autocorrect for saving me tons of time and frustration), but I would still find it the least pleasant of the three writing styles.

Different tools have different purposes. I don't think any tool is going to be perfect in all situations, because situations themselves can be so wildly different. So acquire good tools, understand how best to use them, and know which one to pull out at a given time.