forums.rs

Forums

Philosophia

Quick find code: 23-24-789-66256555

of 6
Philasophia

Philasophia

Posts: 501 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Kiwi Magic said :
Philasophia said :
Please feel free to elaborate in your own words.

Ok. I am actually a big fan of Stephen King, I have read dozens and dozens of his books but I read one of his few non-fiction books called 'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft'.

In this book he tried to explain how he mastered the craft of writing fictional books... sometimes very big books.

He said he would write with pen and paper producing a hard copy of his book, not to be confused with a printed copy before typing it out with a typewriter, and later on with a computer word processor, such as Microsoft Word.

I'm sure many other authors do the same thing.

Let me try this again...

What does the phrase "the best word processor is a pen and paper" mean to you. I'm curious to hear your reasoning. I am a light within the RuneScape forums. Not just any light, but the light of Diogenes searching for a single honest person.

09-Jul-2022 21:24:59

Kiwi Magic

Kiwi Magic

Posts: 21,563 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Philasophia said :
Let me try this again...

What does the phrase "the best word processor is a pen and paper" mean to you. I'm curious to hear your reasoning.

I guess what Stephen King meant by this is...

Well I have seen a few people try and write a book using a computer keyboard, and King tried to say he preferred to use a pen and paper for a number of reasons. For example he could see what he was crossing out, and circling to be able to edit his own work.

A pen and paper is not really a word processor, but I think you get what I mean.

Edit: 'On Writing' is really interesting and probably helpful if you want to write a book.
Make Your Own Magic

09-Jul-2022 21:50:50 - Last edited on 09-Jul-2022 21:55:29 by Kiwi Magic

Philasophia

Philasophia

Posts: 501 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Kiwi Magic said :
Philasophia said :
Let me try this again...

What does the phrase "the best word processor is a pen and paper" mean to you. I'm curious to hear your reasoning.

I guess what Stephen King meant by this is...

Well I have seen a few people try and write a book using a computer keyboard, and King tried to say he preferred to use a pen and paper for a number of reasons. For example he could see what he was crossing out, and circling to be able to edit his own work.

A pen and paper is not really a word processor, but I think you get what I mean.


Edit: 'On Writing' is really interesting and probably helpful if you want to write a book.


You say he could see what he was crossing out. Do you mean like this?
Also, circling... do you mean to serve the function of
highlighting?


When I type in a word doc. I often cross out material I think might be removed but is also worth considering later. Or I cut it and paste it into a separate word document.

Additionally, I don't see any functional reasons as to why the first draft of a novel cannot be typed within a word doc.

One of my favorite ideas within that book is this:

"While it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one."

I'm happy to elaborate on the above quote if you like but you might be able to derive what I would say from previous posts. I am a light within the RuneScape forums. Not just any light, but the light of Diogenes searching for a single honest person.

09-Jul-2022 22:53:45 - Last edited on 09-Jul-2022 22:56:14 by Philasophia

Kiwi Magic

Kiwi Magic

Posts: 21,563 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Philasophia said :
"While it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one."

You got me there girl. Yeah that was a good quote.

I guess its about the speed that one can write a book, especially a book of a thousand pages. And he can write books quickly.

And yes these days you can write a book without using a pen and paper.
Make Your Own Magic

09-Jul-2022 23:20:42

Liliest

Liliest

Posts: 192 Iron Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
"There is no outside text." - Derrida.

Oftentimes interpreted as "There is nothing outside the text."

Derrida is often tricky... Some use it to say "There is not objective world." Others use it to say "No text can be understood outside of context." Also, that context isn't necessarily bounded to let's say the confinements of the literary text itself. You have to consider the cultural context within which a text was formulated as well. This seems obvious now but if you point it out to people with examples they often dismiss the idea. A truth that's told with ill intent beats all the lies you can invent.

10-Jul-2022 22:22:14

Philasophia

Philasophia

Posts: 501 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Kiwi Magic said :
I dont think there is any more I can say to you. I dont think you understand. And that is ok.

But carry on with your thread.

You're trying to say that people can handwrite a book faster than they can type it?

Avg adult handwriting speed is around 13 wpm.

Avg person types 40 wpm. I can type around 70-80 wpm. There's no way I'm writing 80 words per minute by hand.

Look, I'll make you make a valid case for an appeal to traditional methods over contemporary ones.

You might say... "Writing with pen and paper may appeal to nostalgia and can thus be emotionally beneficial for some. Furthermore, if you're writing a book that takes place in an earlier period, it might be worth creating a setting for yourself that fits the mood. This might look like handwriting your prose in a candle lit room. You may lose some speed but it could be for the benefit of inspiration." I am a light within the RuneScape forums. Not just any light, but the light of Diogenes searching for a single honest person.

10-Jul-2022 22:45:30

Kiwi Magic

Kiwi Magic

Posts: 21,563 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Also there is something I have told most of the other people on this forum, my mother has been a librarian all her life, and she knows a lot about writing books.

I just havent told you because your a newcomer.
Make Your Own Magic

11-Jul-2022 00:13:02

Quick find code: 23-24-789-66256555 Back to Top