What are The Best Writing Tools? Pens, Pencils, Notebooks, or Computers?

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Hi, wordrights!

Okay, we're going into a controversial topic here! But it's a topic I think is important. I've always thought a pen and notebook was the best choice, but recently I heard a talk given on this very topic, and it established my convictions with scientific evidence. If you're interested, I suggest doing a little research of your own. It's very interesting!

Pencils or Pens?

Jumping in, I'll start with Pencils.

Though they are handy in correcting mistakes, equipped with their eraser, they cause many problems for most people. First, they cause Tired Hand Syndrome (I think that's what it's called) because the marks it makes is so light, some have the tendency to press harder. This causes their hand to tire out faster, especially in kids. Now you know why they always complain about their hands hurting when they're writing. Second, it is mentally distracting to correct a mistake. The brain has to switch sides, from right to left, make your hand flip over the pencil, rub out the mistake, flip the pencil over again, find where you left off, switch back to the right brain lobe, and continue. Doesn't that make you feel tired just reading that? Your brain is forced to switch between tasks, which lowers your creativity. Third, pencils make noise. That doesn't bother everyone, but for those who it does, they can no longer concentrate. When I use a pencil, my mind wants to focus on the sound and get rid of it, and therefore doesn't produce much creative material.

To be honest, I'm a little biased for this one. I use pens all the time! From schoolwork to writing my book draft, they're my best friends. Pens seem to have all the positives pencils lack. Because bold, thick pens are available, your hand doesn't have to press hard to produce a smooth, bold, black line. Satisfying. To correct a mistake, simply cross it out and keep going. This does not distract your brain as much as flipping a pencil over and over again, because it is so fast, and you can easily keep going. Your brain stays focused on the creative side. Pens also don't make noise. The only downside I can think of for using a pen would be crossing out your mistakes. This makes anything you write look sloppy, which makes it necessary to either type something up or rewrite it, if what you're writing is homework. But, since most things are typed up now, it shouldn't be a problem anymore.

Paper or Screen?

This is a little more complicated, and cannot really be supported by instinct and reason alone. According to research , students remember content better when reading on paper instead of a screen. Their comprehension is higher. They do better on tests. (www.uksg.org, hechingerreport.com)

Okay, so people do better READING on paper, but how does this compare with writing? Surely it makes no difference! Actually, you might (or not) be surprised when I say that people are more creative writing on paper than typing it up on a screen. There has been research done on this topic, not as much as reading on paper or screen, but there's enough out there to get an idea. This website does a good job of summarizing the argument for paper. The little research done illustrates that, when writing on paper, the brain automatically creates a ton of complex brain waves. This means that we are thinking better and are more creative. Writing on a screen just doesn't do anything special to our brains; it's just about the same as texting or jotting down a note for later.

Conclusion

Though it's not been popularized yet, using a pen and paper seems the way to go. The evidence is there, and now you must decide what to do with it. Sure, if writing on paper, you must then type all your pages up, but if you can produce better quality work, isn't it worth it? Let me know what your opinions are on this topic! And, as always,

Happy wordsmithing!