Diary-Writing Off My laptop


I have just taken the first step to ending my over-reliance on writing on the laptop. A few moments ago,I bought myself a diary at Popular Book Store. I also bought two pens, two pencils, a sharpener, an eraser and lastly, a pencil case to keep all the newly-bought stationery. I will fill the pages of the diary with all ramblings and musings of mine. They will reflect the core of my mind and the depths of my heart. My thoughts tend to veer from hither to tither, and diary-writing can help organize anything that comes to my mind. It can also develop any inchoate idea of mine. Diary-writing is not new to me. I did it when I was a kid. However, I was not consistent in it.

You may ask me why I revert to diary writing? Isn't online blog writing more fun and convenient? My answer is I want to retrain my fingers for manual writing. They have become too weak to hold a pen because of too much typing on the laptop.I can't even produce a paragraph if you give me an hour to write a story or an article.I experienced that annoying helplessness during the most recent writing workshop I attended on 13 August. I believe I was the only one having trouble writing in pen. As far as manual writing is concerned, I cannot think as confidently as I do in word processing. It really grates on my patience.I am unable to get ideas from the Internet to make my writing more presentable. What I write will be messily-peppered with cancellations and omission signs. A lot of papers will be wasted because I keep crumpling them.There is no delete key to erase my errors without leaving a trace.The manual writing muscles in my fingers must have degenerated.How long have they been like that? I don't know. Perhaps five years. 2006 was the year when I became hooked to writing on the laptop.

From today onwards, I will write about what I think and feel in my diary.This is how I can practise manual writing to the greatest extent. I won't give up on blog writing though. The things written in my diary will be more personal and I won't divulge any detail of my entries.I hope I will stick to diary writing until the last moments of my life. Wish me luck.

Comments

Pak Idrus said…
Wish you luck... It is an almost impossible thing to do now. As for me I cannot even read my handwriting any more. Have a nice day.
August 27, 2011 at 7:58 AM
Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said…
You might be able to sell your hand written diary on paper and make a million dollars like Jane Austen's last novel.

I seldom write except on the white board for my students.

Writing on the computer is so much easier, you can edit and edit.

I did have part of my original manuscript on paper which I wrote 21 years ago.

I didn't realise writing is a form of hand exercise. My exercise is my 2 fingers tapping away, and I can type very fast. LOL
August 31, 2011 at 4:32 AM
sintaicharles said…
Thanks for your encouragement, Ann.
August 31, 2011 at 6:48 AM
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