Writing on paper isn’t just a romantic ideal. The act of using a pen or typewriter can activate different areas of your brain, promoting better focus and creativity. There’s a reason why these sheets of thin wood pulp have endured thousands of years of use. Studies published in Psychological Science demonstrate that writing things down by hand help you retain and understand information better than if you type it out. So how can you reintroduce paper into your blogging workflow? Take a look at some of these techniques.
Find a Comfy Pen
Remember when your hand used to cramp up in grade school while learning cursive? Avoid those horrible feelings by finding a pen that fits your hand just right. This might be a cheap set of ball point pens, or you might want to even spend a little extra on a fancy fountain pen. The point is to find something comfortable, writing by hand should never be an arduous task. And who hasn’t been fascinated by the pens writers use?
Test out your newfound pen on a variety of writing surfaces, and find the most comfortable area in your home or remote office. Your arm should be relaxed, and you shouldn’t need to hunch over your paper. Try writing out a few blog ideas, or even compose an entire entry with your pen.
Get a Bulletin Board
This is a tried and true writing tool. Authors have long used corkboards to rearrange chapters, play with time lines, and gain inspiration. You can use a bulletin board to plan out upcoming blog posts, promotional events, and interactions. You just need some colorful notecards. Try to mount the bulletin board somewhere with walking room – pacing seems to help get those creative juices going!
Some people take a very linear approach to using a corkboard. Others prefer a more organic and chaotic layout. Basically, this tool helps you get a bird’s eye view of everything you’re planning to do with your blog space. This can help you action on your blog upkeep and tasks, instead of putting them on the back burner and forgetting about them.
Use a Paper Calendar
It’s hard to escape a paper calendar, unlike the hundred of to-do list and calendar apps available for your gadgets. We quickly grow accustomed to ignoring notifications and reminder emails. These alerts can fade into the background of our digital lives, preventing us from making our blog posts a priority. Instead of neglecting these tasks, start writing them down on a paper calendar, which hangs in a conspicuous area of your home or office.
Translate Paper to Digital
Paper isn’t an infallible medium. Some of the most valuable advantages to digital drafts are backups and the ability to work on them from anywhere. If you forget a paper at home, then you can’t access your ideas. And if you lose a paper before making copies, then the ideas are gone. Once you get your blog ideas out on paper, you should start moving them into the digital space. This is the next step in transforming a small blog idea into a full-fledged post. Don’t forget to also equip your home with a recycling bin, so that your discarded notes don’t pile up!
Writing by hand can promote greater focus and understanding. Tactics such as using a bulletin board and paper calendar can help you take control over your content strategy. If you ever find yourself stuck for inspiration, try some old-fashioned paper and ink!
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