Writing on Anything at hand

I promised some of my postings on writing-related topics. Here's one originally posted on Lulu's "Creative Minds" forum, about whether I write everything at the computer...

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I wrote in notebooks by hand, or at the typewriter, before there were computers. Then I wrote 90% at the computer for many years, though I always have a notebook by the bed for any middle-of-the-night flashes.

Now with eye strain driving me nuts I've been trying to diversify. I've tried using my MP3 gadget for recording, but it's a different sense entirely -- it's most effective for capturing lists of things to do (which is the WORST poetry ever). Though I can sometimes catch a good poem that way, walking around the block.

One benefit of writing in some other medium first is that when I do finally get it into Word, I find myself doing an edit as I type, so it's a step ahead, no real time lost.

I also have Dragon NaturallySpeaking, which after a few weeks does a good job of picking up the words as I speak. So it's nice to close the door, close my eyes and just talk for a while. I find that work best (for me) for articles, or posts like this one. I don't mind fixing the few errors afterwards - it's still less repetitive stress than typing every single letter.