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The Lowly Pencil as an Antidote

Buddhists use the expression ‘monkey mind” to refer to the habit of the human mind to wander. Monkey mind is the very opposite of the single-mindedness required to write coherently. Monkey mind is when you are supposed to be writing, but find yourself jumping up to do chores, prepare a cup of coffee or tea, or play with the cat.

The antidote I suggest may surprise you. That is to turn away from the computer and pick up a pencil (or pen). Start writing things out longhand on a yellow legal pad. It’s old fashioned but effective, possibly because it engages more than one of your senses. I have written several textbooks. When I am writing, I start with a handwritten draft to get my thoughts in order and then move to the computer. This experience of having part of your attention districted to your hands, leaving your brain to focus, is a bit like what happens when you are driving. Some report this experience with knitting.

The author of a four volume biography about Lyndon Johnson is an example of a scholarly writer who writes the first draft out long-hand on a yellow notepad. A page handwritten and single-spaced produces contains about 250 words. That means that for this project alone, the biographer, Robert Caro wrote about 750,000 words out by hand! That would require 60 note pads. In his book, Working, Caro maintains writing long-hand helps him to concentrate. The next step is to type it out on the computer, making revisions as you go.

If taking up the pencil doesn’t work for you at first, slow the pencil down even further. Push down on the pencil and really concentrate on how each letter and word is formed. Drag your pencil as you form each word. This slows the process down enough that it seems to create a pathway to a part of your brain that is working along on a different track.

For a blog post of interest to novice book writers see “Laying the Foundation for an Academic Textbook: Testing for Audience.

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