Writing and Better Work

Did you know that when Paul Lauterbur thought of the first concept for the MRI machine, he sketched it out on a restaurant napkin? And did you know that J.K Rowling first scribbled down the idea of the Hogwarts houses on the back of an air sickness bag?

Quentin Tarantino writes all his screenplays longhand. At the start of each project, he buys a specific notebook and pen. There’s also Tinder CEO Elie Seidman who swears by pen and paper.

Stephen Moore writes:

It might sound impractical — archaic, even — but if you’re struggling with productivity or creativity, it might be time to grab a pen and paper, and let your brain flow out onto the page. I’ve been using the old-school tools, and sure, they can feel a little clunky. In my notebook, there are crossed-out words, lines, arrows, and mistakes everywhere. My hand cramps up every now and then.

And yet, the simple practice of writing longhand has done wonders for me and my work. It has given me an uncluttered way to connect with my thoughts on an emotional level. It’s also allowed me to study my own thought process — I can see how my ideas and thoughts formed, how I got from A to B. The scribbles, scored-out sentences, and underlined words tell their own story.

There’s also an actual science behind writing. MRI scans have revealed that doing this increases neural activity in some parts of the brain.