From Neil Gaiman's journal, recently:

I went over to writing novels in longhand back in 1994, when I started Stardust, and liked it so much I've been doing it ever since. I don't think that much faster than I handwrite, and it makes me think a little more about each sentence before I write it. Also I enjoy the process of going from first to second draft, typing it in. I don't know that it would work for everyone, but it works well for me.

I'm thinking of trying this for the last 2/3 of my current novel, soon as I polish off drafting chapter six, the Chapter That Would Not Die. I wrote the opening to the novel in a notebook I'd bought for that purpose, but I'm such a techno-junkie I typed it in right away on the computer.

I like the idea of just getting up in the morning, brewing some coffee, and picking up pen and paper, as opposed to waiting a good five minutes for the old computer to boot up, then blowing five to ten minutes reading email and checking a Web site or three, then getting started. And the beauty of writing longhand for the opening draft is you can do it ANYWHERE.

Yeah, I'm seriously considering this. I spend all day at the day job in front of a keyboard and screen, so it'd be nice to get away from that while I'm doing my own writing. Maybe it would even inprove the chicken-scratch of my handwriting. Yeah, right!

Now, any suggestions for good notebooks -- I think the one I have now has too narrow of a rule. Or maybe I should go "unlined." Anyone out there write longhand? Tips appreciated! Later...