Compose with pencil and paper?

Question

I see many composers argue that one of the best ways to compose is with pencil and paper, without using an instrument. What is the process for composing this way? Does one have to imagine a fairly solid fragment of a melody, a motif etc and write that down? Or, you just write one or two notes at a time and experiment as you go, akin to writing a body of text? My questions are probably a bit abstract. I just find the idea of composing with no instruments, using only your imagination a great idea, but I fail miserably in it! The ideas in my head are hazy, and need insane amounts of concentration to come out. Also transferring anything to paper seems very hard, although I have trained my ears for years.

Answer 1

There's no 'correct' way to compose. Some people prefer to have what they hear in their head come on to paper without being influenced by the outside world - even if includes themselves on an instrument or a notation software. Other's, myself included, prefer to be able to hear our idea because sometimes it doesn't manifest 100% in our head the way it would if we played it.

This is simply a question of 'what approach works for you as a composer'. By all means, neither method is wrong. :)