on writing implements and the writing process
It seems all my thinky posts these days are inspired by either something on the NYTimes or over on ushobwri. Today's is from the latter, and is regarding writing implements and preferred method for writing.
I used to do a ton of writing longhand; my senior year of high school I mostly survived by writing stories through all my classes and paying attention only when I had to. I was very particular about the type of pen and notebook I used at that point; it had to be a Pilot fine or very fine tipped rollerball in black. I went through so many of those, good grief.
The notebook, too, was particular to me. It had to be a hard-backed spiral-bound notebook with unlined pages. The hard-backed was so I could use it to write on if I didn't have a desk or table handy. The spiral-bound was so I could lay it flat or turn the cover or page back. The unlined…well, that's a bit more involved.
When I was fifteen and sixteen, I spent my summers at a camp for Jewish teens that I used to describe as Jewish high school for kids who actually wanted to learn. It was the most awesome thing, and every session you had a "major" and some minors, classes in all sorts of things. One session my major was social justice, another it was…I forget what else.
One of the minor classes I took was on creative writing. I wrote some truly crappy poetry in that class (I am not and have never been a poet) and some other stuff I can't remember now. But the main lesson I still remember from that class is one our teacher gave us on I think the first day. She said that we should never write on lined pages because they're too constraining. That if you use unlined pages, you can write however you want, halfway across the page or upside down or make designs or whatever, but lines confine you.
That's stayed with me. I still prefer unlined notebooks given the opportunity, which means mostly when I buy notebooks I end up buying sketchbooks because they're hard to find. I have found that if I do use lined pages they have to be narrow ruled, I hate wide lines. My handwriting is actually extremely neat and I think it's rather pretty--where this came from no one knows, as my dad has handwriting about as bad as a doctor and my mom's looks nothing like mine. But I like my handwriting, and I like that even with unlined pages I can keep my writing in straight lines across the page. I can just fit more on a page without lines than I can with lines.
In college, my best friend introduced me to the wonder of fountain pens, and hoo boy was that not necessarily a good idea because ouch pricey, but oh, pretty. I've had a few through the years, but the only one I can find at the moment is a very pretty purple pen with a fine point steel nib. I really like it, though, and I write with it given the choice.
If I can't use my fountain pen for whatever reason, I prefer gel or rollerball pens. (Usually by Pilot.) This isn't an ink thing so much as it's a hand thing; I tend to hold pens too tightly and use too much pressure and my hand gives out. Fountain pens in particular require a lighter touch, and gels/rollerballs are easier as well. I loathe ballpoint pens and only use them when I have no alternative.
I haven't been able to write longhand for a while because of the herniated disc; my left hand just wouldn't cooperate and I couldn't grip the pen or write more than a few words. (Dr. S's office gave me twelve pages of paperwork to fill out before my first appointment. It took me three days.) I'm hoping that now that my arm hurts less, I'll be able to write more.
Mostly these days I write on the computer, because it's easier physically and I can type quickly enough to keep up with my thoughts. I can't do that longhand. But longhand has its place, too, and I like it on occasion.
What do you use for writing, if you write longhand at all? Do you have preferred pens or pencils? Do you not care? Tell me.
This entry was originally posted at http://blueraccoon.dreamwidth.org/1264025.html. Please comment there. |
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I used to do a ton of writing longhand; my senior year of high school I mostly survived by writing stories through all my classes and paying attention only when I had to. I was very particular about the type of pen and notebook I used at that point; it had to be a Pilot fine or very fine tipped rollerball in black. I went through so many of those, good grief.
The notebook, too, was particular to me. It had to be a hard-backed spiral-bound notebook with unlined pages. The hard-backed was so I could use it to write on if I didn't have a desk or table handy. The spiral-bound was so I could lay it flat or turn the cover or page back. The unlined…well, that's a bit more involved.
When I was fifteen and sixteen, I spent my summers at a camp for Jewish teens that I used to describe as Jewish high school for kids who actually wanted to learn. It was the most awesome thing, and every session you had a "major" and some minors, classes in all sorts of things. One session my major was social justice, another it was…I forget what else.
One of the minor classes I took was on creative writing. I wrote some truly crappy poetry in that class (I am not and have never been a poet) and some other stuff I can't remember now. But the main lesson I still remember from that class is one our teacher gave us on I think the first day. She said that we should never write on lined pages because they're too constraining. That if you use unlined pages, you can write however you want, halfway across the page or upside down or make designs or whatever, but lines confine you.
That's stayed with me. I still prefer unlined notebooks given the opportunity, which means mostly when I buy notebooks I end up buying sketchbooks because they're hard to find. I have found that if I do use lined pages they have to be narrow ruled, I hate wide lines. My handwriting is actually extremely neat and I think it's rather pretty--where this came from no one knows, as my dad has handwriting about as bad as a doctor and my mom's looks nothing like mine. But I like my handwriting, and I like that even with unlined pages I can keep my writing in straight lines across the page. I can just fit more on a page without lines than I can with lines.
In college, my best friend introduced me to the wonder of fountain pens, and hoo boy was that not necessarily a good idea because ouch pricey, but oh, pretty. I've had a few through the years, but the only one I can find at the moment is a very pretty purple pen with a fine point steel nib. I really like it, though, and I write with it given the choice.
If I can't use my fountain pen for whatever reason, I prefer gel or rollerball pens. (Usually by Pilot.) This isn't an ink thing so much as it's a hand thing; I tend to hold pens too tightly and use too much pressure and my hand gives out. Fountain pens in particular require a lighter touch, and gels/rollerballs are easier as well. I loathe ballpoint pens and only use them when I have no alternative.
I haven't been able to write longhand for a while because of the herniated disc; my left hand just wouldn't cooperate and I couldn't grip the pen or write more than a few words. (Dr. S's office gave me twelve pages of paperwork to fill out before my first appointment. It took me three days.) I'm hoping that now that my arm hurts less, I'll be able to write more.
Mostly these days I write on the computer, because it's easier physically and I can type quickly enough to keep up with my thoughts. I can't do that longhand. But longhand has its place, too, and I like it on occasion.
What do you use for writing, if you write longhand at all? Do you have preferred pens or pencils? Do you not care? Tell me.
This entry was originally posted at http://blueraccoon.dreamwidth.org/1264025.html. Please comment there. |
comments