The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Tools of the Trade

       Everyone has their favorite tools. If you're a cook, it might be your KitchenAid mixer. If you're a mechanic, it might be your... well, I have no idea what it might be. A cool wrench? (Is that an oxymoron?) If you're a teacher, we're easy. A Sharpie. Some colorful post-it notes. It doesn't take much.


      And writers are no different. We have our preferences. Fat pens. Skinny rollerballs. PCs (the best) or Macs. Unlined journals. Notebooks with lines.

        I have a writing acquaintance who only writes with a fountain pen. For him, the audible part--as the pen scratches its way across the page--is crucial to his writing process. (No one ever said writers aren't a peculiar bunch.) 

       What are some of your favorite tools? Do you have a computer program that helps you as you masterpiece up your manuscript? Where do you weigh in when it comes to pens? (And if you're a mechanic, perhaps you could enlighten me?) 

       
        
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23 comments:

  1. joehApril 2, 2015 at 9:19 PM

    I just bought a swivel sweeper that is fantastic. It is so maneuverable you don't even have to move furniture, it fits everywhere and picks up everything.

    I know...pitiful right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:26 AM

      Joe--With that kind of tool, you could rent yourself out... ;)

      Delete
  2. UnknownApril 3, 2015 at 5:48 AM

    Nothing pleases me more than a Bic Click ever-sharp pencil, the little disposable kind with 0.7 mm lead. They last forever and don't feel as intimidating as red ink when I'm editing. Guess I'm pretty simple, huh?

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    Replies
    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:27 AM

      Theresa--I wish I could love a disposable pencil. I'm a pen gal all the way...

      Delete
  3. Cathy C. HallApril 3, 2015 at 6:25 AM

    I like extra-fine felt tip or gel pens in LOTS of colors--I use those for calendars and notebooks. But If I'm writing, or jotting notes, I like a pencil. Plain old #2, nicely sharpened pencil. And I don't use any of those fancy-schmancy writing programs.

    Um...I can't figure 'em out. :-)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:28 AM

      Cathy--I tried Scrivener's (spelling?) but was totally bamboozled, so I abandoned it rather quickly.

      Delete
  4. BookieApril 3, 2015 at 10:24 AM

    I used be able to write only with a #2 pencil, also for the feel and sound of scratch. However, I have made the transition to a keyboard now. An online dictionary and thesaurus are my favorite tools. Ah, the joy of instantly finding a word and hearing it pronounced!!!!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:29 AM

      Claudia--I agree. An online thesaurus is wonderful.

      Delete
  5. UnknownApril 3, 2015 at 3:30 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownApril 3, 2015 at 3:38 PM

    PC's are the best if you have a "live-in" tech support person with a lot of patience and a sense of humor. (Sense of humor as in... how the F did you do that.)

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    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:31 AM

      Michael--I made so many screw-ups on the computer, I have to rely on you at home and a work IT guy when at school. I'm pretty proud. Both of you have said to me, "How in the world did you do this?" It makes me feel special...

      Delete
  7. ValApril 4, 2015 at 6:52 PM

    I must have a desktop, a mouse, my BFF Google, and preferably no light other than the monitor.

    In a pinch, I can make do with copy paper (NO LINES!) and a black or blue or green Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball pen.

    Computer program? Hahahaha! It would be easier to teach my old dog Grizzly how to fly a 747...and he's been dead three years now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:31 AM

      Val--No light? So THAT is why your posts are so sinister...

      Delete
  8. Mary HornerApril 4, 2015 at 10:47 PM

    MicroSoft Word with a cup of tea keeps me going for a while. If I'm away from my computer, I have several pens I like, also the Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Pens, but I've found some others that work well for a nice change of pace. I am still a sucker for back-to-school sales in the fall where I walk up and down the aisles looking for just the right writing supplies!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:32 AM

      Mary--I am too. I'm like a junkie, scouring the aisles for the perfect pen.

      Delete
  9. Linda O'ConnellApril 5, 2015 at 8:43 AM

    Pilot roller ball for me, too. Especially in my writing journal.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:33 AM

      Linda--Roller balls ARE nice. (I hope you enjoyed your Spring Break.)

      Delete
  10. FireblossomApril 5, 2015 at 9:11 AM

    I'm fussy about my pens. Right now it's Inkjoy.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:33 AM

      Shay--I'll have to check out Inkjoys. I've never heard of them.

      Delete
  11. noexcusesApril 5, 2015 at 11:17 AM

    #2 Pencil...I make a lot of mistakes!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Sioux RoslawskiApril 5, 2015 at 11:34 AM

      NoExcuses--I make a lot of mistakes as well, but I just run a line through them, since I can only use pens.

      Delete
  12. Pat WahlerApril 7, 2015 at 2:24 PM

    Like you, I'm always searching for the perfect pen. Haven't found it yet.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

    ReplyDelete
  13. TammyApril 19, 2015 at 1:49 PM

    Sometimes I wonder how we ever wrote without computers. I know it was a huge challenge for a poor typist like me, and I couldn't do it without lots and lots of White Out. Now, give me my computer and sometimes a multicolored (or blue) Papermate pen. Or a blue Uniball Vision Elite. :)

    ReplyDelete

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