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?) 

      
        

23 comments:

  1. 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?

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

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

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  3. 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. :-)

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

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  4. 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!!!!

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

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. 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. 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...

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  7. 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.

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

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  8. 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!

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

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

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

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

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

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  11. #2 Pencil...I make a lot of mistakes!

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

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

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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  13. 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. :)

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Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by...