The unused pen...

I miss writing, and I am not referring to creating stories, articles, or other written works. I mean that I miss writing with a real pen; I miss putting words down on a real piece of paper and seeing what I've written right there in front of me in blue (my preferred choice of ink color). For me, writing with a pen is more natural than typing on a keyboard.
When I was young, I did not even use computers; in the mid-1980's, computers were a luxury that neither my family nor my school owned. Therefore, I would write all of my stories and lists and articles in a looseleaf binder or on a legal pad or in a notebook. My father worked for a printing company and would bring home extra supplies, so paper was never in short order at our house. We had pads of lined and unlined paper, piles of steno books, binders and looseleaf, all kept in a little cabinet in the basement. I can remember the types of paper I used to write my first stories. One story was about a family that found a little dog while en route to Alaska; it was written on fourteen tiny lined pages in a binder that could not have been more than six inches tall.
I kept a typewriter in the basement on a small table; this was where I would transfer my writings into a legible form. When I was nine years old, I started a community newspaper called the New Dorp Action. It was based on the happenings in my neighborhood. It included comics, recipes, contests, and reports of any gossip on my block. I was the managing editor, publisher, and head staff writer. A friend who lived next door was also a staff writer. I think I peaked at nine.
In any case, I've never become a very fast typer. Even through college and into adulthood, I would physically write everything down on paper, and then type it up on the computer. However, in the past couple of years, I've begun to write directly on the computer; it's less time-consuming and it's easier for editing purposes. Also, I don't end up with a heap of hand-written thoughts and stories that I claim I will type up later.
Lately, I've started to miss physically writing on paper. There is something about a pen and paper that, for me, lends itself to better writing. Maybe it is eccentricity. In any case, as of today, I am digging up all of my pens out of desk drawers and bags, and putting them back to work.

1 comment:

Paul said...

I think I know what you mean, though hard to say for sure.

I used to use pencil and paper for easy erasing - pre computer age. I delayed learning the computer as long as possible but really needed to as my rare illness progressed.

To my surprise, I ended up being able to continue writing creatively at the keyboard as well as doing editing-type work. At this point I can't physically handle hard copy at all...

If I could, I think I might be doing what you are for at least some of my writing. I really enjoyed the more varied tactile sensations and the more individuated work station that I had when working with pencils and paper.