| Writers don't make much money, unless you look at | | | | from my pen thins, and this happens after a few |
| the big honchos like Stephen King. | | | | days or weeks, I don't try to squeeze out every last |
| Fortunately, our craft, profession, vocation, calling or | | | | micro-drop. I toss it, and reach for a fresh spare. |
| whatever it is doesn't cost much money, either. | | | | Nowadays, I buy 36 pens at a time at the corner |
| Most of us have invested in some degree of | | | | office warehouse store. They're cheap, costing about |
| automation, including a laptop. A few "speak" their | | | | 45 cents each. But it feels nothing less than luxurious |
| prose into voice recognition software, but I think this | | | | to pop open a new one and to let the ideas flow |
| is rare. | | | | from it in lavish, lush lines. |
| Others prefer to go retro, using Remington | | | | I may not have finished a full spiral pad when I reach |
| typewriters with or without carbon paper. | | | | for a fresh one. I don't like filling them up completely, |
| And there are more than a few who write with pen | | | | for some unknown reason. For three or four bucks |
| and paper. | | | | each, I don't have to have deep pockets to indulge |
| For day to day note taking, I keep a journal, a spiral | | | | this luxury, either. |
| bound pad of about 180 pages, which of course can | | | | I read somewhere that comedian Jerry Lewis used |
| be transformed into 360 pages simply by using both | | | | to change his shirt up to a dozen times a day, when |
| sides. | | | | his career was going great guns. Some people |
| And I use roller-ball pens, disposables, either in | | | | thought this was eccentric, to say the least. |
| medium or fine point. | | | | Not me. |
| To me, there is nothing quite as pleasant as having | | | | Fresh "tools" of your trade are not only fun but they |
| lots of fresh pens and a few fresh pads available at | | | | can help us to feel motivated and more productive. |
| any given time. Literally, when my supplies are fresh, | | | | If that's where we find inspiration, who is to say |
| I find my ideas are, too. | | | | we're wrong? |
| The obverse applies, as well. When the flow of ink | | | | |