Why, when I type all week at my job, do I actually drive to a cyber cafe miles from my home to type some more on a computer I don’t even own? I guess I’m a masochist. Every keystroke I make moves me one step along the game board of life to the little box marked “You have been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.” As a writer, though, I have the choice of using a pen the old fashioned way or typing.
I had recently purchased a Moleskine book (a distinctive brand of personal writing tools known as the choice of famous authors), and my first attempts to fill its pages with creative genius were attempted on the train between Philadelphia and New Jersey. Even with millions of dollars spent on improvements to the transportation system, the ride was still bumpy, and it showed all over those formerly pristine pages. I comfort myself knowing that if my notes ever get enshrined in a museum, they will certainly look like the authentic ramblings of a tortured soul. The truth will be that the bumps made the ink from the pen smear all over the lines, and I got some mid-air time off the seat during a few choice moments.
Naturally I don’t work on my major writing on a cyber cafe computer, but at least the inspiration I find online helps me when I am working. Both pen and ‘puter work fine for me, but I find the written word from ink more personable. Writing should involve some hand on pen contact, I think.
Susan's Scribblings the Blog 