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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Soul Food

I've gone technical in a big way.  I love gadgets.  Three years ago I didn't even have a cell phone. Now I have a smart phone. I use it to coordinate schedules, listen to audiobooks, read ebooks,  play games, entertain my kids, and make grocery and to do lists. The number of lists I can have soothes my list loving soul.  I use it for pretty much anything other than making phone calls.

But...

I've noticed, when I'm stressed I still turn to pen and paper. There's something so comforting about carying around an assortment of scraps covered with a dozen or two lists.  About five years ago I forced myself to write on the computer until it became familar. Now I do most of my writing there. But I still carry around a notebook and pen everywhere, even in the house. Just in case I want them. I have a specific notebook I use. No matter how cute, I won't buy anything else. I also have a specific pen. You know I have problems when I throw away perfectly good free pens just because they aren't "my" pen.  And deep down in my soul I long for the day I can buy a fountain pen, even though I know they're expensive and impractical.

I look at tablets and laptops and pretty new monitors with longing, but it's not quite the same.  I guess for now pen and paper are still my comfort food.

Do you have a comfort food?

10 comments:

  1. 'I throw away perfectly good free pens just because they aren't "my" pen.'

    :)

    Girl likes.

    I guess my 'comfort food' is CDs. I have my collection in a shoe box on the floor board of my car.

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  2. There is something very special about pen and paper. For years, before I had a computer, I started all my stories and poetry by hand. Now, it's so convenient to do everything on the computer, but I miss the feeling that comes with writing by hand. It's very centering.

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  3. Yes, I have favorite pens too. I do like writing on the computer. My handwriting is too messy and I revise too much as I go to write by hand.

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  4. I have one type of pen that my left handed chicken scratch is more legible than other. I find my computer and printer invaluable now.

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  5. I still carry a pen with me all the time. Even now I write down ideas on receipts and napkins if needed. Neither of which makes for very good eating, but that's what pizza and crullers are for. :)

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  6. You know it's proven that putting pen to paper is actually therapeutic… much more so than typing on a computer. So this makes sense! :)

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  7. I'm a pen and paper sort of gal, too. Many scenes start as jottings and then I can translate them into full scenes. Finally they get to the computer. If I could start at the computer, I would. ;-)

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  8. I bet you can guess my comfort food. =)

    I'm totally a computer writer. I'll take notes on paper, but I can't take myself seriously unless those keys are clicking beneath my fingers. *shrugs*

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  9. I love my pens and notebooks as well--so much so that I usually write my first drafts on paper and then type it in later.

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  10. You can't tear me away from pen and paper. NaNo even has a Luddite clause for folks like us!

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