Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Tools of the Trade

Have you ever visited a bookstore and noticed all those lovely, and usually expensive, leather-bound journals? And there are lots of them with less expensive coverings but still very cool outerwear.  I love looking at them and bought one of the priciest for my daughter last Christmas.  She's filled it with private stuff and keeps it close as one of her more precious possessions.  My one son bought me a cool leather journal too and my daughter added a little moleskin journal too.  But do I use them to write stuff in? They're really too cool to use.

In a few short months, I'll be shopping with my daughter for supplies to start her college life with.  We'll visit the office supply store.  They make such neat paper clips and binder clips.  There are so many pens, I can never decide which to get.  And of course, there are lots of colors and widths of highlighters to select from.  Staplers, pencils, and spiral notebooks. And I always look at the envelops and I check out the legal pads. I debate between the different colors and then usually pick up yellow anyway.  I can't buy stuff for her without picking up a few little things for myself. 

But I have to wonder, what exactly do I need?  What writing tools are a must for my career? I still have a box of envelops from two years ago.  I'm not sure I'll ever use them all.  Paper clips? Still have some because I don't have that much paper sitting around my writing desk anymore. Pens and pencils? Still have those I picked up from last year.  Legal pads? Maybe one but it's not an emergency. I use them to jot some notes if I go to any kind of author talk but usually it just sits there.  Highlighters? Well, my children steal them off my desk but I don't have much use for them.

The tool I really need for my writing is my laptop.  I need the internet.  I need a few thumb drives to back everything up.  A few sticky notes to jot quick reminders on and I'm set.  The only time I've needed an envelop lately is to send a free book to a winner of a giveaway contest.  I remember when postage was one of my biggest yearly expenses when it came time to add things up for taxes.  And it's better this way. I save time and money by being able to do everything online.  But I do miss restocking my paper goods and replacing those pens. I don't miss standing in line at the post office.

So what tools are crucial to your writing? Do you miss anything about the way it used to be?

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Laptop definitely. But I still use notebooks and love buying a beautifully bound one. My excuse is that I have to have a notebook handy to catch my fleeting ideas!!! And pens. I love pens.

The Happy Whisk said...

Each spring I crack open a brand new yellow notebook. Then fall I crack open an orange one.

But that's for writing whatever, notes, cooking stuff, journal, anything really.

Love Staples and all those kinds of stores. As for what I need to write, my Internet-Free laptop and some paper, pens and markers.

I write long-hand and on the laptop. And I love, love, love my new writing desk.

Hope you have a Happy Spring :-)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

My wife has a thing for notepads, so we have hundreds. I need my computer, the Internet, music, my iPad (just because), and sometimes pen and paper. I usually hand write my blog posts first.

Jemi Fraser said...

I couldn't survive without my laptop - I use it for everything! But I adore school supplies and could spend hours and many dollars in those stores! :)

Unknown said...

Laptop is a must for me, though I wish that ye olde time journals were more commonplace for writing. One thing I miss is a proper, handwritten book like you seen in history movies. Good times :)

jan said...

When my seat goes numb from sitting too long in front of the laptop and I have to get up and move around, I keep a college-ruled tablet and a couple of pens with me. They go everywhere I go.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I love how so many of us still love writing some things longhand. Love those little tablets. If only I had time to get to all those ideas.

J.L. Campbell said...

Hi, Susan,

I found you through the A-Z listing. Dunno what it is about writers why we have a compulsion to buy stationary. I buy notebooks and lots of pens, but I don't think I'll ever be out of notebooks. They come in handy even when I'm doing revisions.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

So nice of you to stop by, J.L. I don't think I'll ever be out of notebooks either.

Sarah Tokeley said...

I love stationery shops, but I just can't justify buying anything any more. I do use notebooks quite a lot, but mostly just cheap ones. I have a lovely one that was a Christmas present but it's way too lovely to write in :-)