The Art of Writing by Christina Bywater
I love the actual process of writing.
What do you write on? I love heavy vellum paper, although ink will not always work well with textured paper. I find cream paper is easier on the eye than white. But depending on what I am planning, I ponder whether to use plain paper, dotted paper, lined paper? With margins to allow for notes on second readings? A4 or A5?
Do you have a favourite colour pen? I dislike black immensely. I think it looks too harsh! My favourite colour inks to use are purple and turquoise, hence the need to have more than one ink pen! It never ceases to amaze me just how long it takes to clean a pen of the residual ink!
How fast do you need to write? Some brains work so fast that their writing struggles to keep up with the thoughts racing to be born onto the page.
One of my friends has remarked several times that my writing is lovely but that I am a slow writer. I notice that she writes really fast, using a pencil, and seems to feel uncomfortable if she doesn’t have a pencil to hand whenever she needs to write. I have other friends who are happiest doing what I am doing now – typing their texts, and they are not in their element using any writing implement at all. Having worked in IT for a couple of decades, I know the vagaries of hardware and am constantly saving and printing off my work on the basis that “1’s” and “0’s” deposited on magnetic medium are not always recoverable once corrupted.
So how do you write? I would love to hear back from you about how, if at all, it has changed during your writing journey.
An interesting blog, Nina. I started writing or rather, scribbling rap songs in an old pocket diary, back in 1986. God poured these words into my head. I still have that shabby little treasure of a book. The first book that I wrote was scribbled in reporter's, spiral-bound notebooks and then typed up by my wife. Now everything is on screen and my brain now works faster to cope with the tech. I like the idea of a coloured pen though, I may use that for book signings.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear that, Brendan. I know what you’re saying about God pouring words into your head; I refer to it as being a secretary and taking dictation. Does that resonate with you? Enjoy choosing your pen and ink. Many blessings. Christina
DeleteGreat to hear that, Brendan. I know what you’re saying about God pouring words into your head; I refer to it as being a secretary and taking dictation. Does that resonate with you? Enjoy choosing your pen and ink. Many blessings. Christina
ReplyDeleteThank you such a lovely tangible piece to encourage us today when settling into some writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement Nicky. God bless the work of your hands today and happy writing ☺️
DeleteGreat piece, Nina. I love to write with a purple fine felt-tip pen in my journal the words i feel God is speaking to me during my Quiet Times. As a left-hander who holds her pen in a somewhat quirky way, I have never got on well with fountain ink pens of any kind. Words become smudges! But I do love stationery of all kinds. I am ridiculously protective of my four-colour biros! Today I have just started a notebook for a Lent series I am following. A great excuse to break out a new notebook.
ReplyDeleteRegarding handwriting styles, I learned classic cursive handwriting at secondary school. It became a little loopy and illegible over the years! So much so that when I was temping as an admin assistant at a newspaper in my student days, they begged me to start writing in block script. Even now, my handwriting is not great. I am faster on a computer keyboard. Yet the fact of writing with a pen on paper is a lovely creative experience. It feels quite different. Thank you for making us reflect on this aspect of the writing life.
Lovely post, Nina! i envy all of you with great handwriting. At best, I like to write with a pencil as I may not be able to read my own writing using a pen!My handwriting issues began when been flogged and forced to use my right hand rather than my left growing up. Thanks for the blessings of a keyboard which I mainly use for my writings. I have loads of scrap note books for all sorts that I use pen and pencils and have improved the legibility of my writing skills. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteI am completely with you Olusola...I was forced to use my right hand instead of my left!! Why did they do that, I wonder? Conformity even at a young age! However, I used to write with my left once I left junior school, until I dislocated my shoulder just before my mock exams and had to write with my right hand. Now I use my right hand unless I am tired 🤣
DeleteReally interesting. Made me ponder about my various modes of writing. I use a lovely ergonomic cartridge fountain pen for a morning journal - blue-black ink. But during the day, I use a peaceful-green single-use ink pen which I used to mark students' work when teaching full-time. Other than that it's random biros...and word-processing. Each for different reasons and suited to the task. But I like the idea that writing with a fountain pen makes you slow down. Thought-provoking. Enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteI love fountain pens, as well as gel pens. I don't write much by hand anymore, but your lovely blog has made me feel I should start again!
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