Pen Survey - does anyone use them?

[Larry Hartle]

A little off topic, but my writing and wood turning cross paths when I build a pen.

Leading me to question - Do writers use a pen/pencil anymore? 

Most likely use might be drafting ideas or a Journal. 

Ergo Survey for writers' group.

What best fits you? Appreciate responses.

1) Drafting Ideas - A B C D E

2) If you maintain a Journal - A B C D E

 

A) 100% hand written.

B) 75% hand written.

C) 50% hand written.

D) 25% hand written.

E) New age, little or no hand written work.

 

Thanks

Larry

[Peter Svoboda]

Peter Svoboda

 

Drafting ideas - 20% of time use a pen

Journal - 10 % of the time

You should connect with Hubert Matson on this site. He is actually a member of a local Pen Club.

 

I am interested in the local turners club - how many people are in the club? Where do they meet?

any other info ?

 

Thank you,

 

Peter

[Ellen Gerberich]

Hi Larry,

Well, I am going to have to say drafting, A, when an idea comes I still rely on the pen.  My typing skills are suspect and in no way can my fingers keep up with my thoughts.  When it comes to my journal I'd go with, C,

because it doesn't have to be scribed as quick.  Pen,pencil,marker,crayon what ever is handy when an idea strikes

as long as it writes I'm happy:) It will be interesting to see the outcome of this survey.

LN

[Hubert Matson]

Hello Larry,

Your survey is quite interesting to me, as I've been a writer (used to get paid for it too!) since 1980, and branched out into graphic design in the 1990s. I've worked as a newspaper journalist/editor, advertising copywriter, and print publications specialist in the engineering and healthcare fields.

 

With the advent of the computer word processor, my writing (Q#1) consists of mostly jotting down ideas so I can expand upon them later. I do keep a notebook (several clutter my home office) with creative ideas and sayings/concepts, etc. that pop into my head.

 

I am also five years into writing a book about my experience as a transplant recipient and the things that happened along the way. Most of this book is in sometimes thorough, sometimes quite sparse, hand-written notes that I am delinquent in transcribing and molding into a viable story.

 

I collect pens, a weakness that is very hard to shake. I have lots of pens. . .fountain pens, ballpoints, gels and  rollerballs. My focus is mainly on USA-made pens, which are becoming harder to find without paying a steep price. Cross, Parker, and Sheaffer ballpoints make up the bulk of my collection. But I also have Lamy, Pilot, Pelikan, Waterman, and Rotring pens, and that does not begin to count the fountain pens that I also use.

 

Trouble is, I am vastly more productive in actually writing with a word processor. And since the computer is how our words are shared today (and less by paper, the medium I'm most familiar with), and serves as its own magnificently efficient filing system, my pens are now most often brought out only when I'm in a particularly unhurried, creative mood. 

 

But I'll find any excuse to feel the touch of pen to paper, if only to write down stuff such as "Once you find out just who I am, please tell me...".

Hubert Matson March 3, 2011

[Larry Hartle]

Hi, thanks for reply 

I have a nerve problem in right hand and do little writing by hand either. I do most of my hand writing on scrap paper -grocery list - notes - ideas when not near PC. Besides that, my work conditioned me to use cell for scheduling and notes, PC for reports, etc., anything I wrote had to be typed afterward, why do it twice?.

I have a friend in Camillus that has been into the older collectable pens for many years, buys, sells and repairs them as a hobby. 

I just build ball point pens with wood or other materials.
cu

Larry
Hubert Matson said:

Hello Larry,

Your survey is quite interesting to me, as I've been a writer (used to get paid for it too!) since 1980, and branched out into graphic design in the 1990s. I've worked as a newspaper journalist/editor, advertising copywriter, and print publications specialist in the engineering and healthcare fields.

 

With the advent of the computer word processor, my writing (Q#1) consists of mostly jotting down ideas so I can expand upon them later. I do keep a notebook (several clutter my home office) with creative ideas and sayings/concepts, etc. that pop into my head.

 

I am also five years into writing a book about my experience as a transplant recipient and the things that happened along the way. Most of this book is in sometimes thorough, sometimes quite sparse, hand-written notes that I am delinquent in transcribing and molding into a viable story.

 

I collect pens, a weakness that is very hard to shake. I have lots of pens. . .fountain pens, ballpoints, gels and  rollerballs. My focus is mainly on USA-made pens, which are becoming harder to find without paying a steep price. Cross, Parker, and Sheaffer ballpoints make up the bulk of my collection. But I also have Lamy, Pilot, Pelikan, Waterman, and Rotring pens, and that does not begin to count the fountain pens that I also use.

 

Trouble is, I am vastly more productive in actually writing with a word processor. And since the computer is how our words are shared today (and less by paper, the medium I'm most familiar with), and serves as its own magnificently efficient filing system, my pens are now most often brought out only when I'm in a particularly unhurried, creative mood. 

 

But I'll find any excuse to feel the touch of pen to paper, if only to write down stuff such as "Once you find out just who I am, please tell me...".

Hubert Matson March 3, 2011

[Larry Hartle]

My job experience made me a cell phone/PC junky, so my info pulled down avg. % of both.

The most hand writing I do is in my fishing diary.

I guess the pen still has some life

As I was a # jocky at work

Here is my estimated results

* All members replied - thanks

Hand written averages:

Drafts - 43%

Journals - 24%

[Ellen Gerberich]

Yeah, It looks like pen & paper are in a race for there lives.  Although, I still just like the feel of them in my hand. Kinda like books computers seem to be taking over but it's hard to curl up with one. LOL

[Hubert Matson]

When my thoughts come fast and furious, a keyboard is the only way for my words to keep up with my mind and get complete thoughts down. When I have more time to think of what I want or need to say, a ballpoint pen (or gel, or whatever) are called into action. When I want to be really creative and off the wall, I ink up a fountain pen and slowly pull out my thoughts and express each word with deliberate care and style. But when I need to be legible, I print...

 

Ellen,

There will always be pens and paper for us to enjoy! They are becoming more of a niche with computers usually winning when speed is critical. I can live without a computer for a while, but I ALWAYS have a pen with me.

Hubert

[Larry Hartle]

Don, NIce job.

I am not much of a writer, maybe I can be the group's theme director :>).

Second time a member has amazed me with their creativity, in a short amount of time. 

For now, I have a turning challenge and will be spinning wood for a few days.

cu

Larry

[Hubert Matson]

Pen turning is quite the skill...one that I wished I possessed. But I learned long ago that I'm a user of the tool, not a craftsman of the medium it comes from. In other words, I can't carve a piece of wood to save my life! A shame, because my late father was pretty good in creating functional items from wood. I still have the workbench he made for me a few years before he died. Dad made lots of workshop tool stands and useful things for around the shop, but he also made shelving, and functional, if not fancy, furniture pieces for our home for as long as I can remember.

 

Growing up, I watched and tried to assist him many times in his shop, but never developed the skill or dedicated interest in becoming a woodworker. I have always admired and sought nicely crafted wood items of all kinds. A Louisville Slugger baseball bat is something I'm going to get someday to replace the bat my brother and I grew up with. I own one hand-crafted wood pen I purchased in New Hampshire, and it sits in a case getting occasional use when I need a special tool to pull some smooth syllables from the head to the page.

 

Wood turning and wood working in general is a skill to be genuinely admired. You take a medium that has no directions, little initial appeal (and often lots of bark still attached), and through vision and skill, transform it into a beautiful pen, baseball bat, table, clock or whatever. That is the beauty of wood, which is only fully realized through the hands of the woodworker, an artist in an amazing medium. I know I can't do it.

 

Hubert

[Marcia Wisehoon]

I am new to this posty-forumy thing, but I do love to write.  Have poems dating back several decades and much in between.  A trained typist, the computer is easy for editing and polishing, but the incubative process of pen and paper is much more fun.  I do have a friend who doodles with the Draw program in Word, along with his computer text development.  I'd say he's a step ahead of me.  In the realm of the physical act of writing, I'm amazed by the development of rollerballs and gel pens.  I marked and notated an entire book with a gold ink gel pen, along with trailing ivy and clouds embellishing my marks.  Journalling is very sporadic with me -- some languishing blogs exist in googleland -- but my most cherished is my Mother's Journal, chronicling, well, motherhood.  I also love to do calligraphy from time to time, adding art to the art of writing.

[Larry Hartle]

Welcome, You touched on a new aspect to hand written work, particularly if it was done by someone within your family or a close friend.

That is; Hand written work is a liitle more personable.

Your holding something they held and produced with thier own hands.

Honestly, prior to finding a few of my great grandfather's journals, I had not thought of him, one way or another (he was only a guy in an old photo).

Years ago A great aunt died and my grandmother got some boxes from aunt's estate, inside one we found great grandfather's journals. Holding the journals and Reading them, Brought him life like the photo never did. 

They say a photo is worth 10,000 words.

I say, I only saw the physical shape of a stranger in his photo, I began to my Great grandfather when I read his journal. 

5 of his annual journals were worth 10,000 photos.