I’m a pencil fan when it comes to drafting written work. There’s that very satisfying feeling of erasing lines and lines and replacing them. Oh, it’s a lot easier clicking delete on the computer but I see the wisdom of handwriting drafts of any literary work. The slow processing of the words gives much time for reflection.
Pen Or Pencil?
June 13, 2019 by arlene
Some friends and I were discussing about writing. One of them is a published poet. We have different outlook when it comes to writing. Some prefer beautifully sharpened pencils, some use ballpens, a lot of us though write directly on the computer. We discussed the merit of keeping a journal. I told them I still have lots of blank journals which are gifts from friends. I am presently using a thick one and it’s just filled more than half. I am no longer into a regular journal writing. Most of the entries are cellphone numbers from friends just in case my CPs conk out, confirmations on online payments that I did through Bank of PI, one or two liners of thoughts that come to mind once in a while and a list of books that I want to read first for my yearly reading challenge.
I used to have lots of colored pencils and pens wayback in college. My written notes in Statistics, graphs in my Economics subjects, pie charts were all so colorful. Assignments and dates were written in red pen while I used black pens for written lectures. When I started working, I again learned to use a pencil.
One of my friends has this to say about using writing materials:
Have you ever tried chewing on an eraser’s casing at the end of a pencil? Have you ever tried snapping a pencil into two because you are pressed with deadlines and nothing good comes out of your head? Who hasn’t drummed a pencil on a desk because you can’t get the exact words right while you are writing? Ah, the days of glory for a pencil are gone now.
When I am writing a blog, I type directly in front of my PC, one or two reviews of words I have written then I hit publish. There is that inner satisfaction of seeing your thoughts in prints finally.
Pen or pencil?
I use both pen and pencil. Like you I often write directly into my computer. My computer is down now so these words are coming to you from my Fire tablet. It’s slow but I’m happy to be able to comment on blogs today.
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Sorry to hear about that. I hope it would be fixed soon. Sometimes it is nice to write on a pencil.
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I agree. It brings out a bit of creativity and often doodling. 😊
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Sorry to hear about that. I hope it would be fixed soon. Sometimes it is nice to write on a pencil.
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It depends on what I’m writing. If I’m writing a blog post I type right my computer. If I’m making a list I use pen. When I’m scheduling stuff I use pencil. 😀 But overall I love using a pencil.
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That’s nice to know Michelle. Thanks for commenting.
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Pen and pencil are no good for me. I can’t read my own writing! Give me a computer any day!
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So you also use the PC Anne, same here.
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Yes, you and I are alike in using the computer to write. It’s so much faster!
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I love writing with a fountain pen but make certain notes in pencil – the ones that may change or ideas that Need some work on! Xxx
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I haven’t used a fountain pen for decades Suzi. it blots the paper when the latter is thin. Thanks for the visit.
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I know what you mean! I use a Filofax and that paper seems good with my lamy ink! Xxx
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Sad, I don’t even know what Filopax is 🙂
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I like both, but my top choice is (or was) a nice quality fountain pen, using real ink. Having to use a proper nib makes you write more carefully, and think about how you are writing too. Sadly, I cannot write for very long now, since hurting my wrist a couple of years ago.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I still remember the Quick ink Pete. I used a green and blue ink when I was in college. I agree with you, our penmanship change through the years.
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I have terrible handwriting so computer is my savior. But while writing a blog, I need to write it with pen in rough. Somehow, I get better ideas when I am holding a pen 😀
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I smile at the thought of having our own preferences. Some prefer fountain pens.
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https://derrickjknight.com/2013/12/15/inky-fingers/
I prefer a fountain pen
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You’re the second blogger here who said they prefer fountain pens. Personally, I think fountain pens are messy. They blot sometimes. Thanks Derrick 🙂
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🙂
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Be it pen or pencil
My writing is horrible
Thus I prefer typing!
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Haha! Thanks for the visit Ishan 🙂
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Mine too!
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🙂
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I prefer typing… I’ve always written using a computer. I think better when I write in a computer. The last time I used a pen or a pencil to write big write-ups was when I was in college.
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Typing is neat and you can edit to your heart’s content. Thanks NJ.
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Yup….
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i like both! but i usually use the keyboard at work or when blogging.
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Same here Wilma, thanks!
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I’m partial to mechanical pencils! They never need sharpening. But I also use regular pens and growing up, we had fountain pens in school!
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Not used to mechanical pencils, they always break.
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Oh! Mine usually don’t!
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It probable takes a little more experience to use mechanical pencils without the lead breaking.
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I never liked writing with a pencil. I like pens, but I prefer typing. I was a newspaper reporter for a few years, in the days before computers, and we had to write our news stories quickly by typing them on a manual typewriter. My newsroom typewriter was made in 1928, but I loved it.
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Wow, it must have been lovely to be one. Writing through manual typewriters, it might have been a challenge for you too Deb.
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I loved my manual typewriter. It was much better than the electric ones that became available later.
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When I left the bank back in the year 2000, I was still using an electric typewriter and a computer.
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Like you, I have a stack of lovely journals, most from friends. Although I do have about ten complete journals (sure…filled over 5 decades), I prefer now to write on the computer. But I love to think about using a pen to write in my paper journals!
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Thinking of that too, updating my journals I mean but it is easier now to write on the computer. Sometimes I look at the blank pages and imagine them filled up with my thoughts. Wow, I envy you for that ten completed journals, I have about three, one is filled with quotations lifted from the books I read through the years.
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I still have a little black spot on my foot from scratching an itch with a pencil when I was in 4th grade! Don’t know what I was thinking. I like pencil for the crossword puzzles and ink for everything else.
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I used pencil sometimes to rub my back before….hehe!
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Who knows? You might have a mark there too.
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Haha 🙂
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I like the fountain pen 🙂 I use them and the ball pen to write letters to my aunt. My husband uses the pencil for crosswords. Nice post.
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Thanks Lakshmi. Glad to see you here 🙂
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