The importance of Pen and Paper

                                 


I am reminded of a scene from the movie The Words. It's a story about a struggling writer that stumbles on a manuscript that changes his life. I recommend you watch it so I am not going to go into details about the movie but the scene that got my attention and captured the essence of a serious writer is when the old man comes over and asks if Rory could sign his copy of Rory's book. Roy searches for a pen but he doesn't have one on him. He asks the old man if he could borrow a pen from him and the old man looks at him a little surprised and says something along the line of  "a writer that doesn't carry around a pen?" Rory only replies "It's a reading day"

The old man so clearly distinguishes himself from Rory right then and there when they first meet that it hit home for me.

I think you can chose to write, but I don't think you chose to be a writer.

Being a writer means so much more than just typing a few words, it's a passion that knows no bounds. It's a form of obsession that takes over your whole life. It becomes such an integral part of it, that without it you won't function right. This is why what the old man said hit me so. If writing is such a serious part of your life you should take it serious, and to take it seriously you should always be prepared.

This is where the importance of pen and paper come in. You never know when ideas come, how big or how small, or how important they are. You could be on the bus, driving home from work, waiting for the doctor, on vacation, like me just about to fall asleep or even like Rory on a reading day. There is no right or wrong time for ideas to come, and they don't give you a notice before they arrive.

I always have a small notebook in my purse with a few pens that I take with me everywhere I go, even if it's for a quick run to the gas station and back. When I want to work on the novel I carry the main notebook with me in my purse.  Over the years I have come to feel naked if I don't have a notebook with me or near me at all times. In the rare cases I leave the notebook somewhere I at least have to have a pen.

Most writers will know the importance of writing everything down, even the smallest detail. I know we want to pride our self's on how great our memories are, but being realistic, with everything that is happening around us every day, how in the world are you going to remember it all.