Writing Tools

As writers, so many of us have to have our writing tools; otherwise, we put off committing to our pages. In college, when I first starting writing seriously, I used to draft my stories longhand, on notebook paper and with a blue Bic pen (Hey, I was in good company--Vonnegut and Hemingway). I like the feel the contact of the pen on the paper, and when I am writing in a journal, I still prefer this.

However, as I've matured in my writing career, my thoughts now flow faster than my writing speed. Thus, I now prefer using a computer to work on my novels. I own two computers, a desktop and a notebook. The desktop sees the most use while I enjoy the portability of my notebook. My notebook, which will never be allowed to visit the Internet, serves as my backup computer. It's essential to have a spare computer--computer problems, such as the serious virus my old desktop caught two years ago, may mean a lengthy repair wait and much frustration.

And flash drives are genius! They're reliable, portable, and provide writers with ample storage capacities. I own two. Since I'm a bit paranoid and overprotective of manuscripts in progress, I keep my writing stuff on one drive and my work-related stuff on the other.

Regardless of the writing tools we use to create, the point is, we should use the tools that suit us to find those ideas, sentences, and words that make our works uniquely our own.