Writers' weaknesses
Happy Friday, everybody! I don't know about you guys, but this week felt like one "Monday" right after another. Long week. I'm looking forward to the weekend. ; )
BTW -- In case you missed it yesterday, there's a wonderful and fun review of Armed & Magical over at Enduring Romance.
Now on to writers' weaknesses. . .Writers are known for being a little obsessive -- okay, maybe a lot excessive. How else could a otherwise sane human being sit for hours a day, every day, for weeks/months/years, just to tell a story that's in their heads? There's plenty of things that writers obsess over, but one stands out for me -- office supplies. Is it just me, or do any of you writers out there get a little thrill just from walking through the front doors of Staples/Office Depot/Office Max? I'm not a shopper, in fact I hate shopping (and so does Raine, as you will find out in The Trouble With Demons). I can only be dragged into a mall when I desperately need something. I do not do recreational shopping. And when I have to go shopping, I go in, get what I need, and drag it back to the cave.
Except for office supplies. If someone needs to go to Staples, I will go with them. Not that they need moral support or a second opinion on a shredder -- I just want to go. My writer voice starts whispering: "You know there's something you need; you just don't know what it is yet. Go on, go, walk down all the aisles, it'll come to you." (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). So I go; and I love every minute of it.
What kind of office supplies do I go gaga over? Pens, of course. I buy them by the box now. My current favorite is the Uni-ball Signo 207, medium point, squishy grip, black ink (blue ink is just wrong to me). I tried the fine point version of this pen, but the coverage wasn't adequate for me. You know you're a pen nut when you reject a pen on the basis of "inadequate coverage."
I also love notebooks, anything to organize my desk or file cabinet, but my biggest weakness are briefcases/computer cases. I've given away a lot of them, but I still have too many. Of course my writer voice insists that I could never have enough. My most recent purchase is sitting next to me now. I couldn't resist it; I had to have it; it was on sale. I had resisted it and was walking toward the checkout with my other goodies, when my husband said: "You like it, go ahead and get it." I danged near tripped over myself snatching that thing off the shelf. And then when the cashier rang it up, it was 50% off the already reduced price. I almost did a happy dance right there in Staples. This bag is massive; I can put everything a writer needs in it.
I love it.
What are your writer-related things that you just can't resist?
Stop back by tomorrow for the Saturday Fun Pic, and I'll show you the "wall art" I made to help me do the final edits on Magic Lost, Trouble Found, before I started sending it out to potential agents.
Next week: that perplexing question -- to read or not to read while you're writing. Pros and cons. And more, of course.
Happy Friday (we made it)!
Lisa
BTW -- In case you missed it yesterday, there's a wonderful and fun review of Armed & Magical over at Enduring Romance.
Now on to writers' weaknesses. . .Writers are known for being a little obsessive -- okay, maybe a lot excessive. How else could a otherwise sane human being sit for hours a day, every day, for weeks/months/years, just to tell a story that's in their heads? There's plenty of things that writers obsess over, but one stands out for me -- office supplies. Is it just me, or do any of you writers out there get a little thrill just from walking through the front doors of Staples/Office Depot/Office Max? I'm not a shopper, in fact I hate shopping (and so does Raine, as you will find out in The Trouble With Demons). I can only be dragged into a mall when I desperately need something. I do not do recreational shopping. And when I have to go shopping, I go in, get what I need, and drag it back to the cave.
Except for office supplies. If someone needs to go to Staples, I will go with them. Not that they need moral support or a second opinion on a shredder -- I just want to go. My writer voice starts whispering: "You know there's something you need; you just don't know what it is yet. Go on, go, walk down all the aisles, it'll come to you." (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). So I go; and I love every minute of it.
What kind of office supplies do I go gaga over? Pens, of course. I buy them by the box now. My current favorite is the Uni-ball Signo 207, medium point, squishy grip, black ink (blue ink is just wrong to me). I tried the fine point version of this pen, but the coverage wasn't adequate for me. You know you're a pen nut when you reject a pen on the basis of "inadequate coverage."
I also love notebooks, anything to organize my desk or file cabinet, but my biggest weakness are briefcases/computer cases. I've given away a lot of them, but I still have too many. Of course my writer voice insists that I could never have enough. My most recent purchase is sitting next to me now. I couldn't resist it; I had to have it; it was on sale. I had resisted it and was walking toward the checkout with my other goodies, when my husband said: "You like it, go ahead and get it." I danged near tripped over myself snatching that thing off the shelf. And then when the cashier rang it up, it was 50% off the already reduced price. I almost did a happy dance right there in Staples. This bag is massive; I can put everything a writer needs in it.
I love it.
What are your writer-related things that you just can't resist?
Stop back by tomorrow for the Saturday Fun Pic, and I'll show you the "wall art" I made to help me do the final edits on Magic Lost, Trouble Found, before I started sending it out to potential agents.
Next week: that perplexing question -- to read or not to read while you're writing. Pros and cons. And more, of course.
Happy Friday (we made it)!
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
7:34 AM
11 Comments:
oooooooh office supplies :-) i'm a legal pad freak (no spiral bound notebooks for me) and i always buy those pilot gel ballpoint pens in every color they offer. i really want a fountain pen, buut they're expensive.
i read that review on enduring romance yesterday and it (of course) just made me more excited for the end of april :-P
I used to use spiral bound, but now I use those 5 x 7 notepads. I have a leather folder for them and it fits perfectly in my lovely new computer bag/pocketbook. The leather folder is black (of course), so I call it my Blackberry. ; )
I have to know if this has ever happened to you. I was writing a song this morning, and I thought I had hit a plateau, so I went and got in the shower, and while I was in the shower a really good line just came to me, and of course I had to jump out of the shower and drip water all over the place finding somewhere to write it down before I forgot it.
Got any similar experiences?
Oooooh. Office supplies. No jewelry for Valentine's Day for this girl. Just give me vu-binders. I heart vu-binders. LOL
Parker ball point pens. The ones that come in silver and various barrel covers. Medium point black. LOVE them. Sometimes they even make my scribbled notes almost legible.
Dayrunner planner pages. I use them to jot down ideas when I don't have a legal pad handy. Which is often.
File folders in cool colors. Like teal. And purple. And silver.
And printer paper by the carton.
I detest shopping for clothes, groceries, and just about everything else. But turn me loose in an office supply store and I'm giddy. The discount catalogs are fun, too. I could spend hours browsing for "stuff."
And Otto...YES! I always seem to have some of my greatest lightbulb moments in the shower or other awkward places where getting them down on paper proves a challenge.
Laurie, I hate shopping for clothes, shoes and groceries, too.
And ladies, THE BEST ideas come to me in the shower. Not the tub, the shower. I've told my husband that I have GOT to have some of those Crayola tub markers so I can write on the walls with inspiration hits.
My husband and I love shopping for office supplies. We also love shopping for computer stuff. We've built our own computers from the motherboard up, although not in many years now.
Clothes shopping? I can take it or leave it. It helps if I have a good friend with me. Otherwise, I get it done as quickly as possible. And shoe shopping is just a chore. Ranks right up there with purchasing a new frying pan.
Tia, building your own computer -- how cool is that! ; )
Ladies, it is SO nice to know that I'm not a female freak of nature because I hate shopping. I have never understood why women like to spend the day shopping for clothes and shoes -- and how they actually manage to have fun. Maybe the martinis at lunch makes it bearable. I dunno. ; )
Yes! I can't stand shopping, except for books. And steno pads. And mechanical pencils. And drawing pencils that do sparkly colors ("Look! I can draw iridescent hummingbird people now! Not that I have any. But maybe I should, just so I can draw them with my cool sparkly pencils!" Family: "Please walk ten feet behind like we don't know you.")
I think Elizabeth Bear uses eyeliner pencil to write on her shower tiles. 'S waterproof, right? ;)
(Gasp!) Eyeliner pencil! What a fabulous idea!! And it even comes off with soap and water!
I was a little concerned about the tub markers -- especially the red ones. If the color ran, it'd make our shower look like that shower scene out of Psycho.
It's funny you mention computer bags because a couple of months ago, I found one I absolutely loved. I bought two of them. Why do I need to identical computer bags? Who knows.
Hi Jenwriter and welcome!
I don't see anything in the least bit odd about buying two of the same bag. If you love it, that way when one wears out, you've got a backup. ; )
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