INSIDE THE ART, CRAFT AND BUSINESS OF WRITING for Film, TV, Books, Stage, Print or Digital Media (with Particular Attention to Comedy)
For the holidays this year, my brother sent me a set of pencils that I found really inspirational.
I happened to be rough drafting something old school, using a pen and paper, so I immediately dropped the ballpoint and put the pencil to work. Although it is incredibly satisfying to write s**t down with a pencil so encouraging, I actually found that for extended writing, the pencil provided too much friction and resistance. A pen simply requires less muscle exertion, and when you’re (hopefully) doing a bunch of writing, it turns out that’s an issue – at least for me. (More on my experiment with old school writing in a subsequent post.)
So, I’m sticking with a ballpoint pen for long-hand drafting, but believe me I keep those pencils handy for messages and short notes, because you definitely have to write that s**t down – and sometimes you want the friction.