Sometimes I go on Apple Maps to check random businesses in different cities. Doesn’t everybody? Several months ago, I found a small arts supply store called A Work of Heart in San Jose. Turns out, it was already going out of business and had to sell their entire inventory.
On their website, they were selling a few 12-pack boxes of Blackwing pencils. If you’re familiar with them, they’re great pencils but expensive ($30 for a 12-pack). The red Blackwing 746 pencil I’m using, I only bought one cause a 12-pack is even more expensive ($55 for a 12-pack).
Anyway, I bought a 12-pack of 602s for $20 before tax. What a deal! While it’s sad another mom and pop store had to close down at least I got a chance to help them out a tiny bit. I’ll make sure those Blackwing 602s are used well.
Thought I change things up a little bit. Why not? For a couple of months, my wife and I have been feeding our younger son baby food. It’s been a challenge.
Normally, I would write about this on my other blog, but it’s down for maintenance and revamping. Truthfully, I don’t know when I’ll bring it online again. All I know is that it will be used again in the unforeseen future in the off chance I go back to the workplace.
I discussed this new blog with family and friends so updating them isn’t a problem. But since my other blog is offline I’m wondering if I should write about being a stay-at-home dad, private investigator, and other topics. I don’t want to limit myself, but I don’t want to do the extra work of copying an article on this blog and pasting it to my other blog.
My best solution is to let the topics come out naturally on paper, type them on the WriteFreely app, and decide whether to publish or not. We’ll see.
Finally, my red Blackwing 746 pencil is about two more inches useable before I throw it into my tiny pencil collection. It’s been a great pencil, but I don’t plan on buying another one soon. And buying a box is out of the question. So what pencil should I use next?
Maybe I’ll use a Blackwing 602 from a box I bought at a discount. More on that later.
This is not recommended. Sleep is more important, but many of you (including me) will ignore this advice. So might as well tell you how to do it right. When you have to sleep in your older son’s bedroom to make sure he doesn’t toss and turn and go waking up mommy and his brother whenever I go to the bathroom, you don’t have many options to write before going to sleep.
Can’t write in the bathroom because of the reasons above. Not the kitchen, living room, or dining room. Everyone can see the lights from under the doors. The balcony and outside my front door is out of the question. And in my car? Forget it.
The best solution for now is to use my SOG Dark Energy tactical flashlight on the lowest setting, hide under the covers, and write. Yes, this sounds pathetic, but that’s the price of being a writer.
So, what’s the weirdest place or technique you’ve done just so you can write?
When I blogged on my other website, I had to put a feature image to entice readers and improve my SEO ranking. Yuck! I didn’t want to use free stock photos so I had to take the pictures with my phone instead. Many content writers are told that audio recordings, multiple pictures, and videos will make your articles stand out more. Make it more digestible because apparently our attention spans are worse than a goldfish.
While photos and videos can help bring out your main topic, too much media can overwhelm the reader and make them lose interest. Worse, make them spend hours watching content from YouTube and TikTok. Many people are like watching junk cause it looks and tastes good. But you end up with a sour stomach or in this case brainrot.
However, there are plenty who are hungry and thirsty for authenticity and substance. If you think this blog is one of many examples of what people want, then thank you. I really appreciate it.
Readers want writers who aren’t afraid to write more than 280 characters or write less than a long-winded expose of the corruption of politicians. It’s words that ultimately carry weight when pictures and videos nowadays can be more easily manipulated to suit someone’s narrative. I know words can be just as manipulated, but it’s all we have left.
This is why Write.as is the best blogging platform to date. I want my words to carry weight without the distractions of photos and videos. Therefore, I won’t add any unless they’re necessary, like how-to or review articles. And definitely none of my family, relatives, or friends.
As writers, we collect, save, and apply information. So much so, we end up with physical and online clutter. Bookmarks are a great example.
If I go by Pareto principle (correct me if I’m wrong), about 20% of all the websites I save are the ones I go to all the time. And about 80% are those I’ve been there once and never come back. I’m a pack rat and deleting unused bookmarks can be painful.
I can’t believe how many bookmarks I’ve saved throughout the years. Many have broken links and there are websites I wonder why I saved them in the first place. I might as well take screenshots of the information on my phone and go back to them when I need them.
Anyway, I feel so much better deleting all the bookmarks I don’t need. One less thing to worry about (until I start collecting more).
Too small to handle and resharpen with a knife.
Not even my pencil extender can extend its life.
Out of the fresh cardboard box it’s born.
Once its usefulness is gone, into the retirement box it mourns.
Sometimes they come out to erase their son’s and daughter’s mistakes.
Or get thrown into forests, deserts, mountains, and lakes.
It’s the cycle of a pencil’s life that never ends.
Acts like a bridge to your mind and hand, never bends.
Why am I writing about tiny pencils, I have some writing to do.
Forget this stupid poem, this post is doo-doo!
Wooden pencils help slow down my thoughts when I write. The smooth grain and cedar scent (especially from my Musgrave Tennessee Reds) makes me feel like I’m writing in a forest. Mechanical pencils and pens make me feel sterile. And electronic devices disconnect my mind and fingers at the speed of light.
The scratches it makes on paper without the threat of breaking the graphite at the slightest pressure, and the strips of wood and graphite coming from my metal sharpener, makes me appreciate the writing process and journey more than the destination. The demons of efficiency is cast aside.
Inefficiency is a dirty word for the “technologically progressive” modern person. They say, “Why not let computers, smartphones, or even the AI of your choice do all the writing for you? Don’t be a narrow-minded, backwards-thinking Luddite. Think of how much time we can save so we can continue scrolling social media or stream our favorite shows longer.”
I reject that notion. Writing with pencil is like sitting at the park, the beach, or the desert at night without taking any photos from your smartphone. Even better when you write at these places. The process is what we writers treasure the most. We learn, sweat, and spill blood so that readers appreciate the sacrifices of those willing to share. Human experiences, not machine responses. If that makes me a Luddite, it’s a badge of honor.
Do you still write with wooden pencil? Any favorite brands?
A Dublin, California man spent several decades trying to unravel the mystery of why his Venetian blinds were tangled in his master bedroom. After buying his single-family home in 1957, Gordon Neely replaced all the gray window curtains with the foldable blinds.
In 1962, Neely noticed one of his blinds was always stuck on the right side when raising and lowering. The turning rod also didn’t work.
Neely commented, “I’ve been untangling these dang blinds for over sixty years straight. I couldn’t eat or sleep. These things should be illegal.”
This year, Neely replaced all his blinds with the same curtains he originally replaced. Unfortunately, a few days after this interview, Neely died in a tragic accident involving his window curtains. A police investigation is ongoing. Neely is survived by his wife Nancy and his three adult children Michael, Gordon Jr., and Kim.
I love writing. Like having to three to four cups of coffee a day, it’s in my blood. But the idea of being a writer for a living never stuck with me. Sure, there were dreams of being a rich and famous writer, but then again, I also wanted to be a police detective, fighter pilot, and rule my own kingdom (that can still happen).
Writing, as a skill, has helped me in my personal and professional life. It’s cheaper than therapy and, as a hobby, helps fulfill me. As a private investigator, report writing is an important skill. No matter how much evidence you collect, your report is your final product to the client.
So instead of trying to be a writer for a living, improve your writing skills, and apply them to whatever career you’re in. Even if you’re working a job that doesn’t require it, be creative. Maybe you might write a training program or something. Good writing is a skill that will help you no matter what.
How many of you have problems buying so many notebooks but never finish a single one? I always end up with two problems. One, I have multiple notebooks of separate topics but still have plenty of blank pages left. Two, I write anything and everything in one notebook and my mind gets so scrambled I start a fresh notebook.
It also doesn’t help I buy multiple packs of notebooks as if I’m expecting a nuclear disaster and all the world’s production of paper gets destroyed. Assuming I survive such an event, what am I going to do? Throw pieces of paper into my makeshift fire pit? Write my last will and testament? Or write “valuable” insight to revive human civilization?
Okay, got way off topic. So, this is my best system on how to finish a notebook. First, I buy a pocket notebook (3”x5” or 4”x6”) and keep it in my pocket or nearby at all times. What’s great about smaller notebooks is that I keep my writings short. Second, I use it only for my thoughts and blog posts so it’s easier to review back a topic. Finally, I don’t under any circumstances, use another notebook until I finish it. Once done, I write my name, dates started and finished, and a table of contents written on the inside book cover.
I buy larger notebooks (8.5”x11”), for long essays and book projects and leave them at home. Anything I write on my smaller notebooks that needs to be expanded I transfer to the larger notebook.
A small and large notebook is all you need. And don’t buy more than three notebooks of each size at a time. You have enough writing material without acting like a crackhead always needing a fix. If you have a better system let me know.