Writing Instrument of Choice

Recently I wrote a post entitled, Thank You Ernest Hemingway. The post contained seven tips from Hemingway on writing from open culture’s website.

The #6 tip was to write with a pencil. Hemingway gave three very good reasons for using a pencil. All three basically boiled down to providing the writer multiple opportunities to “work over” the story.

• One, when it is written in pencil

• Two, when it is re-written with the typewriter

• Three, when it is proofed

• 
  

In my humble opinion, as an author nowhere in Hemingway’s league, yet I disagree with using a pencil. My primary reason is that with today’s technology, there would seem to be significant time and effort wasted using a pencil to write the primary draft. With computers, you can not only easily edit, but if you choose to move sentences, paragraphs or entire chapters around, you can do it with a few simple clicks.  Additionally, by accessing cloud storage and mobile smart devices, an author can review his or her work in progress anytime, giving us the ability to make edits at any time. I have even used my cellphone, combined with OneDrive and Word mobile apps, to make changes sitting in a movie theater while waiting for the trailers to roll.

In today’s age, we can go over the story frequently, and we can make sure we are conveying the story we want to tell much more efficiently than was previously possible. We have the ability to “work over” the story perhaps dozens of times before it is ready.

If you as an author feel more comfortable with a pencil, then you should most definitely utilize the good old #2–because in the end, it is your art, and you must find the best techniques to convey that art.

Thank you.

Joe

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Author Background

I am an independent, self-published teller of tales, an author of scarcely any renown. However, as a storyteller, I know who I am, and with that persona, I am both confident and comfortable.

I invite you to visit my website, ShortStoryScribe.com and/or Amazon Author Pages if you are so inclined please purchase a copy and leave a review.

****Leonardi identifies primarily as a storyteller rather than a formal academic, emphasizing raw, narrative-driven impact over rigid grammatical structures. His personal website and bibliography can be explored via his Amazon Author Profile.