How I Write: The Pen is Mightier Than MS Word

In the beginning I believed the only way I could write was sitting at the keyboard, staring at the screen. Of course, I also believed writers were walking encyclopedias who simply poured the sum of their knowledge onto the page and finished thick novels in a single sitting.

As the realities of writing came into focus, I felt the need to be more and more prepared before putting fingers to keys. I bought index cards and fine point pens with comfort grip barrels (roughly $2/pen). I still have more index cards than I'll ever need.

Today, my pens of choice are black medium point PaperMates. (Just bought five dozen of these for $5). I brainstorm and draft mostly on legal pads or the occasional spiral notebook. I find the medium point glides more easily across a page than the fine--closer to the speed of thought.