What Do You Write?

[Bklyn]

I was wondering what things people write with their fountain pens.

 

Such amazing instruments yet I seem to spend so much time on the computer to get my work done that at the end of the day, I have spent 90% of my "writing" in digital form. (Sad, yes?)

 

Strangely, I am a writer and have published 2 books and yet all of that work was done on the Mac using Scrivener.

 

As for me, I have bought a Rhodia pad and I use it to jot notes throughout the day but I was I was able to write more.

 

What do you write with your fountain pen?

 

Best to all:

 

Bklyn

 

 

[andreasn]

I write a journal and I'm trying to keep a commonplace book (I often forget to write down what I should in that). Sometimes I also just copy something from a book by hand and sometimes I do little projects like write the journal of an imaginary traveler.

 

I would suggest starting a journal or if you drink tea or something create a notebook full of tasting notes. Since you're a writer you could think about doing first drafts on paper before you type it up on a computer.

[graystranger]

Bklyn, excellent topic. I'll be following this one.

 

I had the same problem before I retired. I had kept a hand written journal. After I retired 2 years ago I became even more passionate about writing with fountain pens when I discovered the wonderful videos at Goulet Pens.

 

I got good paper from Goulet (Clairefontaine Triomphe) and started writing letters. Brother, Sister, a couple of friends. Brian & Rachel Goulet. Updated my journal more often. Transcribed my recipe logbook of some years of baking bread onto a Clairefontaine spiral bound notebook using my pens and writing with much better handwriting than I ever did with gel and ballpoint pens. I also got a French ruled Clairefontaine notebook to practice my handwriting in. My handwriting has greatly improved.

 

I got a Midori Passport Traveler's notebook and keep a 6-month planner in it, as well as several inserts. I record things like going out to eat, special days, overnight rainfall, meetings, etc. Also writing samples with my pens and different inks. List of pen purchases. Then I got some small Clairefontaine notebooks (about 4x6 or so) and made them log books - one for my pens, date of purchase, details, etc. One is a log of inks purchased, with date bought, samples of writing with that ink in different pens/nibs. Then after having too many pens inked up, I dedicated one notebook to a log of my inked pens. One pen to a page, and the ink the pen is filled with listed. I cross out an ink when I change inks so all I have to do is look up the pen and see what ink is in it.

 

Now I'm going to start writing a letter today. I find writing and practicing my handwriting to be very relaxing, especially if I take it leisurely and don't have a deadline.

 

Don't wish time away, but being retired has been wonderful. I've explored many pens, inks, and papers.

[Notgatherox]

Letters, notes, poetry and whatnot, even the shopping list!

 

I find myself searching for a reason to write - I love my FPs and writing itself. Helps that I'm a student too (tons of writing yay!)

 

 

~Epic

[graystranger]

I write a journal and I'm trying to keep a commonplace book (I often forget to write down what I should in that). Sometimes I also just copy something from a book by hand and sometimes I do little projects like write the journal of an imaginary traveler.

 

I would suggest starting a journal or if you drink tea or something create a notebook full of tasting notes. Since you're a writer you could think about doing first drafts on paper before you type it up on a computer.

 

These are great ideas. I especially like the journal of an imaginary traveler. It could be modern or historical. The possibilities are endless.

 

Notebooks for tea, coffee, beer, recipes, fishing, collecting, art, music, videos. After reading that Louis L'Amour kept a record of every book he ever read starting very young made me wish I'd done the same.

 

Now, retired, I wish I'd kept journals going back further than my 2003 one I keep now. I wish I'd kept a journal during college. Just bullet notes for each day. I can't remember the names of professors from nearly 50 years ago. Journals of our vacations over the years.

 

Lord Epic, in 50 years you will have forgotten many of your class mates, professors, and details of things that happened when you were in school. Maybe I should enter the suggestions that will be posted here in a notebook!

Edited April 27, 2015 by graystranger

[FayeV]

Sometimes it feels like a challenge finding ways use my fountain pens.

 

Shopping list.

I keep a fountain pen in the kitchen and jot down anything I can think of to add to the shopping list. Even though I do this, I still have a shopping list on my phone too. LOL

 

Journal.

I have a notebook where I write whatever comes to mind, things to research, to do lists, anything I want to remember and refer back to later, etc.
Someone recently introduced me to Bullet Journaling (http://www.bulletjournal.com/) so I have been reading up on that and am in the process of making the transition to try it out. Plus I'm using it as an excuse to try out a Leuchtturm1917 notebook.

 

Handwriting practice.

I have another notebook where I write practice sentences and paragraphs. I'm hoping to improve my handwriting.

 

Recipes.
I like to browse through cookbooks to look for new recipes to try. I'll transcribe recipes that sound interesting. This gives me an opportunity to play with different size nibs an different ink colors. Title in one color. Ingredients list in a 2nd color. Instructions in a 3rd color. Recipe source in a 4th color. Notes in a 5th color. Etc. Anything that is a hit with the family will earn a place in my recipe binder.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I was wondering what things people write with their fountain pens.

 

Such amazing instruments yet I seem to spend so much time on the computer to get my work done that at the end of the day, I have spent 90% of my "writing" in digital form. (Sad, yes?)

 

Strangely, I am a writer and have published 2 books and yet all of that work was done on the Mac using Scrivener.

 

As for me, I have bought a Rhodia pad and I use it to jot notes throughout the day but I was I was able to write more.

 

What do you write with your fountain pen?

 

Best to all:

 

Bklyn

 

Everything?

 

First drafts (fiction, nonfiction, poetry), journal entries, letters, to-do lists, scribbles, ink comparisons, whining, doodles, sketches, instructions, ink reviews, recipes, warnings, and writing out checks.

 

I probably forgot some things.

 

Besides Rhodia, what paper have you tried? Paper plays a big part in how ink looks.

[JLZenor]

Strangely, I am a writer and have published 2 books and yet all of that work was done on the Mac using Scrivener.

I love Scrivener!

 

I print out my stories and edit every other draft or so on paper, so I use a pen for that. I need a fountain pen I can load up with red ink though. which means... No, I must not buy another pen right now...

 

Anyway, besides that I have a notebook that I write all my writing ideas in. I also write letters and work on my handwriting, solely because I use a FP.

[Carl Fisher - F3 Pens]

I'm at a computer all day long (programmer by trade) but have forced myself to start something akin to bullet journaling during the day to keep up with my work load, meeting notes, projects, etc...

 

I also find it littered with random excerpts from songs, miscellaneous quotes, or whatever just happens to pop into my head as a reason to write.

 

Wish I could do more, but just as often I wish to write and find my mind blank of what to put on the paper

[JLZenor]

I'm at a computer all day long (programmer by trade) but have forced myself to start something akin to bullet journaling during the day to keep up with my work load, meeting notes, projects, etc...

 

I also find it littered with random excerpts from songs, miscellaneous quotes, or whatever just happens to pop into my head as a reason to write.

 

Wish I could do more, but just as often I wish to write and find my mind blank of what to put on the paper

I know the feeling. I'm a sys admin by day, and my hobbies at night involve either writing (on the computer) or programming web applications (of course, on the computer) so I look for any excuse I can to break away from the computer.

[Bklyn]

This is great information.

 

I am about to embark on a new book and I will probably do an outline and random notes with a fountain pen.

 

In terms of paper, I am using Rhoda and I think it is OK but I am not madly in love with it. I use the yellow as opposed to white because the white can be so glaring and harsh as yellow can be a bit more subdued.

 

I write with Levenger Blue that is such a WONDERFUL deep blue but I am seeking out new shades of blue in the hunt for the perfect color.

 

Tell me, are there "better "papers" than Rhodia?

 

Best,

 

Bklyn

[the_gasman]

Great thread.

 

I love my handful of fountain pens (and pads or books of good quality paper) and I love writing by hand, but my scribblings are confined to meaningless rubbish at the moment. My job, although wonderful, has a fairly fixed format so a journal would rapidly become tedious. I have started writing letters to elderly aunts — my cousins tell me that they are thrilled to receive the letters as it reminds them of times when corresponding was the default mode of communication. I enjoy it too because a handwritten letter is so personal. I shall probably extend this renewed habit to my children as they venture off to university, though I accept that I will get, at most, a txt msg in reply saying, "Dad u gon mad?". [i initially put a comma in there, after the "Dad", until I remembered how unlikely punctuation would be in a txt msg].

 

I had kids late, so in 2-5 years time I will be retired and can then bombard them with increasing evidence of their father's insanity.

 

Cheers,

David.

[Sailor Kenshin]

This is great information.

 

I am about to embark on a new book and I will probably do an outline and random notes with a fountain pen.

 

In terms of paper, I am using Rhoda and I think it is OK but I am not madly in love with it. I use the yellow as opposed to white because the white can be so glaring and harsh as yellow can be a bit more subdued.

 

I write with Levenger Blue that is such a WONDERFUL deep blue but I am seeking out new shades of blue in the hunt for the perfect color.

 

Tell me, are there "better "papers" than Rhodia?

 

Best,

 

Bklyn

Well, 'better' is subjective.

 

People love Tomoe River Paper, and Kokuyo Campus notebooks, and I'm not arguing with them...I have both and use them. I'm writing some Memories in a Kokuyo now.

 

But they seem a bit slick to me. Kokuyo in particular seems to swallow shading and make nibs drag. And it's odd, because the paper itself feels so smoooooth to the touch.

 

But my personal Comfort Zone paper is The Big Three: vintage, Indian, and Staples Bagasse. Bagasse because...I love those tan lines, and it seems a happy medium as far as cost, shading, absorbency.

 

Whatever you look for in a paper, you'll find it.

[peterg]

Notes, scribbles, birthday/ Christmas cards and cheques roughly in that order.

[Mr. Dante]

I'm a lawyer and most of my writing is on the computer - briefs, memos, letters and emails of course. I use FPs to take notes, sign letters and sometimes outline arguments. I also write in my journal at home.

 

Until recently, I was using the cheap paper notepads from the office. After reading through some posts here, I realized that a FP user needs 3 things: The FP, good ink, and good paper. I now use Black n' Red A4 notebooks for work. Virtually no feathering or bleeding. For journaling, I use the Maruman Mnemosyne B5 size.

[Carl Fisher - F3 Pens]

I know the feeling. I'm a sys admin by day, and my hobbies at night involve either writing (on the computer) or programming web applications (of course, on the computer) so I look for any excuse I can to break away from the computer.

 

It pays to engage the artistic side of the brain once in a while. I was talking with someone this weekend about this exactly. I actually can focus better on my code after spending some time writing in my notebook.

[william2001]

I primarily use my Parker Sonnet for writing on my school agenda (i.e. the homework notebook), and I use my Montblanc Meisterstuck LeGrand for my daily diary.

-William S. Park

[J_MM]

I'm an academic and I find I use pen and paper more than computers most days. I write out my lectures and all my research ideas are flushed out with pen and paper. This can take a lot of time and many drafts before something is worth putting on the computer. I also keep a bullet journal. Finally I like writing out bible verses as a good way to memorize.

[AGxM]

I have always taken written notes in meetings and now having a FP makes it more fun for me. I actually find it easier to write complex issues than compose them on a computer as the writing process seems to help my thinking.

 

The issue is now finding the best pen and ink to use - currently rocking an orange TWSBI 540, M nib with Herbin "Perle Noir'. Nice pen, fairly wet but easy in the hand. Also have a Lamy Safari in my pencil case with a F nib and blue/black cartridges.

[john74]

I use my fountain pens to write in my traveler's notebook (diary + planner) and various other topic-specific notebooks (tea, whisky, personal finance, etc...). I practice my handwriting in a French-ruled notebook. I write thank-you notes, birthday cards, personal notes, etc...