Writer's Corner

Since the late 1940s, there has been an actual designated psychological condition called “writer’s block.” Even great American fiction writer F. Scott Fitzgerald struggled with this affliction. Many things can be attributed to this condition including illness, anxiety, distraction and the pressure to create. Some writers need a personal muse or divine inspiration to put “pen to paper.” The best coping method is to sit down and simply start writing.

One kick-off is to concentrate on being descriptive. Anton Chekhov suggests “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of the light on broken glass.” Graphic novel author Neil Gaiman recommends this course of action: “The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you're allowed to do whatever you like…  I'm not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter."

So don't let that blank page traumatize you. Let your creative juices flow and express yourself. A fine writing instrument with perhaps a new color ink and smooth writing paper will put you on the “write” path.

Read more »

The Writer's Corner -The Healing Power of Writing

Putting pen to paper can be a cathartic experience, especially for authors.

While going through a particularly difficult time in her life with a recent divorce and a new child,author J. K. Rowling suffered a debilitating depression. “I just thought I want to write, so I wrote the book. What was the worst that could happen? It could get turned down by every publisher in Britain. Big deal.”

Political journalist and psychotherapist Laurie Nadel, PhD suffered from the burden of anxiety. Nadel found a way to ease her mind in volatile surroundings. She focused by writing for herself. "I thought that if I could write everything down, I could stay safe."

In the highly acclaimed book “The Artist’s Way” writer Julia Cameron states “Writing is medicine. It is an appropriate antidote to injury. It is an appropriate companion for any difficult situation.”

Even the most inexperienced writer can benefit by putting pen to paper. As long as your intention is to communicate with others or simply open up yourself, the form your musings take will be rewarding.So start that journal, write a letter, craft a poem, share an observation or start the next great American novel. The act of writing will take you on a journey that will enrich your life and quite possibly the lives of others.

Read more »

In Celebration of Penmanship

Did you know that there is a national and international competition devoted to handwriting?

The AAHC, Annual American Handwriting Competition and WHAC, World Handwriting Achievement Contest brings focus to the fine art of penmanship.

You can enter in one of two different categories. Functional:  this stresses legibility and Artistic: which spotlights calligraphy using decorative stokes. The winners vary based on age groupings. Anyone 8 years or older can participate. You must enter your writings by hard-copy mail. The cut-off time for this year’s submissions has just passed. But you have time to practice for next year!

What a wonderful way to the art of fine writing alive!

Read more »

Writer Corner

There are many ways we find to express ourselves. In this fast paced technology world there is an abundance of ways to do so. Many well-known authors from the past and present prefer the feel of a fine writing instrument in their hand while composing.

Starting with his 1994 novel “Stardust” fantasy author Neil Gaiiman first used a Waterman pen with a large notepad. He enjoyed creating with a fountain pen. He now utilizes over 60 different pens which include, Visconti, Pilot Custom 823 Amber and Delta. Dylan Thomas preferred the popular Parker 51 fountain pen with its fast-drying ink. A comparable Parker pen today is the Parker 100 series. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the mastermind behind sleuth Sherlock Holmes, composed many of his works with a Parker Duofold pen. According to husband Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath constructed her writings using a Sheaffer pen.

http://www.penboutique.com/sheaffer-300-glossy-black-fountain-pen.html
http://www.penboutique.com/parker-duofold-lapis-lazuli-blue-gt-international-fountain-pen-fine.html
http://www.penboutique.com/waterman-hemisphere-essential-black-ct-fountain-pen.html

Read more »

Writer Corner

William Faulkner had some specific ideas about becoming a writer. You become a writer simply by reading and writing.

“Read, read, read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it is not, throw it out the window!”

“Don’t be a writer, be writing.”

“You don’t need writing classes or seminars any more than you need this or any other book on writing.” Faulkner learned his trade while working in the Oxford, Mississippi post office. Other writers have learned the basics while serving in the Navy, working in steel mills or doing time in America’s finer hotels.

Faulkner’s strong commitment to writing still lives on.

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation is an outgrowth of William Faulkner’s generosity in using his 1949 Nobel Prize winnings to create the William Faulkner Foundation among the charitable goals of the foundation was "to establish a fund to support and encourage new fiction writers."

The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is awarded annually by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation to the authors of the year's best works of fiction by living American citizens.

Write everywhere and often.

Read more »