Shop Talk and A Big Splurge

When I am with other writers, we can easily fall into conversations that may bore other people to tears.

First person vs. third person

Active vs. passive voice

Who vs. whom

And don’t even get us started on em dashes vs. AI. We could be here all night!  (Ok here it is the truth—human beings use em dashes. They are not a dead giveaway that something is written by Chat GPT.)

Thank you for your attention to this matter. 😊

Are you asleep yet? I’m just getting started.

What is your favorite book about writing?

Easy – Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

What is your preferred brand of pen?

Writers often have a favorite brand, make, and model of pen. Mine is the Pentel R.S.V.P Ballpoint Pen in fine point, preferably blue ink. My second favorite pen is the official swag item for Red Pen Resources, my writing business. They are really nice. Let me know if you want one.

What have you splurged on recently that no one else would understand?

Recently, I stopped in a local stationery shop and had an in-depth conversation with the manager about the Blackwing pencils. He was quite knowledgeable and told me about other customers who rave about them. But I didn’t have to take his word for it. He had several samples on full display complete with clean, crisp sheets of white paper to test drive them. I had heard about these fancy pencils before, but never tried them for myself. How could I resist?

But, a pencil is a pencil, right? What is the big deal?

But, I was wrong. Oh baby was I wrong.

Blackwing pencils are the chef’s kiss of luxury pencils—made in Japan with premium graphite and wood to create the perfect writing instrument. Beautiful craftsmanship with an iconic look and a comfortable grip. It also has its own pencil sharpener and replaceable erasers, sold separately, of course. But, I didn’t get carried away.

I spent about 15 minutes scribbling these beauties on the notepad, enjoying the experience and made a decision. No Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils from grade school for me. I splurged on a set of Blackwing Pearl pencils, and I’m not even sorry.

My Advice

First, feel free to use em dashes.

Second, buy the fancy pencils (or whatever tool in your line of work that is worth the splurge).

Finally, find a community of people who get why you love what you do and are willing to read about it to the end of the blog post. 😉

What have you splurged on for yourself lately? Are you willing to share in the comments?

XO

Elisa