Have You Discovered?

[Phil1-6]

You came here because fountain pens intrigued you. Most of you have acquired multiple pens, but are you actually writing more? Have you discovered your inner author? Poet? Journalist?

When I was younger I was told I wrote well. Did some writing during a short stint after college. Decades later not so much and, if honest, not so well.

What say you?

 

[mikeschu]

Wow... good question.

In school my handwriting was ridiculously slow and illegible. I had to switch to block printing, and being a left-handed underwriter using a ballpoint my handwriting was smeared more often than not. Also, my handwriting was small, so assignments based on number of pages were more time-consuming because I had to write more to fill a page.

Since I've used fountain pens, I've taken to letter-writing. I didn't realize how much I would enjoy writing letters to people. I don't know that I do any more writing outside of correspondence than I normally do, as my primary work is software development. What I have noticed is that my writing has become easier on my hands (e.g. no hand cramps) because I'm not using thin ballpoints and mechanical pencils. I don't have to press as hard or hold the pen/pencil as tight to get the ink to flow.

 

[August West]

I primarily use them at work to show off.

 

[Slivovitz]

My journal writing output has increased greatly, to the point where I am filling three to five journals a year, rather than one every couple of years. Sometimes a journal entry turns into a short story or a poem instead.

Kind of bogged down on my attempts to write longer fiction at the moment, but I've still gone further in a few years than I had for my life up until then. The point is not to be published, the point is to finish something.

I write very few letters, probably no more than I did before.

 

[kansaskyle]

Writing more, yes, but not of the creative type (i.e., poetry, stories, etc.).

I keep a daily journal now, and I've also sent out over 50 letters, notes, cards, and/or postcards since January, which is more than I've sent in probably the last 10 years!

 

[Steve in Shalimar]

No.

 

[Foyle]

Yes. I journal quite a lot now, and I carry a notebook and a pen in my bag so I can write down things that come to mind.

 

[Terp61]

I tried a Lamy Safari. I used it for a couple of weeks and ditched it when it bled all over my white dress shirt. I'll stick with Pilot G2. The Safari sits at home for post it notes.

 

[BubblesTGB]

Yes, definitely. I actually keep up with my journaling now and have several pen pals that I write. Prior to that, I hadn't written a letter in years.

 

[musicman1951]

Yes. I write in my journal virtually every day (I have to justify that pen collection, don't I?) and write many more letters than my pre-nib years. My writing was some bizarre combination of printed caps connected often into a jumbled mess that even I had trouble reading. My family can't believe the change in my writing.

 

[yakster]

Not so much, though I did get a journal out. I've been mostly handwriting shopping and other notes in the Apica CD5 pocket notebooks I picked up instead of using my phone for this.

I have written a letter and started on a second, that's progress. I used to use journals more regularly and enjoyed writing short stories (on a computer) but lately the muse seems to have left the building and I seem to be limited to about 160 characters of inspiration at a time.

 

[Bob the aged Lurcher]

I went back to fountain pens officially because my hands hurt when I wrote due to problems with joints and that using a fountain pen was easier, really as using a decent fountain pen is much more posey than anything else. I make a lot of notes for work and it is more comfortable to use than a ball point and better for my thought processes.

Look forward to getting back to the UK to get my purchases and start playing with them.

 

[Billski]

Yes, I believe that I am writing better.

There should be more writing here for us to test ourselves.

We should write short essays. They shouldn't be too long.

 

[mcgreggor57]

I've always been a list writer that sometimes couldn't read my own lists. Being more deliberate with a fountain pen is helping with the penmanship which in turn is inspiring me to start journaling.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

I've always been a writer. Essays, poetry, lists, journal entries, etc. Since getting into fountain pens, I've noticed that I free write a little less, but I've started to practice my penmanship, which is something I hadn't done in almost 20 years.

 

[BillPorter]

When I got into the pen hobby earlier this year, I realized that I needed to write with them and started journaling. I write several pages in a journal every day, so yes, I am definitely writing more. And my handwriting has improved, though it's still noting to write home about. I've written 6 or 7 letters with my pens whereas before the pen hobby, I hadn't written a letter in years.

 

[Luxem]

I definitely write more since starting collecting fountain pens! I keep a work "journal" to keep track of things I am working on, and often I find myself practicing calligraphy or writing with an italic nib on it.

The Co-workers give me quite a bit of compliments on both my pens, and my improved handwriting!

The wife thinks it is a fun hobby - but does wonder how pens can get so expensive!
Heck, I even tried my hand at some illumination of the letter "T" with fountain and dip pens!

 

[mcgreggor57]

While doing some writing this weekend, I realized my fountain pen doesn't have an auto correct feature. I guess that cost more

 

[Billski]

Yes, I would say that I am writing better.

But later on I look at what I have written and rewrite it some.

But what I do not like is that it takes up time. Yes, it takes too long to make better what I have written.

 

[foverman]

Since I got back into fountain pens... Let's see.

Improved handwriting. check.

Writing longer without fatigue / degrading legibility. check.

Use them at work to show off. yep, guilty.

Journaling more. kind of - still hard to find / make the time, but very much enjoy it when I do.

Handwritten letters. have done more of them in recent months than I've done in many years.

Poetry or prose. nope - have never been into that, and so far my pens have not led me there.

Pens with autocorrect or spell check. haven't found one yet.

(Someone's signature about wet shaving is what led me here, and started me in yet-another-hobby.)