I was intrigued by this quote from Orhan Pamuk, author of The Museum of Innocence:
“I’m happy when I’m alone in a room and inventing. More than a commitment to the art or to the craft, which I am devoted to, it is a commitment to being alone in a room. I continue to have this ritual, believing that what I am doing now will one day be published, legitimizing my daydreams. I need solitary hours at a desk with good paper and a fountain pen like some people need a pill for their health.”
What caught my attention was the reference to good paper and a fountain pen. Not because it's unusual for an author to write longhand these days, which it is, of course, but because it reminded me of the great feeling of buying a special notebook when you start a project (I'm also a fan of fountain pens).
Are you valuing your writing enough to splurge a little? No, I'm not selling anything--it's up to you to decide what would represent a fitting acknowledgement of what writing means to you. It could be buying a Moleskin notebook rather than a cheaper one (yes, I know Moleskin is bit of a marketing con but they're still kind of cool)...or a fountain pen instead of a Bic...or even a stapler that looks good on your desk. Or maybe a nice looking set of box files to replace the ratty ones you've had for years.
The point isn't how expensive any of these are (you don't have to go for a Mont Blanc pen) but rather that they represent the special position writing holds in your life. Sometimes you're the only one who DOES value your writing at this point, so why not go for it?
