Penmanship

   For any writer, the pen and paper are as important as air. A good story can't be told without good notes. Sure, a lot of stories these days never get put down on paper with a pen. They are recorded then transcribed on to a word processing software.
    I will admit, that has been me sometimes. I do not have the best penmanship, it really is a lost art. There are times when I look back to the notes I have taken without understanding what I had written.
    It's tough the write a story with unintelligible notes.
    Still, there is something primitive, yet refined, about putting pen to paper that makes the notes almost come alive. Of the many articles I have written, none have felt more real than when I scribble down the interviews with just my pen and pad.
    In the world of emails and text message, which is to say the world of the battle of which news outlet can break the same news first, the is a constant need to be first. And with tight deadlines, emailing stories back to the office gives a sense of urgency.
   The stories I like are the ones were I sit down with someone to ask questions without the aid of a recorder but show my involvement in the conversation. Even as I take notes, they can see I care about what I am doing, not just getting notes to add in quotes. With a recorder, I often times, find myself looking down at it to make sure it is on, taking away from the interview.
    This can also be true in everyday life. I think keeping a journal is an important and undervalued skill few people take advantage. Not typing words on a computer, but sitting down with their thoughts and feeling the words go from the brain, down through the arm, and out of the pen.
    I realize this may seem hypocritical, or downright dumb, to talk about the power of penmanship in a digital format, but I know writing is changing in front of my eyes. Nothing seems permanent or intentional. The world is constantly finding ways to make things easier for us, but making it easy can be a disadvantage as much as an advantage.
    This is a just a simple review website of pens and it won't change the ever evolving writing world, but maybe it can change how you feel about it.