The Writer's Guide to Essential Stationary Part One: Physical stationary

Every writer I know has a strange fascination, bordering on outright obsession  with stationary. I know that the one aisle in the supermarket I have to avoid when money is tight is the stationary aisle - I simply cannot resist all the lovely stationary, even if I don't need it. So as a writer, what do you need?

 

1. Notebooks. Hopefully I don't need to explain why notebooks are on the list of essential stationary. I try to always keep at least one notebook on me (though I've been pretty lax on this recently) just to jot down random thoughts and observations as they come up. There are so many pretty notebooks to choose from that you're sure to find one that will fit both your handbag and purse.

2. Pens. Another obvious one, but strangely neglected in this digital age. Having a few pens on hand is not only practical for everyday situations, but can also come in handy in unexpected ways. I'm reminded of one time when my hair was fine when I left the house that morning, but through the day it came alive and turned into some kind of tentacle monster. I used one of the pens in my bag to twist it into a bun and voila - presentable once more.

3. Pencils in different colours. There's nothing that juices up creativity like playing around with words in different colours. Also useful for brainstorming, where you can make ideas that fit together the same colour, or mindmaps. Or of course, maybe you just like drawing or scribbling.