Good Example Of Essay On The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword: Writers And Their Notebooks

A young couple walked through the park holding their hands and whispering sweet-nothings to each other. Looking into each other’s eyes, it seemed as though nothing else in the world existed to them, other than them. While walking down the concrete sidewalk, the woman noticed that the man’s eyes were fixated at a group of young women practicing yoga several yards away. She immediately let go of his hand and backed away. Pointing a finger at him, she looked at the group of young women practicing yoga, and who were at that moment performing a downward-facing movement. She was so angry that she turned to face him and yelled at him for his dishonesty. The man, taken aback, tried to reason with her, but as she refused to listen to him, he raised his voice as well, and the two were soon seen yelling at each other. For the young woman, it was a question of loyalty, jealousy, and possessiveness, while for the man; it was a case of sincerity and understanding. One may argue that such inconsequential events shouldn’t be blown out of context, as the young couple did, and instead, should have been discussed and resolved amicably. Even though human beings are intelligent, they are prone to react to situations in haste without thinking of its consequences, and this precisely what happened between the two. Just across the park though, was a writer who was keenly observing this tussle and taking notes of the incident in his small, pocket-sized notebook. The writer; a third person, has nothing to do with the incident or the couple, but by writing the incident in his notebook, he could use it as a part of a story or an anecdote that he writes later. While the couple could reconcile and become one again, or break their relationship because of this incident, the writer has the power to give the relationship a new lease of life if he desires. The writer’s relationship with his notebook is inseparable.
Stories and novels are no longer written on paper, but instead, typed into word processors and uploaded into digital space. If so, why is the notebook still an enduring, constant companion of the writer? There are many reasons for this; first and foremost is the writer’s struggle for inspiration. Writers need situations to develop a story, and when they come face-to-face with such situations as that of the young couple in the park, it gives them the inspiration and idea to develop a story of their own. Sometimes they chase inspiration, and sometimes inspirations chase them. Either way, writers needs a repository of information that they can quickly use to retrieve and pitch for a line or story. Therefore, in order to have the required information, writers go out hunting for situations that could assist them in their build-up to writing a story. And once they come face-to-face with a situation, they pen it so that they don’t lose track of the incident later on. There is no telling how a minute incident can become a major theme for the writer, and so, before they forget such instances, they write them most studiously in their storage device, which could be a notebook, writing pad, or a laptop.
While inspiration remains an integral part of a writer’s trait, incidents and ideas can come at any time, and so, writers are bound to have some material with them to store such information. Usually, writers carry a storage device that is easy to carry, or a Moleskin book, which can fit easily into their jacket or pant pocket. A Dictaphone is also used. Writers carrying a note pad or book, and in most cases, they prefer a pencil to a pen as it helps them erase something they want to correct while writing. Writers may not have it on their person twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, but when they do go out; chances are that their small, lined traveling companion will be accompanying them. While it may seem a bit uncouth to whip out a notebook and scribble something they observe as strange or indifferent, writers feast on them as these situations serve as their channel of inspiration for later use.
Once writers arm themselves with a great deal of situations and information from their interaction with the outside world, the challenge they face is where and when to use them in their story or stories. By writing about an incident in their notebook or other storage device, writers tend to remember them from memory. However, while a majority of writers may be able to recollect from memory, there are others who find the notebook a great companion for later use. However, for the most part, when writers sit down with their word processor or whatever long-form of writing apparatus they use for writing their story, they use their notebook they have with them for reference. Therefore, whatever the use, the notebook acts as a receptacle; a database that stores information worthy of a story, moments, characters, climaxes, and heartbreaks to name a few.
A writer’s relationship to his or her notebook is analogical to a person’s relationship with his or her silent companion, or a servant. The notebook remembers everything that is told to it, and makes the job of the writer that much less complicated. It promises to keep all the secrets of its master; never disclosing it anyone other than its master. It holds the secret to the many ideas, character beats, and wandering phrases that no one other than its master should know. By having this valuable asset beside him or her, the writer can be assured of having that ‘eureka’ feeling without having to lose it to the haze of long commutes, drifting conversations, and lapses n concentration. The writer who witnessed the couple fighting in the park could have written anything in his notebook, and used it in any way he or she thinks it appropriate; it could be used as a scenario in a story; as a backup story of their relationship; or even as a divine connection between the man and one of the young yoga-practicing that instigates jealousy in his girlfriend. Whatever be the situation, the notebook holds the key to the information the writer needs to develop a situation of his or her own. The notebook acts as the lifeline to a writer’s inspiration.