Monday, August 18, 2014

Tools of the Trade


(Carmela here. I had to post this on behalf of Esther. Read on and you'll understand why.)

Fortunately, when it comes to the act of physically writing, I have MANY tools at my disposal.

For example, and gratefully, my iPhone.

Should my laptop refuse to reboot due to a software problem and require a 4-day repair visit to my local Best Buy's Geek Squad the Sunday before my Monday TeachingAuthors post is due, no problemo!

I simply create an email addressing the topic, request my TA administrator Carmela post it for me, along with an evidentiary photo, and remain grateful for the many and varied Tools of my Trade...as well as for Carmela. ☺️
Esther's laptop on Geek Squad counter
So, here are a few of the salient points I fully intended to post in the traditional manner via my laptop had it successfully rebooted this morning:

(1) To date my writing tools have included #2 pencils, pens of all sorts, manual and electric typewriters, a word processor, stack and laptop computers and one trusty iPhone.

(2) Thinking on this topic, examining my modus operandi when writing creatively, I surprisingly realized my multi-sensory learning style that enables me to READ must also be executed when I WRITE!

Note: Picture here the Five Senses Chart I'd planned to share.

Using my penmanship that combines both printing and cursive, because my 6th grade teacher Miss Peterson allowed us to choose and I couldn't decide, I write by hand in notebooks, on legal pads, on sticky notes, on napkins, on match books and menus and torn newspaper items when I am rolling out and exploring a story idea.

When I'm ready to roll everything up, though, and begin an actual story draft?
I'm seated at my laptop, ready to keyboard.

(3) In my Google search to learn more about multi-sensory learners, one link led to another and there I was learning all about BIC Fight for Your Write -www.bicfightforyourwrite.com.
BIC is on a mission to save handwriting.
Clicking on the Facts page at this website, I read that handwriting engages 14 different abilities, one if which is Inner Expressive Language.
No surprise there, at least for me.
Long live the Writer's Notebook!
Visit the website to learn more and maybe even sign the petition.

Hopefully my laptop and I will be back in business by Friday.
(Siddharta  promised.)
Meanwhile, I have my iPhone ....and should that require service, my Seven-year Pen.



Happy Writing, no matter your chosen tool!

Esther Hershenhorn
P.S.
Don't forget to enter our Book Giveaway!

P.S.S. from Carmela: I couldn't resist leaving in Esther's signature line from her email, just as she sent it:

iPhone compozed - sry 4 eny typoze=

5 comments:

laurasalas said...

Adaptability is the name of the game--go, Esther! Hope your laptop is healed quickly.

Linda B said...

It's never fun to see that blue screen! I still write, & will go now to the Bic site. What fun that there is a campaign. Although many of our students use computers "all" the time, we still do writers notebooks & field journals, so they get some "hand power". In high school, they are still giving tests in blue books & our students say that it's hard because their writing can't keep up with their thoughts. It's an interesting "new" problem. Best wishes for the computer back soon!

michelle kogan said...

Great post Esther! As I love hand writing of all kinds and all kinds of writing tools, I'm going to check out the site you listed. Hope your putter kicks in again soon.

Jill said...

Hope your baby gets well soon, Esther! I'd be lost....

jan godown annino said...

Noted all these penciling, penning, tapping details with great interest. For the same reason that images of a writer's den/office/library are fascinating to me, so to are the variety of ways that creative folks record their ideas, thoughts & stories.

That's a poignant, lonely laptop there on the "In" counter. Good luck Ester! So sweet of Carmela to
post but that's what the TA's are all about. The vibe here is top-drawer, with cherries on top.