More from "This Space"
"What horrors did you inflict upon your poor Moleskine to create such
damage? I carried around a Moleskine datebook in my pocket for a year and
besides a slightly softer cover it is no worse for wear. Perhaps it is something
to do with the size, I prefer the smaller plain pocket version. The Moleskine's
durability has been one of the unclouded advantages of this notebook. Yours is
the first I've heard of that took such a beating.
On to pens. While I new use a Noodler's ink loaded Waterman fountain pen, I also use and support the use of Pilot G2 gel ink rollerballs. These archival quality pens ensure writing will last as long as the paper. While bleedthrough has never been a problem for me with black .5 or .7 G2s, the ink blotting problem is easily solved with a small piece of blotter paper tucked between the two most-recently written pages. I use a square of paper towel now since the ink blot problem is much more apparent with fountain pens.
About writing itself, no Moleskine or fancy pen or ink will get you to write something creative. Only you can do that. While I am sure there are people who either have no interest in creative writing and very few have a real talent for it, writing, like painting or playing a musical instrument, can be a creative outlet for just about anyone and it costs far less than a Cello.
There is only one real rule worth mentioning when it comes to creative writing:
Write.
Nothing else really comes close to that level of importance. Sit down, think up a seed or a single sentence, character, or time period, and begin to write. It may end up being complete crap but out of a thousand words, one hundred may be worth while. The director Robert Rodregez one time said that every director has ten bad movies in him. The key is getting those ten bad movies out quickly so you can get on to the good stuff.
If you simply have no desire to write, don't. It's hard work and if it's not fun, there is little reward. You may give it a try, however, and find it to be an outlet from the rest of your life worth digging into. I usually write 100 to 1000 words a day of creative nonsense and I love some of the stuff I come out with even if I am the only one to ever see it.
Otherwise, toss the Moleskine aside and take faith that many people spent far more money on an unused piece of exercise equipment."
Visit: "This Space"
On to pens. While I new use a Noodler's ink loaded Waterman fountain pen, I also use and support the use of Pilot G2 gel ink rollerballs. These archival quality pens ensure writing will last as long as the paper. While bleedthrough has never been a problem for me with black .5 or .7 G2s, the ink blotting problem is easily solved with a small piece of blotter paper tucked between the two most-recently written pages. I use a square of paper towel now since the ink blot problem is much more apparent with fountain pens.
About writing itself, no Moleskine or fancy pen or ink will get you to write something creative. Only you can do that. While I am sure there are people who either have no interest in creative writing and very few have a real talent for it, writing, like painting or playing a musical instrument, can be a creative outlet for just about anyone and it costs far less than a Cello.
There is only one real rule worth mentioning when it comes to creative writing:
Write.
Nothing else really comes close to that level of importance. Sit down, think up a seed or a single sentence, character, or time period, and begin to write. It may end up being complete crap but out of a thousand words, one hundred may be worth while. The director Robert Rodregez one time said that every director has ten bad movies in him. The key is getting those ten bad movies out quickly so you can get on to the good stuff.
If you simply have no desire to write, don't. It's hard work and if it's not fun, there is little reward. You may give it a try, however, and find it to be an outlet from the rest of your life worth digging into. I usually write 100 to 1000 words a day of creative nonsense and I love some of the stuff I come out with even if I am the only one to ever see it.
Otherwise, toss the Moleskine aside and take faith that many people spent far more money on an unused piece of exercise equipment."
Visit: "This Space"
"Otherwise, toss the Moleskine aside and take faith that many people spent far more money on an unused piece of exercise equipment." Amen brother is all I can add of value to that great thought. ::thrive!, O
Posted by: O | February 28, 2005 at 05:44 PM
I had the same problem with my Moleskine as Steve did, and with the smaller size to boot. After hearing so many good things about them and how indestructible they were I figured I'd get one for note taking. So I procured one at the bookstore I work at, put it in my apron, and blithely went about the business of writing down all the books I wanted to read and bits of conversations I wanted to remember. Within a couple of months I'd completely managed to rip the papers from the book, and without much effort since it was certainly not abused in the quiet comfort of my apron's front pocket...
I don't know, it may be that they're great and that I got one with some sort of manufacturing defect. But while they seem to me not the flimsiest books, I'd hesitate by their design alone to call them durable. I'd heard they were sewn and not glued, but while the signatures may be sewn together the ones I have seen are all bound to the covers by the grace of the fly leaves, which are pasted. I know there's a mystique surrounding them and I never ran into anyone else not impressed by them, but there you go.
If only there was a way to make a Moleskine with exposed linen longstitch for binding- that would be durable!
Incidentally, have you ever used a Pigma Micron? They are far and away the best pens I have ever found at any price.
Posted by: Christopher | June 16, 2008 at 09:25 PM