I talked about the tech I use to make my work and such. I also am very much old school in how I create (for example, I write long hand and bind my own journals) so let's look at that.
TWSBI 700VacR Pen, Extra Fine nib – I had such a hard time finding my usual pen (Bic Atlantis, fine point) in the pandemic, I got a fountain pen. I wrote about it here. I write all my books on paper and then type them. I write literally hundreds of pages so I need a reliable writing instrument. I always wanted an inkwell fountain pen so I got one. I write super small so extra fine is exactly what I need. It's a nice pen but mine is limited edition so it also shows in the price. When I first talked about getting the pen, I have mentioned that $5 inkwell fountain pens exist and that they're just as dandy as mine. ($86, Iris limited edition)
Smudge guard glove – for the Ratta SuperNote. The palm rejection on that thing is awful. I'm used to writing on paper and having my skin basically sanded off, no big deal. SuperNote will pitch a fit if there is skin on the screen. (Does it less now due to service updates.) For the price, it's bananas. But I got a smudge guard, which basically is a little one (or two) finger glove that is for the pinky and blade of the hand. It is supposed to help those who use big digital screens to make stuff. It's not bad but I'm not used to wearing them so there's that. Make sure you size your hand with a ruler before you buy ($14)
Ink! – I have a fountain pen so that also means I have boatloads of ink. I also have talked about it here, I had about 19 bottles of ink (One 85ml bottle of ink can translate to over a thousand hand written pages with an extra fine nib for me) but whittled them down to the colors I'll actually use, which is about 13 or so. They're different colors and properties. Some shimmer, some sheen, some don't do anything. Either way, I'll literally never run out of ink ever again. The prices vary, my cheapest bottle is $5 for 75ml of Higgins Fountain Pen Ink (Black), and my most expensive is any 85ml bottle from Ferris Wheel Press ($22, Jelly Bean Blue, Dusk in Bloom)
Skeleton journals – I am a bookbinder so I personally bind my own journals. This is so I keep things as distraction free as possible, instead of going "Oh! I want to write in that journal because…" or "I have a lot of journals but I don't want to write in any of them". A skeleton journal is exactly that, the very skeleton of a book – the spine, the lined pages, the covers (which are chipboard). I write about that here. I print out the lined pages with my own designed pdf, fold them, turn them into signatures (packs of folded pages, which are called "folios"), stitch them with crochet thread and stencil on the title of the work in pen. It's just chipboard (thin or thin-ish cardboard sheets), paper, thread, needle, awl and I'm basically done. I design and 3d print my own bookbinding tools at home, like an awl guide or a bookbinding cradle, so I already have those tools. I'd have to say skeleton journals are super cheap to make for me – but remember, I already have the skill of bookbinding so that's why I can take super few materials (chipboard, paper and thread) and make something out of it. Anyone can learn bookbinding but I do want to mention that it is a skill so it takes time to build ($???, maybe $$-10, rounding up)
TWSBI Fountain pen filler/Travel Inkwell – Having an inkwell fountain pen means that you have to fill it with ink. It can get super messy at times when filling straight from the bottle. I have a vacuum filling method, not twist, so it's quick but can get a little messy. That's where the pen filler/travel inkwell comes in. It's designed for my pen so I just fill the inkwell with whatever ink I want, screw on the cap, screw in my pen, fill the pen and then I'm done. No mess. It's plastic so it also is a handy travel inkwell that allows me to write hundreds of pages (about 400+) in a single inkwell. It makes filling my pen super easy, especially if I see that I'm running out during an important scene and I want to be interrupted little. Just fill and keep writing. ($14)
Squishy finger sleeve – I write for long periods of time. This means I get what's known as a "Writer's bump" on my 1st knuckle of my middle finger. It can get painful and it sucks. It also sucks away my writing time. Solution? A squishy silicone finger sleeve I some how have not chewed on because it looks suspiciously like candy to a hungry brain. It is a forbidden nom-nom. A useful forbidden nom-nom. All I did was find "silicone finger sleeve" online, bought a pack and cut them up so they could cover only the affected part of my finger and not an entire digit. ($8/pack)
That's literally all for the non-tech. I'm old school in how I write (I use a fountain pen so super old school, I suppose) but that's because I need to keep things simple. I have disorders to contend with so when things get over-complicated, that's not good. Pen, paper and journal, that should be it.
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