What's in your toolbox?

Would a contractor ever try to build a house without a hammer? Or a painter ever try to paint without a canvas? Well, ok, painters are an odd sort. Just ask my mother.

My point, you ask? The point of a pen. I prefer felt-tipped. I now have 8 felt tipped pens stashed in my purse, on my desk, in the diaper bag, and near my bed. I love that so little pressure needs to be applied. I'm a scrawny little thing with weak wrists and the fingers of an eighty year old. Good tools are important, but I digress.

I have spent the past several weeks gathering tools for my writing. Some physical, like the pen, some digital, like this blog, and some paperback, like Betsy Lerner's The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Guide to Writers. Pulling together a toolbox has helped me feel like a legitimate writer. It has been an easy and stress free place to start. It has been doubly rewarding thanks to my husband. My birthday recently came and went. He bought me two books about writing, a gorgeous journal with a blue cover, and more felt tip pens. I found out later that he originally bought ball-point and returned them after hearing me say how much I enjoy felt-tipped. These are sweet treats, great tools to add to my collection. More than that, they are physical proof of the generous support my amazing husband is providing me. Thank you, Wesley!

Here is a list of my favorite digital and non-digital writing implements:

First, the digital:

1. Hardware- Mac desktop and iPad. We are an all-in Mac family.

2. Google Drive- The instant save and research features are amazing!

3. Blogger- How else am I going to meet you lovely people and stay accountable?

4. Twitter- @erynwrites is where you can find me. I will follow you back!

5. Evernote- I've just started using this. I will let you know how it goes.

6. Voice recorder on the iPhone for the spontaneous eruption of  inspired moments


Non-digital

1. Cheap spiral notebooks in various sizes- I love how I feel free to brainstorm on these pages and not so obligated to write something worth reading as I would with a fancy notebook.

2. Felt-tipped pens.

3. A journal- The aforementioned gift in blue.


Newly Obtained Books-

1. The Forest for the Trees- The first writing book I bought.

2. The Tiger's Wife- Why can't I get into this book?

3. The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith- Isn't there a bit of memoir in all writing?

4. Tell It Slant by Brenda Miller- I can't wait to start this one.

5. Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak

6. Several by my favorite author Margaret Atwood. I want to be her when I grow up.

What are your favorite tools of the trade? What is your creative outlet? Please share in the comments, I love hearing from you!