A writer writes

april 26 grading blues, a photo by dewberry1964 on Flickr.

Ignatius was working. That was the first rule for writers. It wasn't about the tools, his teachers had said, way back in school. It was about discipline. Work.

A writer must write, even if, as Thomas Mann said: "A writer is someone for whom writing is harder than for other people."

Of course, he might find a pen somewhat less of a challenge than the over-sized novelty pencil. And he'd heard great things about something called a word processor.

No! he thought. It wasn't about the tools.

Another sheet of paper ripped apart, unable to withstand Ignatius's impatience and the giant pencil. He sighed, and started his to do list again.

Alltop does not know this "pencil" Ingatius speaks of.