Another Writing Retreat in the Books (Literally)

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Memorial Day weekend is always my busiest writing time. As a horror writer, everything is scheduled to come out around Halloween, which means everything is due by June. Sometimes I spend the weekend hiding at the lake and writing, and sometimes I spend it at a convention in Madison. This year I attended the convention, though I hid and wrote most of the time.

I usually set myself a minimalistic travel goal. But when you're running on four deadlines, maximalism rules. There was no thoughtful process about which pen to bring. Is it inked? Bring it! Oh, you're writing stories in three different notebooks? Bring them all! And you have to type them and turn them in??? Better bring the computer! I usually travel with a backpack only for any amount of time, but this trip took three bags, and it was only three days. Granted, I had to have a ballgown and heels with me, but still. I also adopted a small cactus on the first day of my trip, which added an interesting daily carry challenge that I did not anticipate.

My clothes and toiletries traveled in my Tom Bihn Tri-Star; my computer, tech, and heels were in the Tom Bihn Swift; and my daily carry, including all writing gear, was the Tom Bihn Parental Unit. The Tri-Star is usually all I need, with the addition of a sling to use as a purse. But the Parental Unit is 99.99% the perfect bag for me. If it had an external grab handle, it would be unbeatable. The internal organization makes my heart sing, and it never fails to amaze me how much I can fit into it while not feeling overburdened. It's the most carried bag I own. For daily use, I just don't zip it, and make use of the inexplicably placed interior grab handles. I need it zipped when I travel, though, so it drove me a little nuts on this trip.

For my most-used writing gear, I defaulted to my Hobonichi Cousin. I'm terrible at using the daily pages for daily things, so I use the unused daily pages as rough draft pages. It works out to be the perfect system for me, as I have the monthly and weekly planner pages that I use all the time, and then the rest is essentially a regular notebook, which I always need to have with me anyway. The pen I reached for most was my Hardy Penwrights that I got at the Chicago Pen Show a few weeks ago. Granted, it was so pretty it distracted me and inspired a whole pen glamour-shot photoshoot for later blog use, and it even distracted some nearby writers who have now been penabled. It happens.

I also spent a good amount of time drafting in my Seven Seas Writer, and for that I used my Sailor 4am that I reviewed last week. Most of the rest of my writing was done on the computer. Alas.

To carry my precious pens safely, I used a Rickshaw Bagworks case I got from Carolina Pen Company--their Unicorn Autopsy design. Inside that I have a three-pen Rickshaw sleeve, a two-pen Rickshaw sleeve, and two single-pen Rickshaw sleeves. I'm a fan.

Overall, it was a lot to carry, and I didn't use it all, because I didn't hit all my deadlines. I'm still working on it! I hit the road again in a week, for another author conference. I'm going more minimal this time--though I still need the ballgown and heels. And I'm taking a train halfway across the country, so I'm hoping for some chill writing time. I'm bringing two fountain pens (a Schon DSGN pocket pen and a Kaweco Liliput), two non-fountain pens (a Spoke Roady and a Pen Type-B), and two notebooks (my Hobonichi and the Plotter Mini). That doesn't sound too minimal when I list it all out, but who needs clothes when you can pack stationery? I'll just wear the gown every day.

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Posted on June 1, 2023 by Sarah Read and filed under Writing, Travel.

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 566 - A Boat on Your Desk

*I’ve got a nautical-themed pashmina afghan.*

Myke and I discuss several new and interesting products this week, from Montegrappa’s The Old Man and the Sea, to Nahvalur’s Horizon, and finally - and most importantly - the Lamy Balloon, which was updated in a very curious way. I also break down some of my newest pens and inks put into the rotation this week.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Pen Chalet: Click the ‘podcast’ link at the top of the website and enter the password 'penaddict' for this week's special offer, and to get your code for 10% off.

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Podcast.

Nahvalur Explorer Mango Sorbet Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Summer is fast-approaching, so that means bright and colorful ink options abound. What could be better in the summer than a cold frozen dessert on a hot day? Sorbet can certainly do the trick, and that's what this ink from Nahvalur has me thinking about every time I pick it up.

Nahvalur Mango Sorbet is a dusty yellow-orange ink from their Explorer line of inks. This line of inks complements the Original Plus line of vacuum filler pens, and Mango Sorbet is a direct match to Gold Ocellatus. I don't have the pen, but I imagine the yellow-orange Mango Sorbet looks great swirling around the transparent reservoir with yellow swirls in the material.

Regardless of what pen you use this ink with, the color that comes out on the page is really fun. I've struggled to nail down the exact color of this ink due to the level of shading it exhibits, but it's a lovely yellow-orange that switches between more yellow and more orange with each nib stroke. The color saturation is a little subdued, which is exactly what I'd expect from an ink color that mimics the inside of a mango. Mango is a sweet and pleasant fruit, but both the color and taste are balanced and not too up-front. The ink does a great job of representing what my imagination comes up with when you say the words "mango sorbet."

Going back to the shading properties, this is my favorite thing about the ink. I loved using this ink in a wide, wet nib because it really shows off how much color variation this ink has to offer. Regardless of what nib you use, the shading manages to shine and offer lighter and darker versions of the ink color with each stroke.

In some light, I can detect a little bit of green, but it's rare and only when swatching the ink with a brush. I wouldn't expect any nib to get this out of the ink under normal circumstances. But, it was really intriguing to see this when making large pools with the ink.

Something this ink touts is a quick dry time, but I would call it average dry time. It's not a quick drying ink, but usually becomes smudge-proof after 15 seconds. The lighter areas are dry much sooner, but those areas where ink pools under certain letters are what take several more seconds to dry. This probably isn't a great choice for left-handed writers or anyone who drags their hand behind the nib.

Everything else about this ink is fantastic. I haven't tried an Nahvalur inks before this, and I'm impressed by how well it performs. In my mind, the fact that a renowned pen manufacturer is producing ink does not automatically mean the ink will be any good. For Nahvalur, they've at least done a great job with this specific ink, and I look forward to trying others. It's also exciting to see them pairing inks with pens! I'm not a stickler for matching pens and inks, but it is nice to find that perfect pairing.

Mango Sorbet is $12 for a small 20ml bottle. That's a good value for what you get when comparing to similarly-sized ink vendors. You can certainly find better value when buying a Diamine ink, but they have significant scale and connection since it's their main focus. If the color intrigues you, it's a great impulse purchase. And, if you happen to have one of the Original Plus Gold Ocellatus pens, you should feel compelled to pick up this ink to see how it pairs with the pen!

(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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