A Box of Pencils and a Notebook

I like the idea of having no plan for writing anything when I begin to write. Nothing can stop an idea faster than seeing the whole road ahead (no trip is truly enjoyed with a map and a complete itinerary). There has to be some sense of chance when you feel the urge to create on the page. That is why I have no fear whenever I begin to write.

But what is there to write about?

I first got the idea in my head from a comedian on a late-night talk show. This guest had just written a memoir about his early life and, when asked what he had planned for his follow up, said the following:

“I’m going to go down – off to the West Indies the day after tomorrow…I have eight exercise books and a hundred pencils, and I don’t know what I’m gonna write…But I’m thinking of writing a show called ‘Why There Is No Hope’.”

This is what stood out to me from his entire interview, and it contains the germ that gave me the idea for this piece. It is brave to announce on national television, especially when one is a celebrity with a great deal of respect in the industry, you have absolutely no idea what do with yourself. After writing a memoir about the most important years of one’s young life, it is even inspiring. That does sound a little ridiculous, but that is only because it is very true (I am sure he would appreciate my silliness).

I should add that the show was “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and the special guest was one of my favourite comedians, John Cleese, one of the brilliant talents behind “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” and “Fawlty Towers”. This means that it is an idea worth the time and the effort. It is not hard to imagine that many of the “Python” sketches we know and cannot forget – the Parrot Sketch, Nudge, Nudge, Cheese Shop – were created out of last-minute desperation to get something ready to put on television. According to the biography of the group, most of those sketches were written during office hours, but sometimes they would cover each other if one of them had not written enough for that week’s program. And they had each other. Teamwork was very important for the creation of that insanity. But at the end of the day, it all came down to one man staring at one blank piece of paper. Cleese, more than most of us, knows exactly what he will face on that island.

I still wonder about how I would create a piece around the idea of not being able to write. We all know about “writer’s block,” but that seems too simple to name; too easy to overcome. This type of block is exactly something that a child plays with and which a parent might step on, become annoyed with it, ignore, and then work through the pain it has caused. To not be able to write is more than just an inconvenience. It is a genuine loss, like an old friend who now refuses to speak to you again no matter what you say or do for them. How do you get back to what once was?

Maybe that is what the old comic talent was trying to cover up with his boast that he had no ideas but intended to bring notebooks and pencils on vacation. Maybe he was engaged in a preemptive strike against the possibility of having no ideas left. A brilliant tactic, I think, especially when I consider his mentioning of the notebooks, pencils, and especially the title he has in mind. The stationery provides its own key to getting the work done (the medium creates a message?). Once you find yourself in front of enough notebooks with blank pages and enough unused pens and pencils, you will either be tempted to toss it all out or just scribble out of desperation until the space fills up with something, anything. And having a title denying the possibility of hope also gives you an out if the medium denies the message to the writer. Very simple and very clever.

I must now add my own confession. I have that very same addiction to stationery, and the itch of the unused page and pen is no stranger to me. I need to carry something to write with when I go out and I cannot imagine contemplating or observing the world I see without the chance to write about it. It is a clear reminder of a moment that may be worth remembering. I do keep a journal – brought it back just to record this moment with Covid-19 – but being in the moment when something happens and having that pen in my hand is very important.

I also understand that this is a very private pursuit. My theory is that there will be a great deal of regret when this generation looks back on itself and has nothing saved except the cold glow of a computer screen and either an empty inbox, or too many old and undeleted messages to root through.

I digressed.

The tools…

I admitted to my own stationery fetish; not just having pen and paper nearby, but also having the sense to carry it all with me when I have an idea. This can lead to certain problems. One notebook might have an idea for a play that never gets developed; another, many ideas, thoughts, quotes, and clever sayings (maxims) discovered or created by me. These books make it easy to back and say, “Yes, the themes here can be worked with until something real and complete is on the page. These other thoughts will just have to wait, but at least I will not lose them.” And that is a real danger. Looking back, I have noted that I have a number of notebooks with an endless number of ideas that I never developed or have totally forgotten (no wonder Stephen King admits that he thinks notebooks are “idea killers”). My pens and paper will always be close by, but I admit that I have to spend more time dealing with that cold glowing computer screen and less time with my romantic notions of what a writer is. How else do you think I was able to write all of this?

Now, you must excuse me while I consider word counts, payment options, and the time needed to type this out. I just hope that John Cleese did find the inspiration for his work in all of those notebooks while enjoying the Caribbean sun. I would really love to see that show.

And the final word goes to Stephen Colbert (also a direct quote from the show):

“You have just given me hope that there will be another John Cleese book!”

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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