writing Archives - Ducks 'n a Row

I will never give up writing with paper and pen. You can do almost everything on a smart phone or laptop, but not me. There is something about sitting down to write with a brand new notebook and pen that is fun.

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So, the other day I was just about to sit down to write my to-do lists and, of all things, I could not find a pen! That’s crazy, I always have pens. So, I located a not-so-fun pencil, instead, and started by writing my grocery list. Top of the list I wrote: “fun pens.” Yes, I wanted something inspiring to write with.

Now, I have always been a BIC girl. To be more precise, I have always been a BIC medium-point ballpoint pen girl, to be precise. So, that is what I was looking for. Of course there are many great brands and styles of pens with colored ink and I would be happy to use them, too.

Lo and behold, when I got to the store I found this set of 5 colorful pens – with matching ink – none of this outside being one color and the ink being only black or blue for me! I wanted to write in technicolor. They were very reasonably priced, retractable with a little button on the side and medium point. My ballpoint pen dreams come true!

Of course, I bought them and I love them. They are easy to write with and the colors are vivid enough that you can actually READ what you wrote! [Have you every had colored ink ballpoint pens where the ink was so light you could see what you wrote down? Now, that is disappointing. But not so with these pens. They are perfect.]

Get a little crazy and write those lists with colored ink ballpoint pens! #momlife #tips Click To Tweet

So I looked for them on Amazon, so I can buy more, and was kind of surprised that the reviews were not 100% five stars. I feel sorry for those who had problems with the green. My green pen works fine and it is a pretty shade of green, too. Today I am in a purple mood so I am using my purple pen. The five colors it comes in are: black, purple, bright pink, turquoise blue and green.

So, when you are in the mood to write with colored ink pens, don’t stop with my purchase but look around. Go to the office products department and find the one that strikes YOUR fancy!

For the BEST ballpoint pens in assorted colors:
Check out the possibilities HERE: ☑️ Top rated ballpoint pens – assorted colors.

Enjoy!

The show that did WHAT?
Started my writing career.

“Did not!”

“Did so!”

“Did not!”

“Did so! Really.” Let me tell you about it.

Napoleon Solo, Illya Kuryachin, Thrush, Man From UNCLE

It was September of 1964 and I was 11 years old. That was the year that my favorite TV show, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., debuted…and my writing career began.

Already “boy crazy,” I fell head-over-heals for Napoleon Solo the moment I saw him. It was infatuation at first sight! He was the hero of this exciting new secret agent series.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was one of those shows that you never missed. If you missed it, you had just one more time to see that episode when it was repeated during the summer. There was no syndication; no video recordings. You and your television set had a date that could not be broken – same time, same station – each week. If you missed it, you REALLY missed it!

My best friend, Elaine, had a thing for Napoleon’s partner, Illya Kuryachin*. It was perfect. She and I could dream about them, talk about them, drool over their pictures in Tiger Beat and other teenie bopper magazines with no conflict. We each had our guy.

Truly my FIRST crack at writing came when I wrote my own Man From U.N.C.L.E. stories. Elaine helped me hone them. The characters we “played” in our imaginations had fictitious names but we knew they were us! What fun we had, typing it all up on Elaine’s antique manual typewriter that looked a lot like the one pictured below.

old fashioned typewriter; typing; screenplay; writing

Little did anyone know in those days that a passion to write would come alive in me through that show. Oh, I have never written a screenplay that has actually been used. However, I have written many stories and articles as a hobby, and then career, ever since.

So, the new Man From U.N.C.L.E. movie is coming out on August 14th. I don’t know. I think I may find it a little bit disappointing. Not because it won’t be well done. I am sure it is a great movie. But when I loved that show, though, I was a goofy preteenager. As a grownup? It probably won’t be the same. But I sure am going to give it a try.

For those of you who are way too young to remember the original, here is a little vignette for you to see. It was what we loved way back in 1964.

*Napoleon Solo in the original TV series was played by Robert Vaughn and Illya Kuryachin was portrayed by David McCallum (He is well known today as Ducky on NCIS.)

And now, let’s view the trailer of the exciting NEW Man From U.N.C.L.E.!

Enjoy!

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writing

Everyday Ballpoint Pens Don’t Have To Be Boring

The Man From U.N.C.L.E The Show That Started My Writing Career!