School Supplies for Writers
August 21, 2025
It’s almost the start of the school year. This season brings back memories of preparing for new classes and meeting new teachers. I’d stock up on school supplies like notebooks, composition books, highlighters and file folders. Bored at the end of the summer, I couldn’t wait to put these items to use. Partially it was the attraction of new supplies but also the challenge of learning new subjects.
At home, I liked to play at my brother’s desk with all the fascinating tools I found there. Different colored pencils. Erasers in various shapes. Notepads and rulers, paper clips and pencil sharpeners, staplers and tape dispensers. This was my happy place, not the girl’s dressing table my mother had bought for me that I never used.
Even now as an author, I love office supplies. Aside from a bookstore, I could happily browse inside an office superstore and study the daily planners, manila envelopes, Post-it notes, colored pens and more. What a joy to have my own home office space. I even still use my old-fashioned jeweled calculator. We don’t need to be heading off to school to experience the joy and wonder of this season.
What’s in your desk drawers? Anything unusual?
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Posted in Let's Talk, with Nancy J. Cohen • Tags: Bad Hair Day Mysteries, Nancy J Cohen, School Supplies for Writers | 15 Comments
Love school supplies I do not have anything unusual in the drawers. Deborah
It’s still fun to rummage through the drawers of desk supplies.
One desk drawer still holds some of my college printmaking tools that haven’t been used in decades, but if I ever get the urge to create another ink plate etching, I’ll be prepared!
Now that’s unusual! Maybe it’s a skill you can put into one of your stories.
I looked in my desk and found a couple of things. One is carbon paper and the other is several typewriter erasers. I have not used either in 40 years. I guess I keep them for old time memories or getting a kick out hearing my grand kids and great grand kids ask what are they for.
Those are old, indeed! I remember those days and am so glad for computers.
I have all the usual suspects of office supplies and a little two-finger cleaning pad to wipe off keyboard and screen. I also love office supply stores and get stuck looking at pens and labels…
I use screen wipes, too, to clean off my monitors and such. It’s easy that way.
I have all the usual desk supplies. I also have pens, pencils, markers and sticky notes in every color that exists! I also have colored folders. I like color!
I’ll bet you are very well organized with your different colored folders.
I loved new school supplies! My desk drawer has the usual things, plus a screwdriver that goes to my sewing machine and a Davy Crockett penknife.
I have Swiss Army knives, not that I’d know how to use them.
I hate to admit it but just about everything but the kitchen sink is in my drawers. Yesterday I found one of my husband’s uniform stripes!
We do tend to collect a variety of miscellaneous items, don’t we? I’ve all sorts of things in my drawers, including a rabbit’s foot and old membership pins.
Nothing unusual. Just your normal paper, stamps, bingo cards LOL.
Heather Harrisson