An aging author has much to contend with, not the least of which is finding a pen that can go the distance in Boomer hands that whine of arthritis when it rains or when you spend too much time on the bike and your hands go numb for several hours.

Computer keyboards are a godsend in such situations but there are times when only a pen will do.  A computer connects my brain to my writing while a pen connects my heart to my writing.

I say, the bigger and the fatter, the better when it comes to needing to hold a pen for extended periods of time.  On really BAD days when my thumbs don’t function at all, I resort to the 8 inch pen in the middle.  That sucker is 8 inches long and I don’t have a clue where I will ever find a refill for it.

To the right of the big honker are pens in various stages of extra adornment of padding I’ve added from the little guy on the end up to the spongy black and white number that I stole from a Denny’s restaurant waiter named D’ante.  In return, I promised to name a character after him.

And what of the brightly-colored highlighters on the left?  They are used sparingly and serve mainly as a squad of bouncy cheerleaders who underscore the moments when a creative spark comes in for a landing in my writing.  They are curved and rounded naturally and need no extra padding for the little work they do.

So remember, size DOES matter in many instances, especially in the hands of a Boomer who is trying to write a novel.