Tools of My Trade

I’ve long loved reading other peoples’ lists of their must-have tools for what it is they do (especially writers). If you’re curious, here’s mine, particularly when I wear my writing and travel-guiding hats.

Writing 

Hardware

  • I wanted a moveable standing desk, but they’re terribly expensive. I also preferred one with a manual crank (vs. plugged in with a button) but they were near-impossible to find. I ultimately made this workshop bench desk my writing desk, and I love it. It’s perfect. Affordable, too.

  • Laptop: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)

    Mobile: iPhone 8

  • Note-taking: Leuchtturm1917 B5 softcover, dotted (navy preferred)

    Pen: Zebra F-301 Ballpoint Stainless Steel Retractable Pen, Fine Point, 0.7mm, Black Ink

Software

  • After years of going the free route, a few years ago I started paying for Ulysses and I’ve never looked back. It’s fast, it doesn’t have bells and whistles I don’t need, and it’s got a great UI.

  • Newsletter: Substack. It’s a bajillion times better for writers than the likes of Patreon or pricey services like ConvertKit. It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough.

    Website: Squarespace. After well over a decade with Wordpress, the website you’re reading right now is built on Squarespace and I dig it. Super intuitive, fast, and affordable.

  • Note-taking: Leuchtturm1917 B5 softcover, dotted (navy preferred)

    Pen: Zebra F-301 Ballpoint Stainless Steel Retractable Pen, Fine Point, 0.7mm, Black Ink